Martina Arroyo News

In recognition of her outstanding lifetime contribution to American culture, Martina Arroyo was saluted as one of five recipients of this year's Kennedy Center Honors in a star-studded gala celebration held on December 8 that will be broadcast nationwide as a two-hour prime time special on CBS-TV this Sunday, December 29 at 9pm, ET/PT. Seated with President and Mrs. Obama at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as well as with her fellow honorees (actress Shirley MacLaine and musicians Herbie Hancock, Billy Joel and Carlos Santana), the pre-eminent American soprano was introduced in a speech by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who also narrated a short video about Arroyo. She was then saluted by a musical tribute celebrating her legendary portrayal of the title role in Verdi's Aida. First, Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja performed Radames's aria 'Celeste Aida,' and soprano Sondra Radvanovsky sang Aida's aria 'O patria mia.' Then the two star singers were joined by graduates of the Martina Arroyo Foundation's programs-Ryan Speedo Green, Chantelle Grant, Robert Kerr, and Yuriy Yurchuk-as well as the Army Herald Trumpets and the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club, to perform the opera's Act II finale.

On Sunday, January 12, 2014, Opera Index will presents its 35th Distinguished Achievement Award to mezzo-soprano Rosalind Elias, described as one of the finest singing actresses of our time, at its Winter Gala in the Grand Salon of the JW Marriott Essex House, 160 Central Park South, beginning at 6 p.m. with a reception in the Petit Salon. The three-time Grammy and two-time Emmy Award-winning artist made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1954 and over her half-century-long career, has sung more than 50 roles. Ken Benson, renowned artists manager and longtime Opera Index supporter, will present the award to Ms. Elias.

Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor David Hyde Pierce will take a star turn together when they co-host the Ninth Annual Opera News Awards, set to take place on Sunday, April 13, 2014, in the Grand Ballroom of The Plaza Hotel in New York City. They will be joined by a distinguished line-up of presenters – Luca Pisaroni, Susan Graham, Renata Scotto, Eva Wagner-Pasquier and Francesca Zambello – who will pay tribute to five superb artists who have made an invaluable contribution to the art form: the late director Patrice Chéreau, tenor Juan Diego Flórez, mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig,bass-baritone James Morris, and soprano Nina Stemme. First introduced in 2005, the Opera News Awards gala dinner, which features the hosts and presenters speaking about the awardees and introducing video performance clips, has become one of the most anticipated opera events of the season: an evening of celebration, appreciation, reuniting and celebrity-spotting that is without parallel in the industry.

Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja gave a very special surprise performance at last night's presentation of the 2013 Kennedy Center Honors.

Below are the official remarks by President Obama at the 2013 KENNEDY CENTER HONORS reception, held Sunday, December 8th from the East Room of The White House

The Chicago Jazz Orchestra (CJO) under the direction of Jeff Lindberg is excited and honored to have been chosen to perform at the 36th Annual Kennedy Center Honors Gala tonight, December 8, 2013 in Washington, D.C. This performance marks the 25th consecutive year that the CJO has been chosen for this singular honor.

In recognition of her outstanding lifetime contribution to American culture, Martina Arroyo will be one of five recipients of this year's Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday, December 8 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. Seated with President and Mrs. Obama, as well as with her fellow Honorees (actress Shirley MacLaine and musicians Herbie Hancock, Billy Joel, and Carlos Santana), the pre-eminent American soprano will be saluted with performances and tributes during the star-studded gala celebration that will be broadcast nationwide as a two-hour prime time special on CBS-TV (Dec 29 at 9pm, EST). The honor is a fitting one, for Arroyo has devoted herself to opera over the course of a decades-long career. Since retiring from the stage, where her voice was heralded by the New York Times as "among the most glorious in the world," the Harlem-born soprano has continued to serve the art form through the Martina Arroyo Foundation, the non-profit cultural organization she established ten years ago to provide new generations of talented young singers with the tools to pursue careers in opera and prepare them for the stage.

CBS's holiday programming, which kicks-off with RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER, will also include music specials, perennial holiday favorites and holiday-themed episodes of NCIS, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, THE BIG BANG THEORY, TWO AND A HALF MEN, THE MILLERS and HAWAII FIVE-0.

The Chicago Jazz Orchestra (CJO) under the direction of Jeff Lindberg is excited and honored to have been chosen to perform at the 36th Annual Kennedy Center Honors Gala on December 8, 2013 in Washington, D.C. This performance marks the 25th consecutive year that the CJO has been chosen for this singular honor.

The University Musical Society (UMS) presents two incredible events this December, starting with the beloved community tradition of Handel's Messiah (Saturday-Sunday, December 7-8). December also ushers in the first-ever high definition delayed cinema broadcast from the Royal Shakespeare Company in the Michigan Theater; the company performs Richard II, starring David Tennant and directed by Gregory Doran (Sunday, December 8 and Wednesday, December 11).

Celebrity Series of Boston will present Abyssinian: A Gospel Celebration featuring Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis,on Sunday, October 27, 2013, at 7pm at Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston. Media partner is 89.7 WGBH.

The editors of Opera News are pleased to announce the honorees for the ninth annual Opera News Awards, paying tribute to five superb artists who have made invaluable contributions to the art form: director Patrice Chéreau, tenor Juan Diego Flórez, mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig, bass-baritone James Morris and soprano Nina Stemme. The Opera News Awards ceremonywill take place on Sunday, April 13 at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. All the winners - and a host of the city's cultural, civic, and social luminaries - will be present at the gala awards dinner, which will feature celebrity presenters speaking about the awardees and introducing video performance clips.

The Brick Theater in association with the Dysfunctional Theatre Company presents FINAL DEFENDERS as part of the Game Play Festival, a festival of video game theater. The festival will run now through July 28 at The Brick. FINAL DEFENDERS plays: Sat July 6, 9pm; Thurs July 11, 8pm; Thurs July 18, 7pm; Sat July 20, 4pm; and Fri July 26, 9pm.

ASPS (Art Song Preservation Society), will present a concert in conjunction with their first annual Summer of Song Series led by Baritone, Michael Weyandt, and International Piano Collaborator, Thomas Muraco today, June 20 at 7pm at Opera America (330 7th Avenue). The Art Song Preservation Society is New York's premiere Art Song Organization that serves the New York City area by creating opportunities and performance in the genre of classical art song vocal literature.

ASPS (Art Song Preservation Society), will present a concert in conjunction with their first annual Summer of Song Series led by baritone Michael Weyandt and International Pianist and Collaborator, Thomas Muraco tonight, June 20 at 7pm at Opera America (330 7th Avenue).

ASPS (Art Song Preservation Society), will present a concert in conjunction with their first annual Summer of Song Series led by Baritone, Michael Weyandt, and International Piano Collaborator, Thomas Muraco on Thursday, June 20 at 7pm at Opera America (330 7th Avenue). The Art Song Preservation Society is New York's premiere Art Song Organization that serves the New York City area by creating opportunities and performance in the genre of classical art song vocal literature.

The Brick Theater in association with the Dysfunctional Theatre Company presents FINAL DEFENDERS as part of the Game Play Festival, a festival of video game theater. The festival will run July 5 - 28 at The Brick. FINAL DEFENDERS plays: Sat July 6, 9pm; Thurs July 11, 8pm; Thurs July 18, 7pm; Sat July 20, 4pm; and Fri July 26, 9pm.

ASPS (Art Song Preservation Society), will present a concert in conjunction with their first annual Summer of Song Series led by baritone Michael Weyandt and International Pianist and Collaborator, Thomas Muraco on Thursday, June 20 at 7pm at Opera America (330 7th Avenue).

I missed the debut and broadcast of Andre Previn's operatic setting of Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire" from the San Francisco Opera back in 1998. But I can't say that anything I've read would compel me choose it over a couple of hours with Brando and Leigh on TCM or even a less than stellar [Stella?] production of the play. The fact is, how can Previn's score compare with the music of Williams?

Yesterday, October 21, Grammy Award-winning, Tony Award-winning actress Audra McDonald was honored with a Pipe Night at THE PLAYERS. McDonald is the 100th recipient (since 1901) of such a night and the first since 2010 (Sir Roger Moore).