By David Salazar
The Bach Collegium Japan is set to present Händel’s “Messiah” at Suntory Hall in Tokyo.
Masaaki Suzuki will conduct the performance, which is set for Dec. 24, 2022, with such soloists as soprano Hana Blažíková, countertenor Alexander Chance, tenor Jun Suzuki, and baritone Takaoki Onishi.
Blažíková has appeared regularly with the Bach Collegium Japan and has also performed with such organizations as the Edinburgh International Festival, Salzburger Festspiele, the Utrecht Early Music Festival, Tage Alter Musik Regensburg, Resonanzen in Vienna, the Festival de Sablé, the Festival de La Chaise-Dieu, Arts Festival Hong-Kong, Chopin i jego Europa, the Bachfest Leipzig, Concentus Moraviae, Summer Festivities of Early Music, and the Festival de Saintes.
Meanwhile, Chance has performed with the Ravenna Festival, the Freiburger Barockorchester, and the Academy of Ancient Music, among others.
Suzuki has performed alongside the Tokyo Nikkai Opera, the Gunma Symphony Orchestra, the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, and the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.
Finally, Onishi was an ensemble member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and has also performed with such organizations as the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, and North Carolina Opera.
The performance will be streamed on the Digital Suntory Hall platform and will be made available to international audiences.
By Francisco Salazar
The Teatro Regio di Parma is set to present “Il Libro della Giungla” for the RegioYoung.
The new commision is for children and babies and will feature music by Giovanni Sollima and a libretto by Pier Francesco Maestrini. The performances will be held between Nov. 30 and Dec. 2, and there will be four performances for families between Dec. 3 and 4.
“Il Libro della Giungla” is the fifth commission for RegioYoung following ” Il gatto con gli stivali (2016),” “Il piccolo principe (2017),” and “La spada nella roccia e Alice (2018).”
The production will star Giulia Bolcato (Mowgli), Cecilia Bernini (Bagheera), Matteo Mollica (Shere-Khan/Gurilla), Roberto Maietta (Baloo), and Luigi Morassi (Akela/Kaa).
The libretto is inspired by the Disney movie “The Jungle Book.”
By Francisco Salazar
The Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal has announced the death of chorus member Marcel de Hêtre.
In a statement, the OSM wrote, “we are very sad to learn today of the death of a friend, colleague and great artist: Marcel de Hêtre, lyrical singer and chorus of the OSM Choir for more than 35 years. The entire great OSM family, and especially his fellow choralists will remember him as a singer with a great heart, with a unique sense of humor, joy, and deep passion for choral music.”
The OSM concluded, “Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
De Hêtre performed with the OSM in such performances as the “La Passion according to Saint Matthieu,” and the concert Les Organists de Notre-Dame de Paris, among others. The tenor also appeared alongside Les Violons du Roy and La Chapelle de Québec.
By Francisco Salazar
The Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Chile has announced its 2023 season. Here is a look at the operatic offerings.
Ramón Gutiérrez, Rony Ancavil, Francisca Muñoz, Francisca Jünemann star in “El Demonio Mudo” with Ramiro Albino conducting and Gonzalo Cuadra directing.
Performance Dates: May 12-20, 2023
Roberto Rizzi Brignoli conducts Bizet’s “Carmen” with Rodrigo Navarrete directing. Natalia Kutateladze and Evelyn Ramírez star alongside Galeano Salas, Andrés Presno, Alexandra Razskazoff, Paulina González, Artur Janda, and Javier Weibel.
Performance Dates: July 1-12, 2023
Anthony Clark Evans and Nikoloz Lagvilava share the title role of “Rigoletto” and perform alongside Iván Ayón-Rivas, Mihails Čuļpajevs, Aigul Khismatulina, Rocío Pérez, Taras Berezhansky, Jaime Mondaca, Evelyn Ramírez, and Gabriela Gómez. Roberto Rizzi Brignoli and Pedro-Pablo Prudencio conduct with Christine Hucke directing.
Performance Dates: August 17-26, 2023
Rossini’s “Il Viaggio a Reims” will be conducted by Paolo Bortolameolli and directed by Emilio Sagi. The cast will include Serena Sáenz, Gabriela Gómez, Annya Pinto, Vanessa Rojas, Gonzalo Quinchahual, Juan de Dios Mateos, Manuel Fuentes, Pietro Spagnoli, Matías Moncada, and Ramiro Maturana.
Performance Dates: Nov. 9-18, 2023
Evelino Pidò and Pedro-Pablo Prudencio conduct Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale” with Francisco Krebs directing.
The cast incudes Vazgen Gazaryan, Ricardo Seguel, Javier Weibel, Patricio Sabaté, Celso Albelo, Brayan Ávila, Sabina Puértolas, and Annya Pinto.
Performance Dates: Oct. 5-14, 2023
By Francisco Salazar
The Studiu Koncertowym Polskiego Radia is set to showcase a recital by baritone Andrzej Filończyk and pianist Michał Biel on Nov. 20, 2022.
The concert will include Schumann’s “Dichterliebe” op. 48 and arias by Moniuszko, Bellini, Donizetti, Korngold, and Rossini.
The concert marks Filończyk’s first Polish concert in six years. The baritone is a winner of the International Vocal Competition Stanisław Moniuszko where he won first prize in 2016. He has since performed at the Paris Opera and Royal Opera House, as well as in theaters in Zurich, Munich, Rome and Toronto. Meanwhile, Biel who is also a winner of the Polish competition performs in Wigmore Hall in London, Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall in New York, and the Frankfurt Opera.
He regularly collaborates with the countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński.
By Francisco Salazar
Pittsburgh Opera is set to launch its inaugural Summer Camp.
Bravo Academy, which is set to run between July 10 and 21, 2023, will be designed for high school students who are interested in opera and other performing arts.
The camp will allow participants to receive invaluable hands-on experience with leading industry professionals and performers. Each instructor is a specialist in their field, selected to offer participants a broad, accurate view of the world of opera.
Participants will take fun and engaging classes and will participate in exclusive workshops with Pittsburgh Opera staff, engage in master classes with industry luminaries and master teachers, and more. Among the classes, the camp will offer include Opera Fan Fiction, Opera in Motion, Opera Culture, Behind the Curtain, Opera Achievement, Improv Acting, and Opera Scenes.
Bravo Academy will culminate with a final, professional showcase performance by the participants at the Bitz Opera Factory on July 21.
In a statement, Pittsburgh Opera Director of IDEA Initiatives and Community Engagement Rebekah Diaz said, “We are excited to launch this camp that will explore opera, musical theatre, and crossover music. Whether you’re already an opera fan or have never heard an opera in your life, this camp will be an absolutely fantastic, unforgettable experience.”
By Francisco Salazar
Japan Society is set to present the world premiere of “Note to a Friend,” a new opera from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and Bang on a Can co-founder David Lang.
The work is commissioned and presented by Japan Society and co-produced by Japan Society and Tokyo Bunka Kaikan as part of the 2023 PROTOTYPE Festival.
“Note to a Friend” is Lang’s reimagining of three texts from the renowned Japanese novelist Ryūnosuke Akutagawa and is widely regarded as the father of the Japanese short story.
Paris-based opera director and longtime member of Peter Brook’s international theater company Yoshi Oida will direct the world premiere and will star New York vocalist Theo Bleckmann. Tokyo Bunka Kaikan in Japan will be presenting the opera’s featured string quartet members.
The work will first appear in New York from January 12 to 15, 2023 and then in Japan from Feb. 4 to 5, 2023. Finally, in the Fall 2024, the work will be presented in Taiwan.
By Francisco Salazar
Musical Concepts has announced the return of the Orpheus label.
The label, America’s largest and yet least-known classical music record label, was a part of the Musical Heritage Society, a record club and record label started in New York City in the early 1960s by Dr. Michael Naida.
Following the sale of the MHS record club in 2011, the record label remained in the hands of the owners but only a few hundred jazz and classical recordings on the MusicMasters label remained available in digital form. In 2021, Musical Heritage Society completed the first true detailed research into the MHS catalog of recordings since the label and record club was purchased. They discovered that Musical Heritage Society owned over 2,000 recordings, either purchased by the Society or made by the Society’s engineers and producers since the mid 1960s.
Musical Heritage Society approached Musical Concepts with the idea of reviving the Orpheus label and now long-lost recordings from Ruth Slencnzyska, Huguette Dreyfus, the Austrian Tonkunstler Orchestra are set to be released.
There will also be performances of New York City’s early music groups released as well as a series of recordings created by early music pioneer Denis Stevens.
By David Salazar
The Korean National Opera is set to present a production of Puccini’s “La Bohème” in time for the holiday season.
The Puccini favorite will open on Dec. 1 and run through the 4th at the Opera Theater, Seoul Arts Center.
Sebastian Lang Lessing will conduct a production directed by Sook Young Kim and featuring sets by Jin Kyu Choi. Costumes are by Sun Mi Park, lighting is by Hong Pyo Park, makeup is by Yoo Kyung Yim, and props will be by Jae Yron Mo.
Headlining the cast will be Seon Yeong Seo and Yun Kyung Yi as Mimì with Joseph Kang and Andrea Shin alternating as Rodolfo. As Musetta, audiences will see So Yeong Park and Yu Jin Kim. Meanwhile, Gi Hoon Kim and Sung Wang Lee will take turns as Marcello. The casting for Schaunard features Jong Pyo Kim and Kwang Hyun Kim with Jun Hyuk Park and Hyeong Uk Lee as Colline.
Rounding out the cast as Sang Uk Park and Kyung Tae Park as Benoît / Alcindoro, Seung Gyu Lee as Parpignol, and Seung Hwan Baek as the Mime.
By Francisco Salazar
JUNO award-winning vocal group The Tenors will perform at New York’s Adler Hall at NY Society for Ethical Culture.
The concert, set for Dec. 21, 2022, will feature Victor Micallef, Clifton Murray, Alberto Urso and Mark Masri in iconic hits that blend classical music, contemporary pop, classic rock, folk, and inspired self-penned original songs. The repertoire will include music in English, French, Spanish, and Italian.
The Tenors has performed for six Presidents of the United States, including at the White House Christmas Tree Lighting, for the world leaders at the G20 Summit, for the opening ceremonies of the XXI Olympic Winter Games, for Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Primetime Emmy Awards, and the NBC Tree Lighting Ceremony at Rockefeller Centre.
The Tenors has also performed with Sir Paul McCartney, Sarah McLachlan, Sting, Justin Bieber, Andrea Bocelli, Sir Elton John, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder and David Foster.
