By Francisco Salazar
Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts is set to present the Gesualdo Six on Feb. 18, 2023.
The concert will mark the ensemble’s Miller debut and will explore Renaissance masterpieces from the Golden Age of polyphony in England. The program will span a period of 200 years, encompassing intricately woven polyphonic works by Tallis and Byrd alongside the beautiful simplicity of pieces by Tomkins and White.
The Gesualdo Six is made up of Guy James, Josh Cooter, Joseph Wicks, Michael Craddock, Sam Mitchell, and Owain Park. The British vocal ensemble has been praised for its imaginative programming and impeccable blend and performed at numerous major festivals across the U.K., Europe, North America, and Australia.
The group has also collaborated with the Brodsky Quartet, London Mozart Players, Luxmuralis, William Barton, and Matilda Lloyd.
By David Salazar
PBS is set to present “The Magic of Spirituals” starting on Feb. 24, 2023, as part of Black History Month.
The showcase will center on a performance on March 18, 1990, featuring Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle during which “many wondered if the two singers would compete or join forces and sing together.” The documentary highlights the behind-the-scenes preparations for the big event. (Iconic contralto Marian Anderson was among those in the audience). The performance was subsequently recorded and released with Express noting that “The overtones of suffering and joy are made beautifully evident by these two great artists in what was clearly a magical evening.”
Audiences will get some commentary via interviews with soprano Angel Blue, author and playwright Darryl Pinckney, arranger and composer Evelyn Simpson-Curenton, Harlem Gospel Singers’ founder Queen Esther Marrow, Fisk Jubilee Singers Musical Director Paul T. Kwami, and jazz and opera singer Jocelyn B. Smith, among others.
Audiences will also be able to watch the showcase via PBS’ official website and the PBS app.
By David Salazar
Haymarket Opera Company has announced that it is the recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
The company revealed that it received a grant in support of its upcoming June production of Hasse’s “Marc-Antonio e Cleopatra.” The production will be headlined by Lauren Decker and Kangmin Justin Kim.
“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts projects in communities nationwide. Projects such as this one with Haymarket Opera Company strengthen arts and cultural ecosystems, provide equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, and contribute to the health of our communities and our economy,” said Maria Rosario Jackson, NEA Chair, in an official press statement released by Haymarket Opera Company.
The company, which is set to announce its 2023 season in the coming weeks, is set to release a historic recording of “L’Amant Anonyme” this February.
By Francisco Salazar
The Fondazione Haydn di Bolzano e Trento has announced its 2023 season.
The season, which is set to be presented between March and April 2023, will showcase four programs.
The first program for the season will be a radical and courageous take on Schubert’s “Winterreise.” Oliver Welter, musician and singer of an alternative rock band will perform alongside Clara Frühstück.
The second program will be “Peter Pan – The Dark Side.” The cast will include an international group of artists with music by Austrian composer Wolfgang Mitterer. David Pountney and Daisy Evans direct teh silent opera.
The season will also showcase Toshio Hosokowa’s “Hanjo” with direction by Luca Vegetti and conducted by Marco Angius. Eri Nakamura stars in the production.
By Francisco Salazar
The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced a cast change for its Jan. 14 performance of “Tosca.”
The company said that due to back problems Emily Magee is forced to cancel the performance. As a result, Monica Zanettin will sing the title role.
Zanettin performed the role on Jan. 12 and has performed at the Teatro La Fenice, the Arena di Verona, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the Teatro San Carlo, among others.
She is set to join a cast that includes Vittorio Grigolo and George Gagnidze. Giacomo Sagripanti conducts the production by Rafael R. Villalobos.
Emily Magee returns to the cast on Jan. 18. “Tosca” is set to be performed until Jan. 21, 2022.
By Francisco Salazar
Elisabeth Teige has joined Hilbert Artist Management for General Management.
In a statement Hilbert Artist said, “Elisabeth Teige has established herself as one of the most interesting young dramatic sopranos of her generation. She is known for her warm, beautiful timbre, intuitive musicality, and compelling stage presence.”
Teige made her debut at the Bayreuth Festival in 2022 to great acclaim and recently made her long-awaited house debut at the Hamburg State Opera as Leonore in Beethoven’s “Fidelio.”
This season she is set to make her role debut as Chrysothemis in “Elektra” at the Norwegian National Opera and will sing concert performances of “Tosca” with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra. She is also set to make her debut as Isolde in “Tristan und Isolde” with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra and will return to the Bayreuth Festival as Senta and Elisabeth in “Tannhäuser.”
By David Salazar
Soprano Ana María Martínez has joined the roster of Promethean Artists.
The soprano is set to headline the Met Opera’s 2022-23 production of “Don Giovanni” as Donna Elvira. She will also sing at the LA Opera in a production of “Le Nozze di Figaro” as well as the Toronto Summer Music Festival, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Society, and the Music Academy of the West.
The soprano is also the Artistic Advisor to Houston Grand Opera and is a performing Professor of Voice at The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.
“I am thrilled to join the roster at Promethean Artists! Their management team has their finger on the pulse of the current artistic climate and I know that I will be supported in unique and creative ways. I greatly look forward to our collaboration and to seeing our combined vision for my career come to fruition,” Martínez said in an official press statement about her new signing.
Other artists to recently join the roster of Promethean Artists include Samuel Dale, Sarah Brady, Isabel Leonard, and Mario Chang, among many others.
By David Salazar
Renée Fleming’s “SongStudio” program is set to return to Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute (WMI) this January.
Scheduled for Jan. 30-Feb. 4, 2023, the program will showcase a series of emerging vocalists and collaborative pianists as they are coached by world-renowned artists, including Fleming herself. During last year’s program, artists received masterclasses from such artists as baritone Christian Gerhaher, pianist Graham Johnson, and countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo.
It all culminates in a recital at Zankel Hall on Feb. 4, 2023.
Last year’s participants included Kathryn Henry, Tamra Grace Jones, Mer Wohlgemuth, Maire Therese Carmack, Deepa Johnny, Daniel Moody, Laurence Kilsby, Joseph Parrish, Samuel Kidd, and Yue Wu.
“SongStudio” is a major component of Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute’s 2023 initiative which will also feature programs led by Claire Chase as well as “The B-Side,” which introduces young people to the business side of the music industry.
“We’re thrilled to continue to work with our creative and vibrant WMI community this year and especially to finally be welcoming families and students back to the hall for concerts this month,” said Sarah Johnson, Chief Education Officer and Director of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, in an official press statement. “WMI’s offerings feature a vast range of musical traditions and artforms including classical music, jazz, hip-hop, and more, reflecting the Hall’s history of diverse programming on its stages, and supporting people in deeply meaningful educational opportunities. We invite people of all ages to tap into their own innate creativity through programs in New York City and beyond in diverse settings including schools, hospitals, correctional facilities, community centers, homeless shelters, and more. We believe that everyone has the capacity to be an artist and often witness firsthand how music and the arts can be a way for people to express their views and raise their voices.”
By David Salazar
Washington Concert Opera has announced a cast addition for its upcoming performance of “Nabucco.”
The company revealed that mezzo-soprano Melody Wilson would be joining the cast as Fenena in her WCO debut. She joins a cast that stars Lester Lynch in the title role, Alexandra Loutsion as Abigaile, Peter Volpe as Zaccaria, and Andres Acosta as Ismaele.
Wilson is a five-time Jessye Norman Fellowship recipient, a winner of the Gabriela Benacková Competition and the International Czech and Slovak Competition. In 2023, she will perform with Penn Square Music Festival, the Met Opera’s “Champion,” the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s “Der Fliegende Holländer,” Oakland Symphony Orchestra’s “Bodies on the Line,” and Seattle Opera’s “Das Rheingold.”
“Nabucco” is set to take place on March 4, 2023 at 6 p.m. at Lisner Auditorium.
Washington Concert Opera recently performed “Roberto Devereux” to kick off its 2022-23 season.
By David Salazar
Pittsburgh Opera is set to present the fashion show “Laced / Unlaced” on Feb. 13, 2023.
The event, which will take place at the Bitz Opera Factory in the Strip District, will feature the company’s own Resident Artists performing and walking the runway. They wear opera costumes from the company’s vault which are selected based on the themes.
There will be a cocktail hour between 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. followed by the runway showcase at 7:30 p.m.
The company presented its first fashion show back in 2017 and has continued the tradition every year since (with the exception of 2021).
“The inspiration for having a fashion show was simply to unite the overlapping worlds of opera and fashion. Opera-goers know that fashion and costume design are crucial components of opera,” Pittsburgh Opera’s representatives told OperaWire. “We wanted fashionistas to know that opera speaks their language. As our General Director Christopher Hahn noted before our inaugural fashion show, ‘Great fashion transcends being a mere ‘outfit’ and enters the realm of theater and opera.'”
The event is presented in partnership with Skye Douglass, House of Couture Designs, and Pulchra Intimates. It is also co-chaired by Michele Fabrizi and Melanie Crockard with the names and Melanie Crockard Foundation serving as presenting sponsor.
The remainder of Pittsburgh Opera’s 2022-23 season will feature productions of “Ariodante,” “Il Trovatore,” “Denis & Katya,” and “We Shall Not Be Moved.”
