Placido Domingo News

New York City Opera (under the direction of Michael Capasso, General Director) will present, in a rare New York appearance, beloved soprano Aprile Millo in concert Today, January 30 at 7:30pm at Zankel Hall (881 Seventh Avenue, at 56th Street). 

THE 6th ACT presents a unique and multi-cultural look at one of the great literary characters of all time in William Shakespeare's HAMLET, directed by Matthew Leavitt and featuring June Carryl, Janet Greaves, Lorne Green, Desiree Mee Jung and Luke McClure, ALL as the Prince of Denmark. Additionally, THE 6TH ACT will be the New American Theatre's resident company for the year and HAMLET will be their inaugural production in this theatre. 

Joe's Pub, a program and venue of The Public Theater, announces the new class of Joe's Pub Working Group (JPWG), the venue's artist development program dedicated to enhancing the career sustainability and growth of performing artists. Entering its fifth year, JPWG welcomes five artists performer and songwriter Migguel Anggelo, composter and vocalist Trevor Bachman, comedian and performance artist Becca Blackwell, jazz musician and composer Yacine Boulares, and singer-songwriter Treya Lam as the core group that represents the diversity and scope of the nightly programming at Joe's Pub.

Today, Friday, January 11, 2019, multiple Grammy Award-nominated violinist Philippe Quint makes his debut on Warner Classics with the release of his latest album Chaplin's Smile, a collection of Charlie Chaplin songs newly arranged for violin and piano. To commemorate the 130th anniversary of Chaplin's birth in 2019, Chaplin's Smile features Philippe Quint joined on two tracks by Quint's friend and frequent collaborator, violinistJoshua Bell. Over more than three years, Quint, in collaboration with arrangers Charles Coleman and Leon Gurvitch went through dozens of songs and soundtracks written by Chaplin to select the songs best suited for violin and piano.

Multi Grammy Award-nominee violinist Philippe Quint celebrates his new album Chaplin's Smile, out Friday, January 11, 2019 on Warner Classics, with a international tour of concerts commemorating Charlie Chaplin's compositional talents as well as his encounters with the great composers of his day. Chaplin's Smile will be performed on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at 9:30pm at Joe's Pub, hosted by Chaplin's granddaughter Kiera Chaplin.

Multi Grammy Award-nominee violinist Philippe Quint celebrates his new album Chaplin's Smile, out Friday, January 11, 2019 on Warner Classics, with a international tour of concerts commemorating Charlie Chaplin's compositional talents as well as his encounters with the great composers of his day. Chaplin's Smile will be performed on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 at 12:15pm at the Chicago Cultural Center, presented by Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, and later that day at 6:30pm in a free concert at the Chicago Women's Athletic Club.

Multi Grammy Award-nominee violinist Philippe Quint celebrates his new album Chaplin's Smile, out Friday, January 11, 2019 on Warner Classics, with a international tour of concerts commemorating Charlie Chaplin's compositional talents as well as his encounters with the great composers of his day.

Soul to Soul, the electrifying and emotionally-captivating theatrical concert that explores the parallels of African American and Jewish history takes the stage this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Presented by the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (NYTF), this annual concert will play on Sunday, January 20, 2pm, Off Broadway at the Museum of Jewish Heritage A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, Edmond J. Safra Plaza, 36 Battery Place, NYC.

Explore culture and feel something new in January 2019 as Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades (6.45pm on 22 January) and Verdi's best-loved opera La traviata (6.45pm on 30 January) are broadcast live to UK cinemas from the Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden. The screenings are presented by Clemency Burton-Hill.

Well, it's that time of the year again--time for a look-back on what was worth making note of during the calendar year that's about to come to an end. It's from a totally personal, subjective point of view, of course, but frankly that's the way opera-lovers always seem to like it, n'est-ce pas? The productions worth noting come from places big, small and in-between, from composers old as the hills to freshly minted or somewhere in between (likewise the performers), from traditional or boldly modern to simply stand up and sing.

New York City Opera (under the direction of Michael Capasso, General Director) will present, in a rare New York appearance, beloved soprano Aprile Millo in concert Wednesday, January 30 at 7:30pm at Zankel Hall (881 Seventh Avenue, at 56th Street). 

Bard College announces the appointment of world-renowned composer, conductor, and artist Tan Dun as Dean of the Bard College Conservatory of Music. As dean, Tan Dun will guide the Conservatory in fulfilling its mission of teaching young musicians both new music and music history, while deepening an understanding of its connection to history, art and culture, and society. He will also help to build the synergy between Eastern and Western studies at the Conservatory, including its recently founded US-China Music Institute.

New York City Opera (under the direction of Michael Capasso, General Director) will present, in a rare New York appearance, beloved soprano Aprile Millo in concert Wednesday, January 30 at 7:30pm at Zankel Hall (881 Seventh Avenue, at 56th Street). 

On Friday, January 11, 2019, multiple Grammy Award-nominated violinist Philippe Quint makes his debut on Warner Classics with the release of his latest album Chaplin's Smile, a collection of Charlie Chaplin songs newly arranged for violin and piano. To commemorate the 130th anniversary of Chaplin's birth in 2019, Chaplin's Smile features Philippe Quint joined on two tracks by Quint's friend and frequent collaborator, violinist Joshua Bell. Over more than three years, Quint, in collaboration with arrangers Charles Coleman and Leon Gurvitch went through dozens of songs and soundtracks written by Chaplin to select the songs best suited for violin and piano.

I interviewed Diana Damrau when she had just done her first Violetta, her role debut in the Met's old Willy Decker production. It was a part she lusted over from the time she saw the 1982 Zeffirelli film, but was careful about taking on--waiting for the right time in her vocal development. That was nearly six years ago and the good news is that she has developed into a first-rate Violetta, sounding better than she has in some time, and looking every inch the glamorous (yet consumptive) courtesan.

Tenor Javier Camarena--who completes his run as Nadir, the love-struck tenor lead in Bizet's LES PECHEURS DE PERLES (THE PEARL FISHERS) this Saturday--isn't finished wow-ing Met audiences for the season. Not by a long shot. He's back in February to throw off those nine High Cs in “Ah, mes amis!” the show-stopping aria--that toast to love and camaraderie--in Donizetti's LA FILLE DU REGIMENT (DAUGHTER OF THE REGIMENT) that Luciano Pavarotti made famous for modern opera audiences.

NBC has announced the second group of superstar acts who will compete on the all-new winter edition of TV's #1 alternative series, "America's Got Talent: The Champions," premiering Monday, Jan. 7 from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT.  

Italian Tenor Pasquale Esposito returns to The Annenberg Theatre, located at The Palm Springs Arts Museum, for his fifth appearance on December 7 at 8:00 pm. The concert celebrates Italian Piazzas and is the live version of his newest PBS special. I had the opportunity to catch up with Mr. Esposito as he was preparing for his Palm Springs concert. Here are a few excerpts from that interview:

The New York Choral Society (NYCHORAL) will join forces with the Angel Band Project's One Voice Virtual Choir on Monday, November 19, 2018, to perform Ruth Moody's One Voice as part of the opening for the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. NYCHORAL members led by Associate Conductor Michael Ciavaglia will sing alongside sexual violence survivors as well as the Angel Band Project's virtual choir. The opening will take place in the United Nations Trusteeship Council Chambers (on 1st Avenue between E. 42nd and E. 43rd Streets) from 10 am to 12:30 pm, with the performance slotted for 11:05 am. 

United Solo will host a Master Class with Anne Bogart, internationally acclaimed director, author, and Head of the MFA in Directing Program at Columbia University. This Master Class is a unique opportunity to work with a legendary theatre artist. It will take place on November 5, 2018 from 6pm-8pm at Theatre Row in New York City.