By Francisco Salazar
Pittsburgh’s Resonance Works has announced its programming for December, including holiday classics and a world premiere.
The company will present “Amahl and the Night Visitors” after a two-year hiatus. The work is a beloved tale of hope and generosity that tells the story of a young boy, Amahl, his Mother, and their life-changing encounter with three mysterious strangers on their way to Bethlehem. The cast from Resonance Works’ inaugural production of this holiday favorite returns, with alum Barbara LeMay playing the Mother, and Robert Frankenberry, Daniel Teadt, and Jonathan Stuckey performing as the Three Kings. Evangeline Sereno, a local singer from the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus, will play Amahl during the Dec. 18 performance of this new production directed by Kelly Trumbull.
The opera will be paired with Margaret Bonds’ “The Ballad of the Brown King,” a concert cantata for chorus, soloists, and chamber orchestra. The libretto is by the poet Langston Hughes and will feature the versatile vocal talents of Pittsburgh-based opera, classical, and jazz singer Anqwenique Kinsel.
The program also features a newly commissioned work from Pittsburgh-based composer Nancy Galbraith and librettist Sara Stock Mayo, as part of the Decameron Opera Coalition’s streaming holiday album, DOC the Halls. The holiday performances take place at the New Hazlett Theater in Pittsburgh’s North Side neighborhood.
The works will be performed from Dec. 16 to 18, 2022.
By Francisco Salazar
The Cincinnati Opera has announced its 2023 season featuring four productions.
The season opens with Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” featuring a cast that includes Raven McMillon, Santiago Ballerini, Anthony Clark Evans, Griffen Hogan Tracy, Terrence Chin-Loy, and Sahel Salam. Renato Balsadonna conducts the production by Jose Maria Condemi.
Performance Dates: June 19-25, 2023
The World Stage Premiere of “The Knock” will be held. The work by Aleksandra Vrebalov and Deborah Brevoort will star Armando Contreras, Briana Hunter, Lauren Snouffer, and Stephanie Sanchez. Alison Moritz directs and Stephanie Rhodes Russell leads the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
Performance Dates: June 21-July 9, 2023
Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” will star Rodion Pogossov, Emily Fons, Alasdair Kent, and Nicholas Newton. Christopher Mattaliano directs and Christopher Allen conducts the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
Performance Dates: July 2-9, 2023
Matthew Ozawa directs Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” with Karah Son, Adam Smith, Nozomi Kato, and Nmon Ford. Conductor Keitaro Harada leads the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, with Henri Venanzi leading the Cincinnati Opera Chorus.
Performance Dates: July 16-31, 2023
By David Salazar
Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo will headline the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s “Handel and Vivaldi” concert.
The showcase, which will feature a number of concertos and arias from both composers, will also include such vocal works as “Pena tiranna” from “Amadigi di Gaula,” “Quella fiamma” from “Arminio,” and “Vivi, tiranno” from “Rodelinda.”
Joining the opera star will be harpsichordist Paolo Bordignon; violinists Chad Hoopes, Bella Hristova, Ani Kavafian, James Thompson, Yura Lee, and Arnaud Sussmann; cellists Dmitri Atapine and Keith Robinson; double bassist Anthony Manzo; harpist Bridget Kibbey; oboist James Austin Smith; and bassoonist Gina Cuffari.
The concert is set for Dec. 4 and 6, 2022 at Alice Tully Hall.
In addition to these performances, Costanzo will appear with The Knights for a holiday concert and will also headline “Akhnaten” at the English National Opera in 2023.
By Afton Wooten
OPERA America announced Against the Grain Theatre’s “MESSIAH/COMPLEX” as the Noteworthy Projects winner in the first-ever Awards for Digital Excellence in Opera.
The new award recognizes the “best work created for digital platforms by individual producers and organizations across the U.S. and Canada.” There are four categories which include Artistic Creation, Education/Enrichment Material, University/Conservatory Projects, and Noteworthy Projects. The 2022 winners were selected from over 100 submissions and only 14 finalists.
Against the Grain Theatre’s “Sāvitri” was also a finalist for the Artist Creation prize.
Joel Ivany Against the Grain Theatre’s founder and artistic director, and co-director of “MESSIAH/COMPLEX” said in an official press release, “On behalf of AtG Theatre, the artists and the creative team of , we want to thank OPERA America for recognizing this unique film that’s so close to our hearts. During the early days of COVID, AtG took a big risk by pivoting to film. We were lucky to collaborate with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) and singers across Canada, hoping to create something special for our audiences and communities stuck at home during lockdown. We’re very thankful that “MESSIAH/COMPLEX” earned this inaugural award from one of the world’s leading opera organizations.”
Earlier this year, the “MESSIAH/COMPLEX” soundtrack was nominated for a JUNO Award in the category of Classical Album of the Year (Large Ensemble).
The film returns this holiday season via free on-demand streaming from Dec.11, 2022, to Jan. 8, 2023 on AtG’s website.
By Logan Martell
The Seattle Symphony has announced its lineup of holiday concerts at Benaroya Hall.
This year marks the first time since 2019 that the symphony will perform its full suite of programs in person. Among the events is the tradition of Handel’s “Messiah” featuring soprano Nicole Cabell, contralto Sara Couden, tenor Steven Soph, bass Damien Geter, and the Seattle Symphony Chorale under the baton of Sofi Jeannin.
Performance Dates: Dec. 16, 17, and 18, 2022
Other highlights of the holiday season include Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9,” featuring soprano Laura Strickling, mezzo Mary Phillips, tenor Nicholas Phan, baritone Hadleigh Adams, and the chorale led by David Danzmayr.
Performance Dates: Dec. 28, 29, and 30, 2022
Closing out the year is the “New Year’s Eve Concert, Countdown & Party,” featuring the previous night’s soloists for the “choral” of “Symphony No. 9,” as well as Boulanger’s “Vieille priere bouddhique.”
Performance Date: Dec. 31, 2022
By Francisco Salazar
The Buxton International Festival has announced its 2023 season.
The opening operatic production will be Bellini’s “La Sonnambula” with Adrian Kelly conducting. Harry Fehr will direct the Bel Canto masterpiece.
Performance Dates: July 8-22, 2023
The semi-seria opera Mozart’s “Il re pastore” will be presented at the Buxton Opera House.
Performance Dates: July 9-20, 2023
Handel’s baroque opera seria “Orlando” will be performed by Liberata Collective and Ensemble Hesperi directed by Adrian Butterfield. The opera will be performed at the Pavilion Arts Centre.
Performance Dates: TBA
The festival will also present musicals and jazz as well as concert performances from leading soloists.
By David Salazar
The San Francisco Opera has announced the 2023 Adler Fellows.
The participants include sopranos Mikayla Sager, Arianna Rodriguez, and Olivia Smith; mezzo-sopranos Gabrielle Beteag and Nikola Prinz; tenors Victor Cardamone, Edward Graves, and Moisés Salazar; and bass-baritone Jongwan Han. Of these artists, Beteag, Cardamone, Graves, and Sager are second-year fellows.
Artists selected as pianist coaches includ Yang Lin and Marika Yasuda; Yasuda is making a return for a second year.
Every one of the Adler Fellows will be featured in a year-end concert accompanied by the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in December of 2023. They will also engage in preparing and rehearsing roles as well as taking on performance opportunities throughout their time with the program.
By David Salazar
The American Symphony Orchestra is set to continue its 2022-23 season with two special performances at St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York City.
First off, the orchestra will present “Organ + Orchestra,” a concert featuring Paul Brodignon and the Bard Festival Chorale. Leon Botstein conducts a program featuring Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78 and Dame Ethel Smyth’s Mass in D.
Performance Date: Jan. 27, 2023
Also on the slate is Strauss’ “Daphne.” The work, which will be conducted by Leon Botstein and will take place at Carnegie Hall, will star soprano Jana McIntyre. Other soloists will be announced at a later date.
In addition to the one-act “Bucolic Tragedy,” audiences will hear the choral epilogue to “Daphne” which was added in 1943.
Performance Date: March 23, 2023
By David Salazar
Glyndebourne has announced a series of holiday performances.
First up will be performances of Mozart’s Requiem and arias by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. The first part of the concert, which will spotlight Bologne and his opera “The Anonymous Lover,” will feature writer and director Simone Ibbett-Brown as she interweaves stories from the composer’s life.
In the second half of the program, Mozart’s final work will showcase the Glyndebourne Chorus.
Performance Dates: Dec. 3 & 9, 2022
Next up, the Glyndebourne Chorus will perform in a Christmas Concert featuring opera highlights.
Performance Dates: Dec. 10 & 11, 2022
Finally, the festival will feature a screening of Barrie Kosky’s “Saul” that audiences can stream on Glyndebourne Encore or the company’s official YouTube channel.
Performance Dates: Dec. 16, 2022 – Jan. 5 2023
By David Salazar
(Photo Credit: Grant Legan)
Jennifer Johnson Cano will join forces with musicians from the Met Orchestra for “Music of Kevin Puts” on Nov. 21, 2022 as part of Music Mondays in New York City.
The showcase, which will take place at the Advent Lutheran Church on Broadway, will feature selections from Puts’ new opera “The Hours,” his “Credo,” “Seven Seascapes,” and “Of all Moons.” Johnson Cano will also present “Non più di fiori” from Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito.”
Among the musicians also performing on the concert are flautist Maron Khoury, basset hornist Dean LeBlanc, hornist Erik Ralske, violinists Qianwen Angela Shen and Julia Choi, violist Tal First, cellist Julia Bruskin, bassist Leigh Mesh, and pianist Aaron Wunsch.
Puts will also perform at the piano and host the performance.
Puts’ “The Hours” will premiere at the Metropolitan Opera on Nov. 22, 2022.
