By Chris Ruel
A planned concert presentation of Bizet’s “Carmen” at Royal Albert Hall, featuring Joyce DiDonato, has been canceled due to the health of conductor John Nelson.
While the nature of Nelson’s health condition has not been disclosed, his doctors have advised him to rest for several weeks before returning to the podium.
According to an official press release, the scheduled performances of “Carmen” in Strasbourg, Apr. 4 and 6, with Michael Spyres and Elena Maximova, are still on the books. Aziz Shokhakimov, music director of Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, will conduct.
By David Salazar
Opera Wuppertal is set to present the first CO2-Neutral production via the initiative “Modular Stage Zero.”
Per an official press statement, ‘Modular Stage Zero’ “is paving the way for sustainable opera productions by developing a modular, reusable set design system. The idea itself sounds simple (think ‘Lego meets Ikea’): a number of set elements that can be infinitely redesigned and recombined, but the design and implementation is ground-breaking.
The continuing commitment of the Wuppertal Theater and Symphony (Wuppertaler Bühnen und Sinfonierorchester GmbH) to green practices presented [General and Artistic Director] Rebekah Rota with the perfect foundation to build on: by committing set designers and artistic teams to sustainable practices and by producing the first carbon-neutral production at the theater.”
The system will be used for two new productions during the 2023-24 season with the goal of implementing it in more productions in subsequent seasons. It will be fully unveiled on Dec. 9, 2023; the title of the piece that will implement it will be revealed on June 1, 2023.
“Sustainable production practices and fascinating set designs are not mutually exclusive – but it is time to give operatic opulence a modern touch and re-center the original power of this art form: to speak directly to our emotions, to create space for dialogue, and to offer inspiration. Qualities required in societies seeking transformation – and we can start here by introducing sustainability practices back into opera,” said Rota, who will commence her new tenure this August.
By Chris Ruel
Omer Meir Wellber will become Hamburg Staatsoper‘s General Music Director and Chief Conductor of Hamburg State Philharmonic Orchestra, beginning with the 2025-26 season, and will succeed Kent Nagano.
Dr. Carsten Brosda, Senator for Culture and Media while introducing Wellber at City Hall, said, “With Omer Meir Wellber, we have been able to win an outstanding artistic personality for the cultural city of Hamburg.”
Wellber currently serves as Music Director of Volksoper Wein and will keep that position until 2027.
Related to Wellber’s appointment, Bettina Giese will join with a new team as opera director working with future opera director Tobias Kratzer.
Executive Director Ralf Klöter and Barbara Fasching will remain in their jobs as Executive Director and Orchestra Director, respectively.
By Francisco Salazar
Palm Beach Opera is set to present Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” on Feb. 24-26 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.
The company will showcase Chief Conductor David Stern leading a production by Fenlon Lamb.
The opera will star Hailey Clark as Fiordiligi and mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey as Dorabella. Rising Houston Grand Opera star Thomas Glass will perform as Guglielmo, and American baritone Dennis Jesse will appear as Don Alfonso. Duke Kim rounds out the cast as Ferrando and while Madison Leonard interprets Despina.
Hankey, Glass, Jesse, and Leonard will all make their house debuts in this production.
In a statement, Palm Beach Opera Artistic Director David Walker said, “The wit, charm, and sheer beauty of this masterpiece is sure to leave a lasting impression.”
By David Salazar
The Merola Opera Program has unveiled the names of the 2023 Merola Artists.
The 29 artists include:
Sopranos
Georgiana Adams, Wheaton, Illinois
Juliette Chauvet, Avignon, France
Caroline Corrales, St. Louis, Missouri
Shan Hai, Beijing, China
So Ry Kim, Daejeon, South Korea
Olivia Prendergast, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mezzo-sopranos
Lucy Joy Altus, New York, New York
Joanne Evans, London, United Kingdom
Simona Genga, Toronto, Ontario
Natalie Lewis, Severna Park, Maryland
Contraltos
Cecelia Steffen McKinley, Sterling, Virginia
Tenors
Daniel Luis Espinal, Sarasota, Florida
Zackry Chance Jonas-O’Toole, Dallas, Texas
Thomas William Kinch, Cardiff, Wales
Sahel Salam, Houston, Texas
Demetrious Dramon Sampson, Albany, Georgia
Baritones
Eleomar Cuello, Havana, Cuba
Kevin Na Godínez, San José, Costa Rica
Samuel Kidd, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Samson William McCrady, Tucson, Arizona
Cameron Rolling, Waycross, Georgia
Bass-baritones
James McCarthy, Pleasantville, New York
Finn Daniel Sagal, La Cañada, California
Pianists/Coaches
Nicole Marie Cloutier, White Lake, Michigan
Julian Grabarek, Acton, Massachusetts
Hyemin Jeong, Seoul, South Korea
Pei-Hsuan Tiana Lin, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Deborah Robertson, Springfield, Missouri
Stage Director
Tania Arazi Coambs, Champaign, Illinois
“We are excited to welcome these 29 talented artists to San Francisco to experience a transformative summer of artistic and personal development,” said Carrie-Ann Matheson, San Francisco Opera Center Artistic Director and Markus Beam (Merola ’02), San Francisco Opera Center General Manager, in an original press statement. “Our young artists will not only receive musical, dramatic, and linguistic training from our world class faculty, but will also be given access to real world, holistic training which will support their success and development as artists both on and off the stage.”
The company will unveil upcoming concerts featuring these artists over the coming weeks.
By Francisco Salazar
The Teatro Regio di Torino has announced a cast change for its premiere of “Aida” on Feb. 25, 2023.
The company said that due to illness, Andela Meade will not be able to perform on the opening night. As a result, Erika Grimaldi will sing the title role. The company also added that Anna Nechaeva will perform the dress rehearsal on Feb. 24 and the second performance on Feb. 26, 2023.
“Aida” is set to be conducted by Michele Gamba in a production by Oscar winner William Friedkin. The cast will include Anastasia Boldyreva and Silvia Beltrami as Amneris, Stefano La Colla and Gaston Rivero as Radamès and Gevorg Hakobyan as Amonasro.
The cast will be rounded out by Evgeny Stavinsky, Marko Mimica, Thomas Cilluffo, and Irina Bogdanova.
“Aida” is set to run through March 8, 2023.
By Nicolas Quiroga
Tenor Lawrence Brownlee returns to Princeton University Concerts (PUC) on March 8, 2023, to premiere a program of songs by Black composers of the Harlem Renaissance, including Jasmine Barnes, Margaret Bonds, Shawn Okpebholo, and Damien Sneed. The musical selections use texts by Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, Georgia Douglas, and others. Collaborative pianist Kevin J. Miller will accompany.
The concert has taken poems from great Black writers of the Harlem Renaissance that speak to not just the struggles of the Black experience but also the positive strides African Americans have made in recent years. “These last few years have been a test, both for humanity in general and for the African-American population here in the United States,” said Brownlee in an official statement.
The director of the PUC, Marna Sletzer, stated, “It is exciting to have him back with a project that focuses on the Black artists of the Harlem Renaissance, and we are very grateful because he will use his voice to create a space for music that speaks of our past, present, and future history.”
Brownlee is recognized as one of opera’s most acclaimed singers by the international press. The New York Times described him as “an international star in the bel canto operatic repertoire.”
Brownlee’s collaborative pianist, Kevin J. Miller, is acclaimed for the dynamic performances that have placed him alongside the world’s great artists.
The concert, called “Rising,” will take place at Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall.
By Logan Martell
On Feb. 10, 2023, Chamber Music Society (CMS) of Lincoln Center presented the final program in this year’s WinterFest. Titled “The Magic of Schubert,” the festival celebrates the composer’s famous and lesser-known works, which opened on Jan. 22 with their “Into Eternity” program.
This latest program, “From Song,” saw the CMS ensemble joined by soprano Joélle Harvey, who recently performed with the NY Philharmonic at the opening of the new David Geffen Hall. The ensemble comprised violinists Stella Chen and Cho-Liang Lin, violist Paul Neubauer, cellist Nicholas Canellakis, double bassist Edgar Meyer, clarinetist Sebastian Manz, bassoonist Peter Kollay, and horn player Kevin Rivard.
Joélle Harvey Sings Schubert Lieder
Opening the program was the lied “Gretchen am Spinnrade,” with Harvey accompanied by Ken Noda. This selection made for a quick and seizing start as the two laid out the phrases of circling passion. Harvey’s rendition displayed remarkable infatuation, with her tones fluidly leaping into greater heights of excitement and longing towards the glorious, climactic fermata on “his kiss.” Harvey’s ability to de-escalate and re-thread that vocal fervor back into itself to make for smooth repetitions of poignant phrases finely contrasted the power of these moments. This piece had no shortage of romantic sentiment, as fervor both excited and wearied her towards its final trailing repeat.
The second of the pieces she sang was “Auf dem Strom.” Whereas the prior lied was penned in Schubert’s 17th year, this one premiered within the very year of his death and treated a similar subject of longing with a significantly more mature approach. Following the affectionate introduction, with Rivard’s muted horn laying down measures of echoing nostalgia, Harvey’s delivery of the Rellstab’s text deftly joined the sweetness of the lover’s memories with the bitterness of their present loss and difficult journey.
The last of the lieder was “Der Hirt auf dem Felsen,” a fitting choice given its place as one of Schubert’s last works. Manz’s bracing and evocative clarinet soon answered the dire chordal approach, delightful to hear and watch as he warmly articulated these phrases as if in dialogue with the previous works.
When Harvey joined their texture in the initial verse, a captivating exchange often occurred as the clarinet alternated between bolstering her lines, echoing them, or embellishing their conclusions. The joyful verve of the latter sections seemed to dance its way out of the more lyrical power of Varnhagen’s text as the clarinet set up the return of Muller.
The exuberant repetitions of the simple verse “spring is coming/ spring, my joy/ I shall now make ready to journey” was a simple yet powerful rebuke of all the hardship heard in earlier parts and selections. The theme of transcending woes is by no means rare, but this piece reaches it through an almost infectious energy, which Harvey delivered with impeccable charm and to great applause.
Orchestral Selections
The orchestral selections for the evening were “Five German Dances for String Quartet, D.90,” which came between the first two lieder at the beginning of the program, and “Octet in F Major for Winds and Strings, D. 803, Op. 166,” which comprised the second half program. Whereas the first work made for a spirited interlude, the octet was an extended showcase of Schubert, captivatingly executed by the ensemble over the next hour.
The program was a stunning tribute to the composer and could hardly have been a better fit to close out CMS’s WinterFest. The company has recently unveiled its upcoming season of performances, centered on the theme of legacy, which will no doubt celebrate the past while looking towards the future.
By Francisco Salazar
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2023-24 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances of the season.
Thomas’ “Hamlet” will be presented in collaboration with Ópera Comique and will be conducted by Louis Langrée. The opera stars Jodie DeVos, Stéphane Degout, and Laurent Alvaro. Céline Gaudier directs.
Performance Dates: Nov. 17 & 19, 2023
Dalia Stasevska and Davóne Tines join forces for a program of Dvorak, Sibelius, Walker, and Saairaho.
Performance Dates: Nov. 25-26, 2023
John Adams’ “El Niño” will be conducted by Christian Reif and will star Julia Bullock, Jasmin White, Anthony Roth Costanzo, and Davóne Tines.
Performance Date: Nov. 30, 2023
Brahms’ “Ein Deutsches Requiem” will be conducted by Louis Langrée. The soloists will include Joélle Harvey and Will Liverman.
Performance Dates: Feb. 9-11, 2024
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra season draws to a close with Louis Langrée, Latonia Moore, and Janni Younge joining forces for a program of music by Anthony Davis and Stravinsky.
Performance Dates: May 10-12, 2024
By David Salazar
The Chicago Philharmonic is set to present a concert featuring bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green this October.
The event, set for Oct. 14, 2023, will mark Green’s debut with the ensemble. Scott Speck will conduct the program.
“There are no small concerts for Chicago Philharmonic,” said Chicago Philharmonic’s Executive Director Terell Johnson in an official press statement. “Every event is a catalyst to move our organization forward, to reach new audiences, and to champion the most forward-thinking artists of our time. Ryan Speedo Green is truly one of the finest voices in a generation, and we are honored to present him this fall.”
Green is set for a big moment in the coming weeks as he headlines a new production of Terence Blanchard’s “Champion” at the Metropolitan Opera.
“With Speedo, it’s not just that he can produce big sound,” Blanchard noted. “He has a way of expressing himself that’s compassionate, while still being powerful. I think the complexity in this role, what makes it hard, is that you have to be strong and powerful and still very vulnerable at the same time. That’s a hard thing for some people to pull off, but I know Speedo has the chops to do it.”
He will also headline “Boris Godunov” in Munich as well as “Champion” in Budapest.
