The Houston Grand Opera's brilliant production of Mieczyslaw Weinberg's THE PASSENGER, directed by David Pountney, was a stunning visitor to the Park Avenue Armory last week as a coproduction with the Lincoln Center Festival. It's not an easy experience, but well worth the effort.
The 280+ arts patrons who gathered May 30 at the Petroleum Club of Houston for Opera in the Heights' Bravissimo! 2014: 'The Grand Gala' got a delightful surprise during the seated dinner: Stirring performances by rising opera singers and musical theater talents Alicia Gianni and Chris Newcomer. Scroll down for photos from the event!
Washington National Opera (WNO) presents the world premiere of An American Soldier, June 13-14, 2014 in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. An American Soldier features music by composer Huang Ruo and a libretto by David Henry Hwang. This new work, to be performed in English, is the second hourlong opera created under the auspices of the American Opera Initiative, WNO's commissioning program for contemporary American opera. An American Soldier is directed by David Paul and a chamber orchestra is conducted by Steven Jarvi; both are alumni of WNO's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program.
Opera Colorado announced today that it will present Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly(November 2014), W.A. Mozart's The Magic Flute (May 2015), Giuseppe Verdi's Aida (November 2015), and the world premiere of Lori Laitman's The Scarlet Letter (May 2016) starring Elizabeth Futral as Hester Prynne. A vital presence in Denver's cultural ecology, Opera Colorado is the Rocky Mountain region's preeminent grand opera company. The Opera's programming includes mainstage productions, artist development initiatives, and education and community engagement programming.
The Dallas Opera Guild is proud to present the 26th Annual “Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition,” an on-stage showcase for talented young opera singers with Texas connections on Saturday, March 15, 2014 in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, 2403 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201.
Tonight, January 28, 2014 at 7:30pm at Opera America's National Opera Center, New York Festival of Song opens the 2013-14 edition of its forward-looking NYFOS Next series with MARK ADAMO & FRIENDS.
One of the most popular American operas, Susannah is the tale of an innocent Tennessee mountain girl who is accused of sinful behavior by the church-going elders of the town. Written in the 1950s the opera is surprisingly modern in its treatment of women's empowerment. Carlisle Floyd wrote this opera while a professor at Florida State University and our cast will feature a member of the original cast! Mr. Floyd will be in residence the week prior to the performances and events featuring him will be announced at a later date.
General Director Speight Jenkins announced the singers selected for Seattle Opera's popular International Wagner Competition on August 7, 2014, where emerging artists will go head-to-head American Idol style.
On Tuesday, January 28, 2014 at 7:30pm at Opera America's National Opera Center, New York Festival of Song opens the 2013-14 edition of its forward-looking NYFOS Next series with MARK ADAMO & FRIENDS.
The Park Avenue Armory presents Holocaust Opera “The Passenger”, written by Mieczyslaw Weinberg, which will be hitting the Lincoln Center Festival this summer, according to the New York Times.
The Dallas Opera thrilled audience members at this evening's “Composing Conversation” at the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, when Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny made the surprise announcement that Mark Adamo, one of America's most successful and accomplished composer-librettists has agreed to create a new holiday opera for the 2015-2016 Season.
Houston, October 31, 2013 -- In January 2014, Houston Grand Opera (HGO) presents the American premiere of The Passenger(1968), a powerful opera exploring the Holocaust by exiled Polish-Jewish composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg. Reinforcing the immense significance of this historic event, HGOco–Houston Grand Opera's community collaboration and education initiative–will present a series of concerts and films throughout the city, focused on remembrance of the past and prominent themes explored in the gripping story of genocide. HGOco partners with the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center, Holocaust Museum Houston, and the Asia Society Texas Center to produce several concerts and films, inviting audiences to explore the connection from past to present through music, community conversation, and art.
The Collegiate Chorale announced its first concert of the season, Mefistofele, by Arrigo Boito on November 6, 2013 at 8pm at Carnegie Hall, 881 7th Avenue, NYC. Tickets are available at www.carnegiehall.org or by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800. Single tickets for this concert start at $15. The Collegiate Chorale will hold its Annual Fall Gala immediately following the concert. (For more information or tickets to the Gala, please contact Mariane Lemieux at mlemieux@collegiatechorale.org or 646-435-9052.)
Mezzo Soprano Kate Lindsey, a veteran of the Metropolitan Opera, and Michael Spyres, called 'one of today's finest tenors' by French Opera magazine join the Utah Symphony tonight and tomorrow, September 27 and 28 at Abravanel Hall in Hector Berlioz's dramatic interpretation of Goethe's tale of Faust and his fateful deal with the devil, The Damnation of Faust.
Mezzo Soprano Kate Lindsey, a veteran of the Metropolitan Opera, and Michael Spyres, called “one of today's finest tenors” by French Opera magazine join the Utah Symphony on September 27 and 28 at Abravanel Hall in Hector Berlioz's dramatic interpretation of Goethe's tale of Faust and his fateful deal with the devil, The Damnation of Faust.
In just a little over two years, Irish mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught has made the transition from young singer to an emerging artist whose talent has captured the attention of the international opera public. Since February 2011, when as a member of the distinguished Bavarian State Opera (Bayerische Staatsoper) she won widespread international acclaim in the title role of a new production of Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortileges and, in the same month, jumped in for an ailing colleague on five days notice to perform Romeo in a new production of Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Ms. Erraught has been one to watch. The latest recognition of her work comes from the Bavarian Government which has bestowed upon her the prestigious Pro meritis scientiae et litterarum, given annually since 2000 in recognition for outstanding contribution to science and the arts. At 26 years of age, she is only the fifth musician to receive this honor since the award's inception, and the youngest so honored.
Handel and Haydn Society Presents Handel Jephtha, conducted by Artistic Director Harry Christophers, in celebration of the 2015 Bicentennial. The piece premiered in the US by H&H in 1855. Performances are set for Friday, May 3, 2013 at 7:30pm and Sunday, May 5, 2013 at 3pm at Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, Mass.
The Champion Sisters today announced the release of Beauty Way, a new single from their third album, Unfit To Be Tied, along with the single's video. Mark Andes, in collaboration with Eliza Gilkyson, wrote the song.
For the first time in the orchestra's history, Mercury will feature Grammy Award-winning soprano, Ana María Martínez, in its upcoming Valentine's Day program on February 14 & 15.
Despite being wholly busy and working on perfecting DON GIOVANNI with the Houston Grand Opera creative teams and cast, I had the pleasure of being able to spend a delightful 30 minutes with the talented and intelligent Rachel Willis-Sørensen. We discussed her career, including her impressive contest wins, preparing Donna Anna in DON GIOVANI for Houston audiences, performing in Houston, and the best aspects of being an opera performer.
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