Nadine Sierra News

Soprano Nadine Sierra has been named the winner of the 13th annual Beverly Sills Artist Award for young singers at the Metropolitan Opera. The $50,000 award, the largest of its kind in the United States, is given to extraordinarily gifted singers between the ages of 25 and 40 who have already appeared in featured solo roles at the Met. The award, given in honor of Beverly Sills, was established in 2006 by an endowment gift from the late Agnes Varis, a managing director on the Met board. In 2009 Sierra became the youngest ever winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and has gone on to make her mark at the Met with memorable performances in Verdi's Rigoletto, and Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, Idomeneo and Don Giovanni. In the Met's 2018-19 season, Sierra will reprise the role of Gilda in Rigoletto.

Following today's highly competitive semi-final competition, nine young singers will advance to the final phase of the Metropolitan Opera's 2018 National Council Auditions, America's most prestigious vocal competition. The selected finalists, chosen by a panel of experts from the classical music industry, will compete on the Met stage on Sunday, April 29 at 3 p.m. The winners will receive individual cash prizes of $15,000 and the prestigious—and potentially career-launching—title of National Council Auditions Winner. The Grand Finals Concert will be hosted by Joyce DiDonato, who will perform during the judges' deliberations. The finalists will sing two arias, with Bertrand de Billy conducting the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

Featured Performers Include Sopranos Sarah Shafer and Abigail Fischer, Tenor James Reese, and Baritone Lee Poulis

The Richard Tucker Music Foundation announced today that Christian Van Horn – “one of those treasurable singers in whose presence one can entirely relax, assured that everything he does will be delivered with solid interpretive insight and unfailingly attractive tone” (Opera News) – has been named as the winner of the 2018 Richard Tucker Award.

Twenty-five young opera singers who have won regional auditions around the United States will arrive at the Met this month to compete in the next phase of the country's leading vocal competition: the semi-final round of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

The Madison Square Garden Company and Gelb Productions have announced that legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli will return to Madison Square Garden for two back-to-back performances on Wednesday, December 12 and Thursday, December 13, 2018 at 7:30PM. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday, March 26 at 10:00AM.

The New York Choral Society (NYCHORAL) will hold its annual Spring Gala at New York's Metropolitan Club (1 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022) on Thursday evening, April 5, 2018, starting at 6:00 pm. The organization will honor renowned opera singer and recitalist Stephanie Blythe with the NYCHORAL Music Excellence Award for her contributions to the musical profession, as well as Sylvia R. Hoisington who is celebrating her 50th season with the chorus. Produced in partnership with the Richard Tucker Music Foundation, the evening's showcase performance will feature soprano Amanda Majeski and tenor Ben Bliss, both of whom will be participating in the Metropolitan Opera's production of Cosi fan tutte from March 15 to April 9, 2018. Members of the NYCHORAL Chamber Ensemble will also perform. The evening will feature a silent auction of unique items and experiences. The program is as follows:

The New York Choral Society (NYCHORAL) will hold its annual Spring Gala at New York's Metropolitan Club (1 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022) on Thursday evening, April 5, 2018, starting at 6:00 pm.

Festival Napa Valley announces the lineup for the 2018 summer season, featuring a host of world premieres, debuts and exclusive engagements set in iconic Napa Valley settings. The 2018 season, July 20-29, is dedicated to the first responders who saved lives, homes and properties in the recent Wine Country wildfires.

Festival Napa Valley announces the lineup for the 2018 summer season, featuring a host of world premieres, debuts and exclusive engagements set in iconic Napa Valley settings. The 2018 season, July 20-29, is dedicated to the first responders who saved lives, homes and properties in the recent Wine Country wildfires.

Accelerating his arrival as Music Director by two seasons, Yannick Nezet-Seguin will take up the post in time for the start of the Metropolitan Opera's 2018-19 season, it was announced today.

The New York Choral Society (NYCHORAL), under the baton of music director David Hayes, will appear at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium (881 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019) with Where Even the Sea Sings, Sunday afternoon, February 11, 2018, at 3 pm. This program juxtaposes three composers of very different backgrounds and styles, inspired by a shared commonality in theme: the grandeur of the 'sea.'

It's just about time to wish you all a happy 2018--but I'm not quite ready to put 2017 to rest. Though it won't go into the annals as one of the best years ever, there were quite enough performances and performers that made this year a winner for me, operatically speaking at least, in my corner of the world.

Jamie Bernstein, daughter of composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, will serve as the Tucson Desert Song Festival's (TDSF) Artist-in-Residence for 2018. Ms. Bernstein, a narrator, writer and broadcaster, will share insights and memories of her father and his work and will provide context to help understand the complex life and career of Leonard Bernstein.

It was great that the 2017 Richard Tucker Gala was heard live on WQXR.org and on WQXR radio on Sunday, but those of us who were in Carnegie Hall had it much better. This year's winner, soprano Nadine Sierra, sounded wonderful (and looked ravishing, by the way) as she whipped through Verdi's 'Caro nome' (RIGOLETTO) and 'Ah, forse lui Sempre libera'), with secure high notes and thoughtful drama, and Bernstein-Sondheim's 'Tonight' (WEST SIDE STORY), paired with tenor Vittorio Grigolo. She's a charming, extremely gifted performer.

Classical music lovers around the world can share in two longstanding New York City institutions beginning this weekend, as both the Richard Tucker Music Foundation's annual gala concert on Sunday, December 10 (6pm ET), and the first of Trinity Church Wall Street's annual performances of Handel's Messiah today, December 15 (7:30pm ET), are broadcast by WQXR, New York City's only all-classical music station, at WQXR 105.9 FM and www.wqxr.org.

Classical music lovers around the world can share in two longstanding New York City institutions beginning this weekend, as both the Richard Tucker Music Foundation's annual gala concert on Sunday, December 10 (6pm ET), and the first of Trinity Church Wall Street's annual performances of Handel's Messiah on Friday, December 15 (7:30pm ET), are broadcast by WQXR, New York City's only all-classical music station, at WQXR 105.9 FM and www.wqxr.org.

Sir Richard Eyre's staging of Le Nozze di Figaro, with the action of Mozart's masterpiece relocated to 1930s Seville, returns to the Met on December 6 for 11 performances through to January 19, conducted by Harry Bicket. Initial performances feature soprano Christiane Karg making her Met debut as the maid Susanna, opposite bass-baritone Adam Plachetka as her fianc , the valet Figaro. Soprano Rachel Willis-S rensen stars as the Countess, a role she sang for her Met debut in the production in 2014, opposite bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni also reprising his interpretation as Count Almaviva, with mezzo-soprano Serena Malfi as his page, Cherubino.

The Robert E. and Jean Ann Titus Art Song Recital Series will feature American soprano, Nadine Sierra, winner of the 2017 Richard Tucker Award and the 2009 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Finals, in an exclusive recital produced by The Dallas Opera.

Sir Richard Eyre's staging of Le Nozze di Figaro, with the action of Mozart's masterpiece relocated to 1930s Seville, returns to the Met on December 6 for 11 performances through to January 19, conducted by Harry Bicket. Initial performances feature soprano Christiane Karg making her Met debut as the maid Susanna, opposite bass-baritone Adam Plachetka as her fianc , the valet Figaro. Soprano Rachel Willis-S rensen stars as the Countess, a role she sang for her Met debut in the production in 2014, opposite bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni also reprising his interpretation as Count Almaviva, with mezzo-soprano Serena Malfi as his page, Cherubino.