Matthew Polenzani News

Hei-Kyung Hong will sing the role of Violetta Valery in Verdi's La Traviata at tomorrow's performance, replacing Natalie Dessay, who is ill.

Natalie Dessay will make her Met role debut as Violetta Valery, the iconic heroine of Verdi's La Traviata, in a revival of Willy Decker's highly praised 2011 production of the opera. Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi leads his first Met performances of the tragic love story, which also stars Matthew Polenzani as the lovesick Alfredo and Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Alfredo's father, Giorgio Germont. The April 14 matinee will be transmitted live around the world as part of The Met: Live in HD series, which now reaches more than 1,700 movie theaters in 54 countries.

The singers of the Ryan Opera Center will conclude a year of study and performance with the end-of-season Rising Stars in Concert for Lyric Opera donors Saturday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m. in the Ardis Krainik Theatre of the Civic Opera House. Tickets for this concert are a benefit available only to Lyric Opera donors of $75 and above. It is not open to the public.

The singers of the Ryan Opera Center will conclude a year of study and performance with the end-of-season Rising Stars in Concert for Lyric Opera donors Saturday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m. in the Ardis Krainik Theatre of the Civic Opera House. Tickets for this concert are a benefit available only to Lyric Opera donors of $75 and above. It is not open to the public.

Music Director Jeffrey Kahane serves as musical "tour guide" for Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's annual "Discover" concert on Saturday, February 25, 2012, 8 pm, at Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena, which this season features a special one-night-only exploration of Bach's Magnificat, a pinnacle of choral literature.

An abundance of Verdi and Wagner, in celebration of their 200th birthdays, will be featured in the Metropolitan Opera's 2012-13 season, which will showcase the world's greatest singers, conductors, and directors in seven new productions-two of them Met premieres-and 21 revivals, including three complete Ring cycles. Twelve of the season's Saturday matinees will be transmitted worldwide as part of the Met's increasingly popular, award-winning Live in HD series.

Music Director Jeffrey Kahane serves as musical "tour guide" for Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's annual "Discover" concert on Saturday, February 25, 2012, 8 pm, at Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena, which this season features a special one-night-only exploration of Bach's Magnificat, a pinnacle of choral literature.

The winners of the 41st annual George London Foundation Awards Competition for young American and Canadian opera singers were announced at the conclusion of the competition's final round this evening, which took place in a front of a capacity audience at Gilder Lehrman Hall at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City.

Over three days of preliminary auditions on February 13-15, 2012, ninety of the best young American and Canadian opera singers will compete to reach the final round of the 41st annual George London Foundation Awards Competition.

On Friday, February 10, Lyric Opera of Chicago's Wine Auction 2012 raised an unprecedented $1.8 million in net proceeds.

Over three days of preliminary auditions on February 13-15, 2012, ninety of the best young American and Canadian opera singers will compete to reach the final round of the 41st annual George London Foundation Awards Competition.

Kyle Ketelsen and Bryn Terfel will sing four performances each of the role of Leporello in the upcoming performances of Don Giovanni, replacing John Relyea who is now on vocal rest at his physician's instructions. Ketelsen will sing the role on February 21, 24, 29, and March 3; Terfel will sing the role on March 7, 10 mat, 14, and 17.

The Metropolitan Opera's Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi is on tap to conduct this season's April 25 and May 2 performances of Verdi's LA TRAVIATA. Originally, the conductor for the scheduled performaces was to be determined. As previously announced, Luisi will also conduct the first four performances of the production, which opens for audiences on April 6. Steven White will conduct the performances on April 21 and 28.

Soprano Angela Meade has been named the recipient of the seventh annual Beverly Sills Artist Award for young singers at the Metropolitan Opera

Over three days of preliminary auditions on February 13-15, 2012, ninety of the best young American and Canadian opera singers will compete to reach the final round of the 41st annual George London Foundation Awards Competition.

Anthony Freud, general director of Lyric Opera of Chicago, announced yesterday the repertoire, principal singers, conductors, directors, and designers for Lyric's 2012-13 season. This was Freud's first news conference since becoming Lyric's general director on Oct. 1, 2011. Joining Freud for yesterday's announcement was Sir Andrew Davis, Lyric's music director, and Renee Fleming, Lyric's creative consultant (via Skype).

Continúa el ciclo 2011-2012 de transmisiones vía satélite desde el MET de Nueva York a México. Entre algunas de las óperas que se presentaran están La Isla Encantada, El Ocaso de los Dioses, La Traviata, Manon.

This holiday season, NCM Fathom and the Metropolitan Opera will present special encores of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel and Mozart's The Magic Flute from the award-winning series The Met: Live in HD. The operas, presented in abridged versions and sung in English, are designed to bring appeal of the opera to families with children and will screen in the United States through NCM's exclusive Digital Broadcast Network on December 21 and December 22.

This holiday season, NCM Fathom and the Metropolitan Opera will present special encores of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel and Mozart's The Magic Flute from the award-winning series The Met: Live in HD. The operas, presented in abridged versions and sung in English, are designed to bring appeal of the opera to families with children and will screen in the United States through NCM's exclusive Digital Broadcast Network on December 21 and December 22.

Cineplex Entertainment (TSX:CGX), via our Front Row Centre Events announces the very popular series The Met: Live in HD is returning to participating Cineplex theatres.