Review: Warhorses? Hi Yo, Silver, With Sierra, Grigorian, Radvanovsky, Jagde at Carnegie Hall
by Richard Sasanow
- Dec 30, 2025
The program said “Christmas Night Opera” but it didn’t happen till the 27th at Carnegie Hall. The date didn’t matter, with such a grand evening for hearing Puccini, Tchaikovsky, Delibes, Verdi and others with some top voices, including Grigorian, Sierra, Radvanovsky and Jagde seeming to have fun while giving their all.
Review: Spectacular Nadine Sierra Shines in Villazon’s Somnolent SONNAMBULA by Bellini
by Richard Sasanow
- Oct 7, 2025
Sometimes great singing can save a bad production. It happened with the Met’s previous attempt at Bellini’s LA SONNAMBULA, which had been DOA at its premiere, despite a star, cast but rose like a phoenix when it was revived with other stars a year later. This time around, in the misguided, often silly take under the direction of the former tenor Rolando Villazon, soprano Nadine Sierra tried her considerable best as Amina to bring it to life but Villazon was a problem that her great singing couldn’t totally surmount.
The Met: Live In HD Season Opens With LA SONNAMBULA
by Stephi Wild
- Oct 2, 2025
The Metropolitan Opera's new production of Bellini's La Sonnambula marks the beginning of the 19th season of The Met: Live in HD, with Nadine Sierra making her company role debut as Amina and Xabier Anduaga in his company role debut as Elvino
The International Opera Awards Reveals Shortlist
by Stephi Wild
- Sep 23, 2025
The International Opera Awards has announced the shortlist for this year’s Awards. Finalists for this year’s Awards represent more than 25 countries from five continents, showcasing the truly international spirit of opera.
Preview: KAVALIER & CLAY Brings Three Sound Worlds to Met Season-Opener
by Richard Sasanow
- Sep 13, 2025
The forces behind the Met’s latest try at bringing a different (sic: younger) audience to the house, THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY, joined forces at the Guggenheim’s Works & Process series last week to introduce the new work to a receptive crowd. It’s the story of two Jewish cousins who team up in Brooklyn to create a comic book superhero, called the Escapist, to fight Hitler and the forces of fascism, “a story that unfortunately has extra resonance right now,” according to Met General Manager Peter Gelb. It brings three sound worlds--traditional, swing and electronica--to the Met’s season-opener.
Let's Hear It for the Five Winners of the Met's 2025 Laffont Competition!
by Richard Sasanow
- Mar 18, 2025
Imagine being a rising young opera singer and getting to sing two solos from the stage of the Metropolitan Opera. And picture receiving $20,000 and the prestige, exposure and networking opportunities that come with it. That's what came to Sopranos Alissa Goretsky and Emma Marhefka, Mezzos Sadie Cheslak and Michelle Mariposa, and Baritone Luke Sutliff, who took top honors and applause from the crowd of thousands at the opera house on Sunday March 16.
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