By Francisco Salazar
(Credit: Ken Howard / Met Opera)
The Metropolitan Opera has announced another cast change for its fall production of “Aida.”
The company said, “for all remaining fall performances of Verdi’s ‘Aida,’ the role of Amneris will be sung by Olesya Petrova, replacing Anita Rachvelishvili, who has withdrawn due to illness.”
The cancelation comes a few days after Rachvelishvili performed on Dec. 13. It is also the second cancelation for the mezzo this season after withdrawing from “Don Carlo.”
Rachvelishvili’s cancelation also comes a week after Latonia Moore withdrew from the entire run following opening night.
Olesya Petrova opened “Aida” on Dec. 2 and has already performed three shows. She is now set to perform both the fall and spring runs.
The fall performances of “Aida” will run through Jan. 7 and will star Brian Jagde, Quinn Kelsey, Christian Van Horn, and Michelle Bradley. Paolo Carignani conducts.
By David Salazar
The Orchestre National de Toulouse has announced that Tarmo Peltokoski will be its new music director.
Peltokoski will succeed Tugan Sokhiev starting on Sept. 1, 2024; he will hold this post through August 2029. The decision over the new music director was made by both the management of the orchestra and its members.
He will work with the ensemble for 12-14 weeks per season and lead concerts in Toulouse, the Occitanie region, and during national and international tours. He will also participate in recordings with the ensemble and lead six productions at the Opéra National du Capitole de Toulouse across the five seasons; he is set to debut at the opera company during the 2025-26 season.
Peltokoski recently performed concerts with the orchestra in September and October.
“My relationship with the musicians of the Orchestre national du Capitole was immediately gratifying and inspiring musically. After conducting the orchestra on two recent occasions, I could see the incredible work done by Tugan Sokiev throughout all these years and how he had transformed it into one of the best orchestras in Europe,” Peltokoski said in an official press statement. “It is with great humility and excitement that I accept this opportunity to be the music director and to work at the Opéra national du Capitole.”
The Finnish conductor is the principal guest conductor of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie and is also the music director of the Orchestre symphonique national de Lettonie. He is also the principal guest conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.
By Afton Wooten
Egyptian soprano Fatma Said will open Through the Noise’s Classical Club Nights series in “noisenight19.”
Said’s set will feature pieces from her latest release, “Kaleidoscope” with a focus on tango-inspired music and jazz. Award-winning composer and jazz pianist Harry Baker and bandoneon player Julian Rowlands will accompany her.
“Kaleidoscope” shares a blend of cultures and genres, as well as showcases Said’s passion for dance. The album contains opera, operetta, film, and pop music sung in six languages. Earlier this month it won the 2022 Presto Music Award.
Through the Noise established Noisenights to re-envision classical music concerts through informal crowdfunded events featuring international soloists in unique locations.
The performance takes place Feb. 10, 2023 beginning at 8 pm at the Oslo Hackney.
In addition to this showcase, Said is set to appear n a series of Christmas Concerts alongside David Hope and Daniel Geiss and the Belgrade Chamber Orchestra in Hamburg. She will also perform alongside tenor Rolando Villazón in concert at Baden-Baden on New Year’s Eve before taking on a chamber performance in Berlin.
By Afton Wooten
Soprano Camille Ortiz is slated to perform at the Ars Lyrica Houston Gala.
This year the Ars Lyrica Houston’s gala titled “Gems, Charms, and Treasures” will center around the idea of a musical journey back in time.
During the three-course dinner, Ortiz, Artistic Director Matthew Dirst on harpsichord, and an ensemble of Baroque instrumentalists will perform a preview of Händel’s “Amadigi di Gaula” which is planned for the 2024 season.
The proceeds will benefit Ars Lyrica Houston Opera Circle and its Baroque opera productions, raising vital support for the “Amadigi di Gaula” production. Honorees include Houston philanthropist and dedicated Ars Lyrica Houston supporter Connie Kwan-Wong, alongside her two daughters.
The black-tie event takes place on Feb. 4 at 6:30 pm at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Ortiz has performed with such organizations as Boston Baroque, Opera Lafayette, Eugene Opera, Eugene Concert Choir, Chamber Music Amici, San Diego Early Music Society, Crossing Borders, and Arizona Early Music, among others.
By Francisco Salazar
Sonya Yoncheva has announced her fifth solo album, “The Courtesan.”
The soprano will release the album on Feb. 9, 2023 on her own label SY11 Productions. The album will focus on the world of courtesans in opera.
The album was recorded last year in Genoa, Italy with the Orchestra dell’Opera Carlo Felice Genova led by Marco Armiliato and tenor Charles Castronovo. It features duets from “La Traviata” and “Thaïs” as well as arias from Puccini’s “La bohème” and “Manon Lescaut,” Giordano’s “Siberia” and Mascagni’s “Iris,” Leoncavallo’s “La bohème,” Saint-Saëns’ “Samson et Dalila,” Massenet’s “Manon” and “Thaïs,” and Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” The bonus track “In Trutina” will be from Orff’s “Carmina Burana”
In a statement, Yoncheva said, “The world of courtesans has always intrigued me. I discovered their universe in my stage incarnations of some of them. Once I read the story of Veronica Franco, a courtesan who was also a poet, asserting herself in territories traditionally reserved for men: those of erotic casuistry and public debate. I was struck by this personality, who in her speeches defied a whole era that both idealized and degraded women, objectifying them. A warrior of women’s rights, who was offering her body for pleasure. What a contrast and what faith! Inspired by her path, I decided to realize this CD you are holding in your hands.”
Yoncheva has organized the recording of her fifth solo album and everything around it by her own company SY11 Events Ltd. The company was established in 2020 in order to produce her own concerts and has now also created the label SY11 Productions, where the album is being released.
By Afton Wooten
The Atlanta Opera has announced the return of its composition competition, the 96-Hour Opera Project.
The program is tailored specifically for composers and librettists from historically underrepresented communities. This year there will be six chosen teams will travel to Atlanta with completed 10-minute works based on a historical theme provided by story partner, Atlanta History Center.
Once in Atlanta, the composer and libretto teams will spend four days (June 8-12, 2023) collaborating and rehearsing with singers, directors, and creatives. The final showcase will take place at the historic Morehouse College on June 12.
The winning team will receive and split a $10,000 prize. The prize money will serve as the first installment of a commission to write a chamber opera for a future season at the Atlanta Opera. All participating artists are guaranteed a $1,000 honorarium.
Applications are open now through Feb. 1, 2023.
Last year’s winners included composer Marcus Norris and librettist Adamma Ebo for their project “Go On With the Wind,” which follows a Morehouse Glee Club singer who was invited to sing at a party celebrating the 1939 premiere of “Gone With The Wind.”
By Afton Wooten
Opera Philadelphia Channel has announced its third season.
First up is “Black Lodge” by David T. Little, librettist and poet Anne Waldman, with the story and screenplay directed by Michael Joseph McQuilken blends opera, classical music, and goth rock. The surrealist cinematic opera pays homage to David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks.” “Black Lodge” is produced by Beth Morrison Projects and stars Jennifer Harrison Newman and Timur.
Performance Date: Now Streaming – Jan 8, 2023
Next up is composer Jon Deak’s adapted version of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” “The Passion of Scrooge,” which combines the holiday classic with modern themes. Baritone William Sharp takes on the role of Scrooge.
Performance Date: Now Streaming – Jan 8, 2023
Mezzo-soprano Eve Gigliotti stars in her original multi-media production, “A Jarful of Bees.” Composed by Paola Prestini and Pulitzer Prize-winning librettist Royce Vavrek, the ten-minute immersive short film follows the narrative of family dynamics and memories. Other artists’ collaborations include painter Natalie Frank, artist/animator Erin Pollock.
Performance Date: Now Streaming – Feb. 19, 2023
“Rumspringawakening” is a short comic opera film following an Amish teenager played by tenor Jon Lee Keenan as he experiences Rumspringa in New York City alongside a failed Broadway actress played by soprano Janet Szepei Todd. Nathan Fletcher composed the score for writer and director Adam Taylor’s libretto.
Performance Date: Jan. 13 – April 16, 2023
Soprano Julia Dawson and Evcie Poares headline in “Obscura Nox.” The modern retelling of Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” features Mozart’s “Exsultate, Jubilate” (KV 165) and new music by Iranian-Canadian composer Iman Habibi with original Latin text. Mary Birnbaum directs.
Performance Date: Jan. 20 – April 23, 2023
Next is Opera Ithaca’s adaptation of Engelbert Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel.” This production features Annie Rosen as Hansel, Marlen Nahhas as Gretel, Meghan Kasanders as The Witch/Mother, Mario Diaz Moresco as Father, Mariya Kaganskaya as Sandman, and Megnot Toggia as the Dew Fairy.
Performance Date: Feb. 10 – May 31, 2024
“Erwartung / EXPECTATION” is a five-minute live-action, contemporary adaptation of Arnold Schoenberg’s song ‘Erwartung’ (from Vier Lieder, Op. 2, No.1). Timothy McDevitt and Renate Rohlfing tell the story through the lens of a cabaret singer and a ghostly muse. The film is directed by George R. Miller.
Performance Date: March 3-December 31, 2023
Lastly, the channel will air the experimental opera-made-for-TV series “Everything for Dawn.” The 10-part series originally premiered in October on ALL ARTS. “Everything for Dawn” features original music from ten composers and librettos from a six-person writers’ room. The coming-of-age story (TW: Suicide) features soprano Britt Hewitt as Dawn Logan and two-time Grammy-nominated artist Aaron Engebreth as Mac Logan and is directed by Alison Moritz.
Performance Date: April 7 – Oct. 8, 2023
Along with the opera films previously mentioned, Opera Philadelphia will also release a digital commission series with two new works composed by Yaz Lancaster (they/them), a Black transdisciplinary artist, and Raquel Acevedo Klein (she/her), an active conductor, vocalist, composer, and instrumentalist.
Performance Date: TBA
Founded by Liz Player in 2008, The Harlem Chamber Players is an ethnically diverse ensemble sharing classical music in and out of Harlem, New York, that also creates opportunities for classically trained musicians of color. They have performed at Carnegie Hall, Aaron Davis Hall, the Apollo Theater, and Merkin Concert Hall.
Having commissioned and premiered the work of Adolphus Hailstork for four years, the ensemble’s new album “The Harlem Chamber Players Perform Music by Adolphus Hailstork,” comprises Hailstork’s Nobody Know, Piano Quintet “Detroit,” and Songs of the Magi.
Written to commemorate 1619 — the year the first enslaved black people arrived in America — Nobody Know received its world premiere as part of the 11th Annual Black History Month Celebration at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in 2019.
“Nobody Know is a concert aria based on a text by Herbert Martin, American poet based in Dayton, Ohio,” Hailstork said of the work. “It was commissioned by The Harlem Chamber Players to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the importation of the first black slaves to America,” he continued. “The piece depicts a ‘song from the other cross,’ a viewpoint of one of the thieves crucified with Christ on Good Friday, the thief who spoke to Christ.”
An homage to Detroit, where Hailstork received many pivotal early career opportunities including the commissioning of his second symphony by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Piano Quintet “Detroit” is also a tribute to his mentor Brazeal Dennard — its final movement is dedicated to his memory. The final piece on the album is Songs of the Magi — one of Hailstork’s earlier works for oboe and string quartet.
This album was made with support from the Howard Gilman Foundation and The New York Community Trust, plus was produced by Carol Jackson and recorded by M.P. Kuo at Big Orange Sheep in Brooklyn in 2021.
“Dr. Adolphus Hailstork is a brilliant composer and his music should be as much a part of the regular canon of American ‘music’ as much as of Copland and Barber are,” Player stated. “It’s long overdue that this great composer gets recognized for his achievements.”
To purchase and listen to the album, click here.
Also a pianist and conductor, Hailstork has written over 250 works. He attended the Michigan State University, Manhattan School of Music, American Institute at Fontainebleau, and Howard University, and studied with mentors including H. Owen Reed, Vittorio Giannini, David Diamond, Nadia Boulanger, and Mark Fax.
He has taught at Youngstown State University and Norfolk State University, and is currently a professor and composer-in-residence at Old Dominion. His many awards include a Fulbright fellowship, two honorary doctorates, and the title of Cultural Laureate of the state of Virginia. In 2017, he was inducted into Norfolk’s Legends of Music Walk of Fame and was recently honored on his 80th birthday by WNYC at Greene Space and featured as Composer of the Week on BBC Radio 3.
As the Senior Public Relations Specialist of the Classical PR team, the successful candidate will be a key partner to the Classical constituent organizations of the Kennedy Center.
Requirements for the role include a minimum of five years’ PR experience and planning ranging from national to grassroots efforts, strong media contacts and social media experience, plus an understanding of opera and/or symphonic music.
In addition to managing public relations efforts for Washington National Opera (WNO), the successful candidate will also contribute to the execution of public relations strategy supporting the WNO’s outreach programs, Cafritz Young Artists, WNO Opera Institute, National Symphony Orchestra, Renée Fleming VOICES series, Sound Health, among others.
The remuneration for this position is $73-80k, with healthcare, leave, and retirement benefits included.
For more information and to apply, click here.
Made up of violinists Daniel Chong and Ken Hamao, violist Jessica Bodner, and cellist Kee-Hyun Kim, The Parker Quartet celebrates its 20th anniversary with The Beethoven Project, a multifaceted project that centers around performances of the complete Beethoven quartet cycle.
Part of the project includes their new "Beethoven: Illuminated" series, in which the group releases videos spotlighting each Beethoven quartet every week, creating a free online resource and reference center on their YouTube channel.
The Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet serves as Professors of the Practice and Blodgett Artists-in-Residence at Harvard University’s Department of Music plus as a visiting residency at the University of South Carolina.
Founded and currently based in Boston, the Parker Quartet’s numerous honors include winning the Concert Artists Guild Competition, the Grand Prix and Mozart Prize at France’s Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, and Chamber Music America’s prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award.
Recent seasons included performances at venues including Wigmore Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin, Music Toronto, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Strathmore.
Along with the educational video series, The Beethoven Project will see the Quartet commission six composers to write encores for each of the Beethoven cycle concerts. The aim is to bring in fresh and diverse voices of today to these Beethoven programs. The composers include:
Anthony Cheung
Suzanne Farrin
Sky Macklay
Jeffrey Mumford
Wang Lu
Michi Wiancko
In Boston, the Quartet is celebrating Beethoven’s music by presenting each quartet in venues beyond the concert hall, aiming to reach audiences who may not usually have access to live chamber music.
To learn more about The Beethoven Project, here.
