Richard Tucker News

The Dallas Opera announced today that it will be launching a new, three-event “Welcome Back” Song Series in the Winspear Opera House commencing March 31, 2021.

Inspired by the success from their safe drive-in performances of La bohème in the Fall, which heralded the return of live, in-person, opera to San Diego County since the start of the pandemic, and provided over 300 jobs to many, San Diego Opera has announced a Spring season of safe, socially-distanced, drive-in performances.

Today, baritone Will Liverman has released Dreams of a New Day: Songs by Black Composers with pianist Paul Sánchez on Cedille Records. Liverman says, “Right now, it is more important than ever to celebrate the contributions of Black composers, and I’m honored to give voice to the art songs on this album.'

The Atlanta Opera has now released the first three Love Letters to Atlanta. Hailed as “a series of affecting short films” (Wall Street Journal), this new video series gives individual members of the Atlanta Opera Company Players – twelve world-class singers hired for the duration of the season, all of whom are resident in Atlanta and the southeast – the chance to celebrate the Georgia capital and its inhabitants by singing a song of personal significance at an iconic Atlanta venue.

Full-length free opera streams continue in January with three titles that were simulcast previously from the War Memorial Opera House to the stadium of the San Francisco Giants.

Mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves will join Juilliard's Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts as distinguished visiting faculty beginning this month. Recognized worldwide as one of today's most exciting vocal artists, Graves continues to garner acclaim for her work on the world's opera and concert stages.

Today on Leading Ladies is special guest: Broadway veteran, Janelle Robinson. For the past ten years, Janelle Anne Robinson has enjoyed an ongoing professional career on the operatic and musical theater stage. She has performed in France and Japan, and also toured extensively within the United States. Janelle has also been honored with several awards, including The Richard Tucker Study Grant and the MacAllister Award. 

The legendary Columbia Artists Management Inc. has announced that it is shutting down.

Houston Grand Opera is opening its 66th season with the debut of the Live from the Cullen Recital Series. On September 11, viewers will be transported to the Wortham Theater Centera??s Cullen Theater for a performance by soprano Tamara Wilson, an HGO Studio alumna internationally known for her interpretations of Verdi, Mozart, Strauss, and Wagner.

WHAT'S STREAMING: CLASSICAL (WEEK OF AUGUST 24–30)

Berkshire Opera Festival is launching its first virtual concert comprised of musical selections from across the operatic spectrum and beyond. The concert will feature performances from the internationally-renowned cast of BOF's (recently canceled) 2020 production of Don Giovanni.

a??a??a??a??a??a??a?? The Atlanta Opera announces the formation of the Atlanta Opera Company Players, featuring twelve world-class singers, all resident in Atlanta and the southeast, who will collaborate with the company's leadership team to reimagine its 2020a?'21 season.

The Richard Tucker Music Foundation announced the removal of trustee David N. Tucker from its board of directors on Monday evening following a backlash over racially-charged comments Tucker made on Facebook.

Though much of the celebration and NYC's annual parade has been postponed by the ongoing pandemic, National Sawdust is proud to support Pride in June by commemorating the history and future of our city's vibrant community and by celebrating artists who are creating music and theater with an explicitly LGBT+ perspective.

Latonia Moore recently talked with OperaWire about her experiences as a black woman in the opera industry. She talked about playing the role of Aida, as well as times when her skin has been painted different colors, and why that doesn't bother her.

Long Beach Opera is bringing back its popular and relevant series of Community Conversations June 14, 21, and 28 that were inspired by the LBO world premiere production of  The Central Park Five, which recently won the Pulitzer prize.  These Conversations are available on facebooklive and archived following at www.longbeachopera.org.

In the midst of this COVID-19 crisis that is gripping the world--and keeping so many people in quarantine--the Metropolitan Opera managed to pull off a brilliantly executed music coup. It connected stars, chorus members and orchestral musicians in an “At-Home Gala”--a combination fund-raiser for the Met with wonderful entertainment. And the technology worked!

The Met's first cancellation due to coronavirus concerns was the revival of Rossini's LA CENERENTOLA, the opera retelling of the Cinderella story, set to star mezzo Tara Erraught in the title role and one of its biggest tenor stars, Javier Camarena as Don Ramiro, her prince. The opera holds a particular place in Camarena's history at the Met: It made him an overnight sensation when he was tapped to replace Juan Diego Florez and blew the roof off--a real-life Cinderella story.

It's been a big year for soprano Lisette Oropesa, with starring roles at major European houses. But in this country, it's something else entirely: She won the Richard Tucker Award and the Met's Beverly Sills Award. That was followed by a pair of name-above-the-title roles, her first at the Met: her role debut in Massenet's MANON and, this week, her house role debut as Verdi's Violetta in LA TRAVIATA.

Celebrated soprano Lisette Oropesa, in the midst of her highly anticipated run as Violetta Valéry in The Met's La Traviata, will share an exclusive house concert on Monday, March 2, 2020, in a stunning TriBeCa loft as part of the 2020 Hamlen-Palm Series.