Lucas Meachem News

LA Opera Music Director James Conlon's world premiere recording of composer John Corigliano and librettist William M. Hoffman's The Ghosts of Versailles, released on the PentaTone label, today won two 2017 Grammy® Awards for Best Opera Recording and Best Engineered Album, Classical.

Twenty of the finest young opera singers in the United States will be competing in the 29th Annual Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition presented, jointly, by The Dallas Opera and The Dallas Opera Guild.

The partnership between San Francisco Opera and the Bay Area's Classical KDFC continues with monthly broadcasts of performances captured during the Fall 2016 Season, including the world premiere of Bright Sheng and David Henry Hwang's Dream of the Red Chamber, and a historic broadcast from the Company's archives. All performances were recorded live at the War Memorial Opera House and feature the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus (Ian Robertson, Chorus Director).

Houston Grand Opera expands its commitment to broadening the audience for opera with a 2017-18 season that includes the first presentations of Leonard Bernstein's classic musical West Side Story by a major American opera house and the world premiere of composer Ricky Ian Gordon and librettist Royce Vavrek's holiday opera The House without a Christmas Tree. HGO will present its first performances in a quarter century of two iconic works: Richard Strauss's revenge-filled Elektra with virtuoso sopranoChristine Goerke in the tempestuous title role and 2016 Richard Tucker Award-winner and HGO Studio alumna Tamara Wilson in her role debut as Chrysothemis, under the baton of HGO Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers; and Bellini's grand-scale tragedy Norma showcasing the debut of stellar dramatic soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska in the notoriously difficult title role, with 2015 Tucker winner and HGO Studio alumna Jamie Barton as Adalgisa.

 The Florentine Opera's original recording of Wuthering Heights makes Opera News' 10 Best in Opera recordings of the Year in 2016. Read more at OperaNews.com.

San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas, James Conlon, and Wu Man were nominated for Best Orchestral Performance today.

This morning, The Recording Academy and 2016 GRAMMY Best New Artist, Meghan Trainor, kicked off this year's GRAMMY Awards nominations by revealing nominees in the four General Field categories (Best New Artist, Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Album Of The Year) live on 'CBS This Morning.

The Dallas Opera is privileged to announce that TDO will present the United States Premiere of composer Michel van der Aa's critically acclaimed contemporary masterpiece, SUNKEN GARDEN, "a fantastical tale to set the ears and eyes popping" (New York Times headline) during the Texas company's 2017-2018 Season.

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents the much-anticipated company premiere of Les Troyens, a rarely performed masterpiece by French composer Hector Berlioz, as the third opera of the 2016/2017 season. The new production Les Troyens opens Sunday, November 13, with only five performances through December 3 at Lyric's Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago.

San Francisco Opera Center Director Sheri Greenawald today announced the thirteen recipients of the 2017 Adler Fellowship. Nine singers, three pianist/apprentice coaches and one director will take part in the program-a multi-year performance-oriented residency offering advanced young artists intensive individual training, coaching and professional seminars, as well as a wide range of performance opportunities. Adler Fellows are selected from the young artists who have participated in the Merola Opera Program. The prestigious fellowship has nurtured the development of more than 175 young artists since its inception.

In a new production, Lyric Opera of Chicago presents the much-anticipated Midwest premiere of Les Troyens by French Romantic composer Hector Berlioz (1803-1869). Les Troyens opens Sunday, November 13, with only five performances throughDecember 3 at Lyric's Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Tickets are available at lyricopera.org/Troyens or at 312-827-5600.

San Francisco Opera's 2016-17 Season continues with Donizetti's Don Pasquale in six performances from September 28-October 15, 2016. After a 32-year absence from the Company's repertory, the sparkling comedy of cruel games and young love returns in Laurent Pelly's fanciful staging, which is a co-production with Santa Fe Opera and Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu.

Opening weekend for San Francisco Opera's 2016-17 Season continues with the 43rd San Francisco Chronicle Presents Opera in the Park free outdoor concert on Sharon Meadow in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, Sunday, September 11 at 1:30 p.m. This annual open-air concert celebrates the opening of San Francisco Opera's 94th season and features many distinguished artists from the Company's Fall Season performing favorite arias and duets by Donizetti, Giordano, Rossini, Verdi and others accompanied by Company Music Director Nicola Luisotti and conductor George Manahan leading the San Francisco Opera Orchestra.

San Francisco Opera's 2016-17 Season continues with Donizetti'sDon Pasquale in six performances from September 28-October 15, 2016. After a 32-year absence from the Company's repertory, the sparkling comedy of cruel games and young love returns in Laurent Pelly's fanciful staging, which is a co-production with Santa Fe Opera and Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu. Maestro Giuseppe Finzi conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Chorus and a cast including bass-baritone Maurizio Muraro in the title role, soprano Heidi Stober as Norina, tenor Lawrence Brownlee in his Company debut as Ernesto and baritones Lucas Meachem and Edward Nelson as Dr. Malatesta.

San Francisco Opera announces the winner of the inaugural 'Emerging Star of the Year' competition. Lucas Meachem, the American baritone who performed the role of Figaro inThe Barber of Seville (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) in Fall 2015, was named '2016 Emerging Star of the Year' based on a popular vote conducted online and through social media.

 The Dallas Opera is pleased to announce that single tickets for its eagerly-anticipated 2016-2017 '60th' Season and popular Family Performances Series will go on sale to the general public on Monday, July 11, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. 

A live recording of John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles, as performed by LA Opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in 2015, has been released as part of PENTATONE's newly launched American Opera Series. The audio was captured by Boston-based production company SoundMirror. The new recording is available as a two-CD (SACD) album and as a digital download through numerous platforms including Amazon, iTunes and Spotify.

Music director Manfred Honeck leads the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, guest vocalists and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh in a BNY Mellon Grand Classics program featuring the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra premiere of Bach's St. John Passion oratorio tonight, March 4, and March 6 at Heinz Hall.

The 33rd season of the Schwabacher Debut Recitals continues on Sunday, March 6 at the new Dianne and Tad Taube Atrium Theater with bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch and pianist John Churchwell.

Music director Manfred Honeck leads the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, guest vocalists and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh in a BNY Mellon Grand Classics program featuring the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra premiere of Bach's St. John Passion oratorio on March 4 and 6 at Heinz Hall.