By David Salazar
Courtney Bryan has been named the Composer in Residence of Opera Philadelphia.
Bryan, the Albert and Linda Mintz Professor of Music at Newcomb College in the School of Liberal Arts at Tulane University and a Creative Partner with the Louisiana Philharmonic, previously created “Blessed,” one of the four digital commissions that Opera Philadelphia Channel released in 2021.
“I am thrilled to join as Composer in Residence with the dynamic and future-facing Opera Philadelphia,” Bryan said in an official press statement. “It is an honor to join the distinguished list of composers who have come through this program, and I look forward to the journey. Since I was in high school, I envisioned myself writing opera. As a composer and collaborator, I love to engage with narrative, history, emotion, and spirit. There are stories and sounds that I am excited to share. During my residency, I look forward to studying the practice of writing opera and to discovering what it inspires me to create.”
Bryan, a recipient of the 2018 Herb Alpert Award in the Arts, is a Doctor of Musical Arts from Colombia University who also received degrees from Oberlin Conservatory (Bachelor of Music) and Rutgers University (Masters of Music) and also concluded postdoctoral studies in the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University. She is also the recipient of a 2018 Hermitage Fellow, a 2019-20 recipient of the Samuel Barber Rome Prize in Music Composition, and a 2020 United States Artists Fellow.
“Courtney is a multidimensional force with inspirational depth, spirituality, and individuality,” said Sarah Williams, Opera Philadelphia’s Director of New Works and Creative Producer. “She extends a bold and conscious artistic expression, carving out a distinguished and touching creativity that is desperately needed. I’m looking forward to digging in with Courtney and supporting her journey in opera. Our industry will be all the better for her exploration and voice in opera.”
Composers in Residence are given individualized creative development such as detail work with singers and working with the company as they explore and create opera. Past incumbents of the position include Missy Mazzoli and Tyshawn Sorey.
The Composer in Residence Program is sponsored by the Mellon Foundation.
By Francisco Salazar
This week audiences will get a number of baroque releases from artists who specialize in the music as well as some contemporary and experimental releases. Here is a look.
Rune – Fashion Opera
Divine Art will be releasing the third in composer Alastair White’s series of “fashion-operas.” The album is the world premiere recording and is an audio version of the live premiere production which was presented as part of Tête-à-Tête Opera Festival 2021, but with remastered HD sound.
Kings in the North
Tomas Kral releases his new album which was recorded at the Opera Bayreuth Baroque Festival. Kral is joined by the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra under the musical direction of Jarosław Thiel. The album includes music by Heinichen, Handel, Schürmann, Telemann, Keiser, and Ariosti and is devoted to the fabled heroes of the West Goths, the Lombards, and Swedish kings.
Fairytales
Pianist Daniel Beskow and mezzo-soprano Josefine Andersson collaborate on the latest album by label ARS Produktion. The album searches for and discovers the musical pieces which show connections to the fables’ illustrations. In Sweden, “Fairytales“ became a hugely successful stage play. The present recording was completed this past spring in the Immanuelkirche Church in Wuppertal, Germany, and is based on nearly one hundred programmatic concerts of the duo.
L’Orfeo
Naxos releases a production of “L’Orfeo” with Jordi Savall conducting at the Opéra Comique. Pauline Bayle directs the production which starred baritone Marc Mauillon and mezzo-soprano Luciana Mancini in the roles of Orpheus and Euridice, along with mezzo Sara Mingardo as La Messaggiera and baritone Furio Zanasi as Apollo. The cast also includes mezzo Marianne Beate Kielland and bass Salvo Vitale. Savall leads La Capella Reial de Catalunya and Le Concert des Nations.
Giulio Cesare
Unitel releases a production of Händel’s masterwork from the Theater an der Wien. Keith Warner directed the production which starred countertenor Bejun Mehta in the title role, soprano Louise Alder as Cleopatra, countertenors Jake Arditti as Sesto and Christophe Dumaux as Tolomeo and mezzo-soprano Patricia Bardon as Cornelia. Ivor Bolton led the Concentus Musicus Wien.
By David Salazar
The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra is set to live stream the Sept. 8 performance of the second Act of “Tristan und Isolde.”
The performance, which is led by conductor Susanna Mälkki, stars Stuart Skelton and Lise Lindstrom in the title roles. They are joined by Jenny Carlstedy as Brangäne, Markus Nieminen as Kurwenal, Brindley Sherrat as King Marke, and Roland Liiv as Melot.
Both Skelton and Lindstrom are renowned Wagner interpreters. Following the two performances of this “Tristan” in Helsinki, Lindstrom is headed to Dresden for a production of Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen” where she will appear as Brünnhilde. She will also take on the “Ring” at Opera Australia in Decembera and with the Dallas Symphony in 2023-24.
Skelton is set to take on several Wagner operas with such organizations as the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic, and Teatro San Carlo di Napoli.
The program, which will also be performed on Sept. 7, 2022, opens with Strauss’ “Metamorphoses.” The performance can be streamed straight off the Helsinki Philharmonic’s official website.
By Chris Ruel
Pianist and host of Living the Classical Life Zsolt Bognár has created a GoFundMe fundraising campaign to assist the family of the German conductor and pianist Lars Vogt, who passed away on Sept. 5, 2022, at age 51.
On the GoFundMe page, Bognár stated, “Distinguished and beloved German pianist and conductor Lars Vogt passed away September 5, 2022 after a fight with cancer. He leaves behind a wife and very young children. Let’s help them cover expenses and provide for the future of the children, including education and living expenses at this difficult time. I will personally ensure that every last dollar/euro goes to the family.”
As of this writing, the initiative has raised $10,000.
In his obituary, OperaWire wrote the maestro was born in the German town of Düren in 1970 and first came to public attention when he won second prize at the 1990 Leeds International Piano Competition. He became an international pianist performing the music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, Grieg, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninov, as well as 20th Century works by the likes of Lutosławski, among others. Vogt worked with dozens of the world’s most renowned orchestras and collaborated with major conductors like Claudio Abbado, Daniel Harding, Mariss Jansons, Paavo Järvi, Andris Nelsons, Sir Simon Rattle, Vladimir Jurowski, and Robin Ticciati.
Click here to visit the GoFundMe page.
By David Salazar
Pentatone is set to release a new album featuring Lisette Oropesa this October.
The album, entitled “Rossini & Donizetti: French Bel Canto Arias” will be available digitally and exclusively on Pentatone’s official website before going into wide digital release on Oct. 7, 2022
In the album, which features the famed soprano alongside Corrado Rovaris and the Dresdener Philharomonie and the Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden, will include arias from such operas as “Guillaume Tell,” “La siège de Corinthe,” “Le comte Ory,” “Les martyrs,” “Lucie de Lammermour,” and “La fille du régiment.”
“I was in Paris a few years ago singing a marvelous opera by Meyerbeer, and was so inspired by Le grand opéra français and its role in the Italian bel canto composers’ works. Growing up in Louisiana, French was the first foreign language that I studied, so I have a deep appreciation for the way it sounds and the way it feels to sing in French,” Oropesa said in an official press release by Pentatone. “When I began my vocal studies in college, I worked on a lot of French art songs, and also a few French operatic arias, but the majority of my training was in Italian bel canto and Mozart. After having made a wonderful journey into Mozart’s concert arias for my first recording, I was very excited to find a way to combine two of my greatest loves, the French language and Italian bel canto, into another album. Thus, the idea for recording arias from the French language works of Rossini and Donizetti was born. It has been a joy to explore lesser-known pieces, as well as the more popular ones, for the repertoire that we chose to feature in this album. There is so much out there, and a lot of it gets performed so rarely outside of festivals dedicated to Rossini and Donizetti.”
By Francisco Salazar
(© Marco Borggreve)
The Accademia Filarmonica Romana is set to present a Lieder concert featuring soprano Anna Prohaska and pianist Julius Drake.
The concert is set to be held on Sept. 11 at the Sala Casella, via Flaminia 118 and will showcase the artists performing from their project “Paradise Lost,” which they also recorded on Alpha Classics.
The masterpiece by John Milton is the inspiration for the project and features works by Henry Purcell, George Crumb, Mahler, Rachmaninoff, and Bernstein.
Prohaska is an award-wining soprano who has performed at the Komische Oper Berlin, Theater an der Wien, Teatro alla Scala di Milano, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Opéra de Paris, Staatsoper Hamburg, Bayerische Staatsoper, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and Salzburg Festival.
Meanwhile, Drake is considered one of the great accompanists in the world. He has collaborated with such artists as Thomas Allen, Olaf Bär, Phillip Langridge, Angelika Kirchschlager, Sergei Leiferkus, Felicity Lott, Christopher Maltman, Mark Padmore, Christoph Pregardien, Amanda Roocroft, Jose Van Dam, Lorraine Hunt, Thomas Quasthoff, Willard White, Gerald Finley, Joyce Di Donato, Simon Keenlyside, Diana Damrau, and Ian Bostridge.
Categories
News
By David Salazar
The Opera Awards Foundation has announced the 2022 bursary recipients.
The awards, which aim to help young artists with their career development will be given to 19 recipients this year. Artists will receive help with their living and travel cost, course fees, promotional material, and professional coaching sessions.
This year’s winners include soprano Sarah Ampil, writer Laura Attridge, mezzo-soprano Megan Baker, mezzo-soprano Georgia Mae Bishop, mezzo-soprano Hannah Bennett, soprano Emilia Bertolini, baritone Benoît Déchelotte, soprano Katrine Deleuran, writer / director Leo Doulton, soprano Mimi Doulton, conductor James Ham, soprano Hasmik Harutyunyan, soprano Charlotte Kelso, tenor Thomas Kinch, tenor Thando Mjandana, repetiture Aleksandra Myslek, tenor Alan Pingarrón, and soprano Nombulelo Yende.
“I’m very proud to announce our 2022 Opera Awards Foundation bursary recipients,” said Harry Hyman, Chair of the International Opera Awards, in an official press statement. “Over the ten years that we’ve been supporting artists through the Foundation, our work feels more important than ever as they develop their careers in this post-pandemic world. It always fills me with great pride to look back at previous bursary recipients, not only to see them grace some of the biggest stages in the world, but also to witness the positive impact they’ve made on the opera scene in general – and I look forward to watching this year’s recipients’ achievements as their careers unfold.”
By David Salazar
(© photo : Eléna Bauer/OnP)
Le Fonds Unisson has changed its name to Fonds Tutti and its founding members being Sandra Lagumina, Marie Lambert, and Philippe Do have announced its Programme Tremplin.
The foundation will select eight singers to be part of the Programme Tremplin with the intent of supporting them in their career through private vocal lessons, public master classes, and two concerts. Each artist will be matched up with a specific mentor.
The two concerts will take place at the Opéra Bastille on Nov. 29 and 30. The “Concert Tremplin” will showcase the laureats while the “Concert de Gala,” in addition to showcasing the program’s artists, will also feature a number of major opera stars including Nicole Car, Clémentine Margaine, Marie McLaughlin, Anna Pirozzi, Marco Berti, Nicolas Courjal, Étienne Dupuis, and Mathias Vidal; these artists will also be mentors to the young artists in the program throughout 2022.
The independent commission selecting the eight laureats will include tenor Thomas Morris, Charlotte Blin, pianist Florence Boissolle, bass Nicolas Courjal, soprano Anne-Sophie Duprels, pianist David Fray, soprano Melody Louledjian, pianist Emmanuel Olivier, mezzo Julie Pasturaud, and director Rares Zaharia. The foundation will also cover expenses for participants for up to 1250 euros (rehearsals with pianists, lodging in Paris, and travel costs).
The participants will be announced in mid-October with the program starting up shortly thereafter.
By Francisco Salazar
Florian Sempey has signed with Askonas Holt for representation.
Sempey will be represented by Dominic Domingo and Flo Rivington for general management.
The French baritone is well known for performing the role of Figaro in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” at the Opéra de Paris, the Royal Opera House, the Opera di Roma, the New National Theatre in Tokyo and the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.
He is also well-known for his interpretations of Belcore in “L’Elisir d’Amore, Guglielmo in “Così fan tutte.” He recently released “Rossini: Figaro? Sì!,” his first solo recording on Alpha Classics with the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine.
This season the baritone will perform Papageno in “Die Zauberflöte” with Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and Les Siècles, and as Alphonse XI in “La Favorite” at the Festival Donizetti followed by Opéra national de Bordeaux. He will also make appearances at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Bayerische Staatsoper and Opéra National de Paris.
By Francisco Salazar
Opera Philadelphia is set to launch a series of free-to-the-public events.
The company will showcase concerts to story times and opera in the park.
The free events begin with opera in the Park featuring “The Marriage of Figaro.” The screening will take place on Sept. 8 at Dilworth Park. The opera will also be screened at Esperanza Parking Lot on Sept. 10.
Bill Rhoads, Senior Vice President of Esperanza Arts Center said, “We are excited to continue our long-standing partnership with Opera Philadelphia with this free Arte en las Calles season-opening celebration for family and community. This event is the result of true collaboration, pairing the immense talent of Latino artists – comic, culinary, and musical – in our region with a beautiful outdoor screening of an operatic treasure by Philadelphia’s premiere opera company.”
The second event will be “For the Beauty of the Earth” on Sep.t 25 at the Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church. The concert is performed by the women of the Opera Philadelphia Chorus, conducted by Elizabeth Braden. Cookie Diorio narrates the evening which will feature composers and poets from the LGBTQIA+ community, including Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein, and Philadelphia-based composer Pax Ressler.
The third event will be Opera Storybook Time on Sept. at Marian Anderson Recreation Center and Oct. 1 at the Wharton Wesley United Methodist Church. The event will see Young children enjoy Opera Storybook Time.
Finally, the last event will be “The Raven Roundtable” on Sept. 27 at the Rendell Room, Kimmel Center. Robert Buscher, Associate Director of Organizational Culture at Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia will be joined by choreographer and theater artist Makoto Hirano and Swarthmore College professor Will Gardner, PhD to discuss the opera.
