Samuel Ramey News

When the Houston Grand Opera's 2011-12 season - its 57th - opens officially on October 21 with a new production of Rossini's The Barber of Seville, the company begins a new era under the leadership of Patrick Summers.

Rossini's comic favorite Il Barbiere di Siviglia returns to the Met today for a 14-performance run featuring two extraordinary casts in Bartlett Sher's hit production. In the first cast, Peter Mattei, who starred in the 2007 Live in HD transmission of the opera, reprises his acclaimed portrayal of Figaro, the jack-of-all-trades whose services to the people of Seville go far beyond cutting hair.

The Lyric Opera of Kansas City opens its 54th season and its inaugural season at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts through October 9 with a new production of Puccini's Turandot.

The Metropolitan Opera's 2011-12 season will feature the world's leading singers, conductors, and stage directors in seven new productions, including a world premiere, a Met premiere, and the first complete performances of a new Der Ring des Nibelungen cycle conducted by Music Director James Levine and directed by Robert Lepage.

Met Opera Radio on Sirius XM (Channel 74) will present two special broadcasts the week of September 11, one to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and the other in tribute to the tragic passing of tenor Salvatore Licitra.

Rossini's comic favorite Il Barbiere di Siviglia returns to the Met on October 1 for a 14-performance run featuring two extraordinary casts in Bartlett Sher's hit production. In the first cast, Peter Mattei, who starred in the 2007 Live in HD transmission of the opera, reprises his acclaimed portrayal of Figaro, the jack-of-all-trades whose services to the people of Seville go far beyond cutting hair.

Met Opera Radio on Sirius XM (Channel 74) will present two special broadcasts the week of September 11, one to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and the other in tribute to the tragic passing of tenor Salvatore Licitra.

The Metropolitan Opera Guild pays tribute to the legendary American mezzo-soprano, Marilyn Horne, on Monday, October 31

The Lyric Opera of Kansas City opens its 54th season and its inaugural season at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts October 1 through 9 with a new production of Puccini's Turandot.

The George London Foundation for Singers has been honoring, supporting, and presenting the finest young opera singers in the U.S. and Canada for decades.

HENRY's Restaurant will present Sing for Your Supper featuring Steven Blier on Monday, June 6, 2011. Dinner will begin at 5 PM with the performance starting at 10 PM. HENRY's Restaurant is located at 2745 Broadway (at 105th Street).

Metropolitan Opera Radio on Sirius XM (Channel 74) will celebrate the 40th anniversary of James Levine's Metropolitan Opera debut with a full week of Levine performances. Fifteen historic performances, three of which join the archival rotation on Sirius XM for the first time, will air in rotation for an entire week, beginning May 30 and ending June 5. The broadcasts will be introduced by Levine and other artists, some of whom will also pay tribute to the Met Music Director's extraordinary career in special segments between operas.

HENRY's Restaurant will present Sing for Your Supper featuring Steven Blier on Monday, June 6, 2011. Dinner will begin at 5 PM with the performance starting at 10 PM. HENRY's Restaurant is located at 2745 Broadway (at 105th Street).

In the final public program of its 75th anniversary season, the Metropolitan Opera Guild pays tribute to one of the most celebrated singers of the 20th century: Dame Joan Sutherland, who died last October at the age of 83.

The Music Institute of Chicago (MIC), now in its 81st year, hosts its annual gala Wednesday, May 4 at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, 120 East Delaware Place.

In celebration of their brand new recording, Quiet Please, renowned musician Steven Blier and celebrated vocalist Darius de Haas will present a special concert, featuring selections from the CD. The one night only event will take place on Thursday, April 28th at 8pm in the Merkin Concert Hall, located within The Kaufman Center (129 West 67th St.). Tickets, ($22 for orchestra, $18 for balcony, $11 for student/senior), can be obtained by calling 212 501 3330, or by visiting www.kaufman-center.org.

New York City Opera General Manager and Artistic Director George Steel today announced the company's 2010-2011 season, which spotlights American composers and 20th-century works within a mix of world premieres, New York premieres and new productions. Offering audiences the opportunity to experience new and rarely performed operas as well as modern interpretations of traditional repertoire, the 2010-2011 season will also feature the launch of a concert series showcasing the non-operatic works of several of the composers of this season's operas. Taking advantage of the possibilities offered by the recent renovation of the company's home, the David H. Koch Theater, the concert series expands the repertoire and programming of City Opera and casts new light on the season's productions.

In the final public program of its 75th anniversary season, the Metropolitan Opera Guild pays tribute to one of the most celebrated singers of the 20th century: Dame Joan Sutherland, who died last October at the age of 83.

New York City Opera General Manager and Artistic Director George Steel today announced the company's 2010-2011 season, which spotlights American composers and 20th-century works within a mix of world premieres, New York premieres and new productions. Offering audiences the opportunity to experience new and rarely performed operas as well as modern interpretations of traditional repertoire, the 2010-2011 season will also feature the launch of a concert series showcasing the non-operatic works of several of the composers of this season's operas. Taking advantage of the possibilities offered by the recent renovation of the company's home, the David H. Koch Theater, the concert series expands the repertoire and programming of City Opera and casts new light on the season's productions.

New York City Opera General Manager and Artistic Director George Steel today announced the company's 2010-2011 season, which spotlights American composers and 20th-century works within a mix of world premieres, New York premieres and new productions. Offering audiences the opportunity to experience new and rarely performed operas as well as modern interpretations of traditional repertoire, the 2010-2011 season will also feature the launch of a concert series showcasing the non-operatic works of several of the composers of this season's operas. Taking advantage of the possibilities offered by the recent renovation of the company's home, the David H. Koch Theater, the concert series expands the repertoire and programming of City Opera and casts new light on the season's productions.