Accelerating his arrival as Music Director by two seasons, Yannick Nézet-Séguin will take up the post in time for the start of the Metropolitan Opera's 2018–19 season, it was announced today. By freeing up some guest conducting weeks in his busy calendar in both the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons, Nézet-Séguin will now be able to conduct three operas and two Met Orchestra concerts at Carnegie Hall in each of those seasons, instead of the two operas per season originally scheduled. With the assumption of the Music Director title in the fall of 2018, Nézet-Séguin will also be taking on the full artistic responsibilities for the orchestra, chorus, and music staff. His full-time collaboration with Met General Manager Peter Gelb on all other artistic matters will also begin at that time. As previously announced, Nézet-Séguin will begin conducting a minimum of five operas per season starting with the 2020–21 season.
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.
Season 12 of Great Performances at the Met begins with a new production of Bellini's masterpiece about a woman scorned, conducted by Carlo Rizzi. Norma stars Sondra Radvanovsky as the titular druid high priestess, opposite Joyce DiDonato as Norma's new rival and Joseph Calleja as her unfaithful lover a casting dream for bel canto fans.
The trials and tribulations of the Met's new take on Puccini's TOSCA have been well documented--with all three principals replaced along with two conductors--and it would be nice to be able to say that everything came out happily-ever-after. Alas. There's nothing wrong with the company's surprise-free new take on one of Italian opera's most famous works that a stronger director couldn't come in and cure.
A new film by multiple Emmy Award winning documentary filmmaker Susan Froemke, surveys a remarkable period of the Metropolitan Opera's rich history and a time of great change for New York.
Over 600 opera aficionados - including Honored Guests Martina Arroyo, Candice Bergen, Kristin Chenoweth, Marilyn Horne, James Morris, Diane Sawyer and Teresa Stratas - attended the 83rd Annual Metropolitan Opera Guild Luncheon at Cipriani 42nd Street on Thursday, December 7th. This year's honoree, Ren e Fleming, was acknowledged for her immense contribution to opera and music. BroadwayWorld has photos from the event below!
Over 600 opera aficionados including Honored Guests Martina Arroyo, Candice Bergen, Kristin Chenoweth, Marilyn Horne, James Morris, Diane Sawyer and Teresa Stratas attended the 83rd Annual Metropolitan Opera Guild Luncheon at Cipriani 42nd Street on Thursday, December 7th. This year's honoree, Ren e Fleming, was acknowledged for her immense contribution to opera and music. Spoken and musical tributes were delivered by Peter Gelb, Ann Patchett and Luca Pisaroni, along with a performance by The Metropolitan Opera Guild's Urban Voices, a choral music initiative that involves nearly 4,000 students and teachers every year.
Illinois law enforcement officials announced Friday that there will be no criminal charges brought against conductor James Levine. Levine's accuser had been sixteen at the time of the incident, which was then the age of consent according to Illinois state law.
The New York Times recently revealed that the Metropolitan Opera had opened an investigation into claims against conductor James Levine, alleging sexual abuse.
Works & Process at the Guggenheim is pleased to announce its Spring 2018 Season. Since 1984 the performing-arts series has championed new works and offered audiences unprecedented access to leading creators and performers. Programs explore the creative process through stimulating artist discussions and riveting performance highlights. Each 70-minute program takes place in the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Peter B. Lewis Theater. Additional information is available at worksandprocess.org.
Works & Process at the Guggenheim has announced its spring 2018 season. Since 1984 the performing-arts series has championed new works and offered audiences unprecedented access to leading creators and performers.
The New York Times recently revealed that the Metropolitan Opera had opened an investigation into claims against conductor James Levine, alleging sexual abuse. The Met has released an official statement regarding the issue.
The New York Times has announced that the Metropolitan Opera is opening an investigation into claims against conductor James Levine, alleging sexual abuse. Over a year ago, a man filed a police report saying Levine had abused him in the 1980's. The Met was made aware of this report but did not act on it until recent media inquiries were made into Levine's conduct.
It was a fitting gesture that the Met dedicated this season's performances of Verdi's MESSA DA REQUIEM to the great baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, who died on November 22 of brain cancer, at 55. The Russian Hvosotovsky may not have had the largest voice ever heard in his chosen repertoire--the last time I heard him was in IL TROVATORE with Netrebko--but it was unquestionably distinctive and exciting to hear. And he was a powerful stage presence second to none something that the Met has found difficult to muster from its soloists these days.
Mario Frangoulis, the acclaimed international Crossover Tenor returns to the US for a limited set of engagements in New York, Montreal and Los Angeles from November 6-11, 2017.
'Bread-and-butter operas usually bore me,' tenor Russell Thomas told me frankly, as he prepared for his first performance of Rodolfo, at the Met, in Puccini's LA BOHEME--one of opera's most popular tenor roles--in nearly 15 years. But it wasn't any disdain for the role that kept him away from it: It was James Levine, the Metropolitan Opera's Music Director for 40 years (and still sometimes conductor) who led to his decision.
What does it mean to be a leader in the performing arts? Leadership in the Performing Arts (Allworth Press, April 2016) by Tobie S. Stein answers this question by presenting the wisdom and expertise of eleven men and women with experience leading nonprofit performing arts institutions in the United States.
Thomas Ad s conducts the Metropolitan Opera premiere of The Exterminating Angel with eight performances from October 26 to November 21, 2017. The critically acclaimed opera, staged by the librettist Tom Cairns, is a co-commission and co-production of the Metropolitan Opera; the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Royal Danish Theatre; and Salzburg Festival, where the production premiered in 2016.
In their first co-production collaboration ever, the Bolshoi and the Met announced plans today to jointly create new productions of Aida, Salome, and Lohengrin, with performances to take place in New York and Moscow between 2019 and 2022. The two companies will pool their creative and technical resources to develop and build the new productions, with the Bolshoi performing the productions at their theater in Moscow and the Met performing them in New York.