By Francisco Salazar
(Credit: Rosie Hardie)
The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center’s Eugene McDermott Concert Hall, Music Director Fabio Luisi, and Ross Perot President & CEO Kim Noltemy have announced plans for a complete Ring cycle presented by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
The orchestra will perform the monumental work in May 2024 under the direction of Luisi and will become the first US orchestra to perform a full Ring cycle in concert in recent history.
The opera-in-concert version of Richard Wagner’s complete Der Ring des Nibelungen will be presented with internationally renowned singers including Mark Delavan and Lise Lindstrom who will portray Wotan and Brünnhilde.
The project will debut on May 1, 2024, with “Das Rheingold” and “Die Walküre” premiering on consecutive nights. The operas will be headlined by Soprano Sara Jakubiak and tenor Christopher Ventris as Sieglinde and Siegmund. The cycle will continue in Fall 2024 with “Siegfried” performed on October 5, 2024, and “Götterdämmerung” performed on October 8, 2024. That will be followed by a week-long presentation of the full Ring cycle beginning on October 13, 2024.
The DSO’s performances of Wagner’s complete Der Ring des Nibelungen will be recorded as part of the DSO’s Next Stage Digital Concert Series and will be made
available in January 2025 at watch.dallassymphony.org.
In addition to the announcement of the opera cycle, Luisi and Noltemy announced the release of the concert video of the DSO’s latest opera-in-concert, Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” which featured Nicole Car and Etienne Dupuis.
By Nicolas Quiroga
The Crossing is set to present its annual Summer New Music Festival, “The Month of Moderns 2022,” this summer.
The Festival will feature three concerts conducted by Donald Nally on June 11, 25 and July 8, 2022, at the Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia.
Included in the programs will be the world premieres Marco Balter’s “Books of Color” and Aaron Helgeson’s “The Book of Never;” both of those works will premiere on June 11.
That will be followed up by Tawnie Olson’s “Beloved of the Sky” on June 25; that program will also feature the U.S. premiere of Chaya Czernowin’s “Unhistoric Acts.”
Finally, David Shapiro’s “Sumptuous Planet: A Secular Mass” will get its world premiere on July 8, 2022.
The Crossing is a two-time Grammy Award-winning professional chamber choir directed by Donald Nally. The organization has collaborated with some of the world’s leading ensembles and artists, including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Orchestra of American Composers, Network for New Music, Lyric Fest, and the International Contemporary Ensemble, among many others.
By Nicolas Quiroga
The York Festival of Early Music has announced that critically acclaimed, award-winning mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston will join the organization as Artistic Adviser this May.
Replacing harpsichordist Steven Devine, she will work alongside such advisers as John Bryan, Lindsay Kemp and Peter Seymour.
Charlston, the winner of London’s Händel Competition, is a member of the Les Arts Florissants Young Artists Programme, a BBC New Generation Artist, and a 2018 City Music Foundation Artist. She is also the founder of the Rising Star of the Enlightenment porgram.
“We are delighted to welcome Helen as a new Artistic Adviser joining our already established team of experts. Artistic Advisers play an important part in the development of our work, and we are sure Helen’s expertise and experience will be huge assets to the festival,” said York Early Music Festival Administrative Director and Director of the National Centre for Early Music, Dr Delma Tomlin MBE, in an official statement. “Helen has a long association with York and we are looking forward to working with her. We are sure she will bring some brilliant and fresh ideas as we move towards York Early Music Festival 2023.”
Per her appointment, Charlston noted, “I’m very excited to be joining the York Early Music team as Artistic Adviser. It’s such an honor to be working with one of Europe’s most important and progressive Early Music festivals, with a reputation for promoting and championing the work of young emerging artists. I always love performing in York and now I can look forward to spending more time working in this beautiful city and soaking up the atmosphere of the fabulous medieval splendor of the festival’s hub in St Margaret’s Church.”
By Francisco Salazar
Essen’s Aalto-Theater has announced its 2022-23 season featuring five new productions.
Premieres
Wagner’s “Tannhäuser” will star Daniel Johansson, Karl-Heinz Lehner, Daniela Köhler, Deirdre Angenent, Heiko Trinsinger, and Albrecht Kludszuweit. Tomáš Netopil conducts the new production by Paul-Georg Dittrich. Georg Fritzsch also conducts with Corby Welch and Sebastian Pilgrim performing other shows.
Performance Dates: Sept. 24, 2022-Jan. 7, 2023
Jessica Muirhead sings the title role of Donizetti’s “Lucrezia Borgia” with Almas Svilpa, Francesco Castoro, Oreste Cosimo, and Liliana de Sousa. Andrea Sanguineti conducts the production by Ben Baur.
Performance Dates: Nov. 26, 2022-March 10, 2023
Verdi’s “Simon Boccanegra” will star Daniel Luis de Vicente, Jessica Muirhead, Carlos Cardoso, and Almas Svilpa. Friedrich Haider conducts the new production by Tatjana Gürbaca.
Performance Dates: Jan. 28-May 14, 2023
Tobias Greenhalgh, Lavinia Dames, Bart Driessen, Heiko Trinsinger, Marie-Helen Joël, Almuth Herbst, Etienne Walch, Maartje Rammeloo, Liliana de Sousa, Andrei Nicoara, Christina Clark, Rainer Maria Röhr, and Karel Martin Ludvik star in “Dogville.” Tomáš Netopil conducts the new production by David Hermann.
Performance Dates: March 11-April 30, 2023
Tobias Greenhalgh, Jessica Muirhead, Markéta Klaudová, Lisa Wittig, Baurzhan Anderzhanov, and Liliana de Sousa star in the new production of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” Tomáš Netopil conducts the production by Floris Visser.
Performance Dates: May 13-June 25, 2023
Revivals
Mozart’s “La Finta Giardiniera” will star Richard Samek, Giulia Montanari, Dmitry Ivanchey, Moritz Kallenberg, Sophia Brommer, Bettina Ranch, Christina Clark, and Tobias Greenhalgh. Wolfram-Maria Märtig conducts.
Performance Dates: August 28-Oct 3, 2022
Carlos Cardoso, Jānis Apeinis, Gabrielle Mouhlen, Helena Zubanovich, and Christina Clark star in Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera.” Elias Grandy conducts.
Performance Dates: Sept. 30-Nov. 4, 2022
Gounod’s “Faust” will be performed by Raimonds Bramanis, Almas Svilpa, Tobias Greenhalgh, Jessica Muirhead, and Liliana de Sousa. Friedrich Haider conducts.
Performance Dates: Oct. 9-Nov. 13, 2022
Richard Samek, Lisa Wittig, Albrecht Kludszuweit, and Martijn Cornet lead J. Strauss’ “Eine Nacht in Venedig.”
Performance Dates: Nov. 5, 2022-Feb. 5, 2023
Thomas Hohler, Marie-Helen Joël, Brigitte Oelke, Henrik Wager, Albrecht Kludszuweit, Christina Clark, Alexander Franzen, and Martin Sommerlatte star in Heribert Feckler and Marie-Helen Joël’s “Yesterdate.” Heribert Feckler conducts.
Performance Dates: Dec. 8, 2022-March 12, 2023
Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” will star Andrei Nicoara, Manuel Günther, Karel Martin Ludvik, Sophia Theodorides, Lisa Wittig, and Tobias Greenhalgh.
Performance Dates: Dec. 15-April 9, 2023
Cristina Pasaroiu, Francesco Castoro, and Heiko Trinsinger lead Verdi’s “La Traviata” with Gianluca Marcianò conducting.
Performance Dates: Dec. 28, 2022-April 10, 2023
Tomáš Netopil conducts Strauss’ “Arabella” with Christoph Seidl, Bettina Ranch, Jessica Muirhead, Julia Grüter, and Heiko Trinsinger.
Performance Dates: Feb. 10-June 1, 2023
Yolanda Auyanet takes on the title role of Bellini’s “Norma” with Bettina Ranch, Carlos Cardoso, and Almas Svilpa. Giuliano Carella conducts.
Performance Dates: March 25-May 14, 2023
Francesca Tiburzi leads Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” with Karin Strobos, Raffaele Abete, and Heiko Trinsinger. Giuseppe Finzi conducts.
Performance Dates: April 22-June 16, 2023
Luis Chapa, Almas Svilpa, Bettina Ranch, and Julia Grüter star in Bizet’s “Carmen.”
Performance Dates: June 3-24, 2023
By Francisco Salazar
Following a performance of “Rigoletto” at Opera Philadelphia, tenor Joshua Blue proposed to his girlfriend Ashley Marie Robillard.
As the singers took their final bows, Blue called Roillard to the stage stating, “Ashley Robillard, to stage. Paging Ashley Robillard.” As she went to the stage, he said, “You are the most incredible, brilliant, caring, creative, utterly chaotic person I’ve ever known. You make every single day an adventure that I want to last forever.”
As he proposed a man in a bear costume named Bobb Hawkey appeared from the stage right holding the ring.
Blue then asked, “Will you marry me?” and Robillard immediately said “Yes.”
According to Frank Luzi, Opera Philadelphia’s VP of marketing, it was an “operaposal.”
This is the latest proposal to take place on an operatic stage. Earlier this season, Soloman Howard proposed to Ailyn Perez following the final performance of Puccini’s “Tosca” at the San Francisco Opera. Videos went viral shortly after.
By Francisco Salazar
The Dutch National Opera has announced a conductor change for its production of “Der Freischütz.”
The company said, “To our regret we have to inform you that due to medical reasons maestro Riccardo Minasi had to withdraw from all engagements in May and June 2022, including our new production of ‘Der Freischütz.’ Together with our colleagues from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra we are very sorry about this news. We wish Riccardo a prompt recovery and hope to be able to welcome him back to Amsterdam soon.”
As a result, Austrian conductor Patrick Hahn will conduct the production. It will be the conductor’s debut with the opera house. The new production will not use the opera’s original dialogues with director Kirill Serebrennikov helming the production. The Russian director has written a new play around Weber’s composition, in which also music from Tom Waits’ “The Black Rider” will be incorporated.
Hahn is currently in his first season as General Music Director of the Wuppertaler Bühnen und Sinfonieorchester and is the Principal Guest Conductor with Münchner Rundfunkorchester and Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic. He has led the Wiener Symphoniker, Münchner Philharmoniker, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, DSO Berlin and London Philharmonic.
The new production will star Johanni van Oostrum (Agathe), Ying Fang (Ännchen), Benjamin Bruns (Max) and Günther Groissböck (Kaspar/ein Eremit) and will be presented from June 3 to 25, 2022.
By Afton Wooten
Canadian Conductors Maria Fuller and Naomi Woo are to take part in the Women in Musical Leadership conducting program. They will work with Tapestry Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra during their three-year residency.
Maria Fuller is a sought after conductor, but also for her specialties in vocal coaching, piano, trumpet, composing, and arranging. Fuller was the 2019 David Effron Conducting Fellow at the Chautauqua Institute and competed in the inaugural La Maestra International Conducting Competition in Paris in 2020.
Naomi Woo was named by the CBC in 2019 as one of the “Top 30 Classical Musicians under 30.” She currently holds the positions of Assistant Conductor of Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the first-ever Music Director of Sistema Winnipeg. As an advocate for new opera, Woo will lead the Canadian premiere of “Angel’s Bone” and the world premiere of “The Night Falls.”
Tapestry Opera’s Artistic Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori and the Interim Executive Director Stephanie Applin, said in a joint statement, “We’re delighted to welcome Maria Fuller and Naomi Woo to the Women in Musical Leadership program, two leaders who emerged at the top of a highly competitive second year. Both women are conductors with substantial talents. This program will match their experience, skills, and ambitions with the opportunities, connections, and mentorship required to accelerate their individual growth.”
The Women in Musical Leadership conducting program launched in 2021 with Jennifer Tung and Juliane Gallant who have had masterclasses with world-renowned women conductors and have conducted with Pacific Opera Victoria, Vancouver Opera, New Music Concerts, and Opera Kelowna.
Tapestry Opera did research that shows the importance of this program for Canadian women conductors. Their results which were released in 2022 show that “less than 3% of titled conductor positions in major Canadian orchestras are currently occupied by Canadian women. In Canadian orchestras with budgets over 5 million Canadian dollars* there are 37 titled roles for conductors. Out of those 37 positions, only three are occupied by female conductors (8.1%). Of those three conductors, only one is Canadian (2.7%).”
By Francisco Salazar
The Richard Tucker Foundation has announced the Richard Tucker Career Grant and Sara Tucker Study Grant Recipients.
The Richard Tucker Career Grants were awarded to Leah Hawkins, Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, and Sean Michael Plumb. All three recipients will receive unrestricted grants of $10,000 each.
Meanwhile the Sara Tucker Study Grant was awarded to Katerina Burton, Blake Denson, Stefan Egerstrom, Jonah Hoskins, Brittany Logan, Luke Sutliff, and Elena Villalón. The selected recipients will receive unrestricted grants of $5,000 each. Study Grant recipients typically are in the transition from student to professional singer, and should have recently completed a graduate degree program or work in a young artist or Apprentice program at a regional company.
Past Career Grant recipients have included Benjamin Bliss, J’Nai Bridges, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Ryan Speedo Green, Samantha Hankey, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Quinn Kelsey, Will Liverman, and Erin Morley. Meanwhile, the Study Grant Recipients have included Eric Ferring, John Holiday, Laquita Mitchell, Amanda Majeski, Miles Mykkanen, and Andrew Stenson.
The Richard Tucker Foundation also announced that Angel Blue is this year’s 2022 Award winner.
By David Salazar
San Francisco Opera will kick off its 2022 summer season with a new production of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.”
The production will be directed by Michael Cavanagh, who also directed productions of “Le Nozze di Figaro” and “Così fan tutte.” Bertrand de Billy will conduct in his company debut.
The opera will star Étienne Dupuis in the title role with Adela Zaharia as Donna Anna, Carmen Giannattasio as Donna Elvira, Luca Pisaroni as Leporello, Solomon Howard as the Commendatore, Amitai Pati as Don Ottavio, Christina Gansch as Zerlina, and Cody Quattlebaum as Masetto.
The run of performances kicks off on June 4, 2022 and runs through July 2, 2022 for a total of eight shows. The June 18 performance of the opera will include a “Pride Night at the Opera” after-party in celebration of Pride Month.
Additionally, the San Francisco Opera Guild will showcase a preview series around the production. There will be a series of lectures with the San Francisco Chapter, the San Jose Opera Guild, and the East Bay Chapter on May 31 and June 1, 2022.
By David Salazar
The Theater St. Gallen and the Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen have announced their 2022-23 season.
For the purposes of this article, our focus will be on vocal and operatic performances.
Opera
The season kicks off with Joseph Boulogne’s “The Anonymous Lover.” Kazem Abdullah conducts a production directed by Femi Elufowoju Jr. The cast will star Joshua Stewart, Florina Illie, Äneas Humm, Libby Sokolowski, Jennifer Panara, and Christopher Sokolowskki.
Performance Dates: Sept. 17, 2022
Vincenzo Neri, Christopher Sokolowski, Ekaterina Bakanova, Libby Sokolowski, Kristján Jóhannesson, Jennifer Panara, Elena Svetnitskaya, Manuel Günther, Äneas Humm, Christoph Filler, Georg Schiessi, Riccardo Botta, Theresa Steinbach, Amelie Petrich, and David Maze.
Performance Dates: Oct. 29, 2022
“Die Zauberflöte” will be directed by Guta Rau and conducted by Katharina Müllner. The cast includes Antonina Vessenina, Maria Kublashvili, Vuvu Mpofu, Libby Sokolowski, Yorck Felix Speer, pavel Kolgatin, Christopher Sokoloski, Äneas Humm, Riccardo Botta, and Candy Grace Ho, among others.
Performance Dates: Dec. 1, 2022
There will be performances of “Hänsel und Gretel” under conducts Olivier Tardy.
Performance Dates: Dec. 9 – 23, 2022
The company will present “Der Ring an einem Abend” with Bruno Riedl, Roy Cornelius Smith, Christopher Sokolowski, Alexandra Petersamer, David Maze, Kristján Johannesson, Libby Sokolowski, Riccardo Botta, Jennifer Panara, and Christina Blaschke.
Performance Dates: Jan. 12-15, 2023
“The Time of Our Singing” will feature Vuvu Mpofu, Claron McFadden, Mark S. Doss, Kristján Jóhannesson, Joshua Stewart, Abigail Abraham, and Jennifer Panara. Kwamé Ryan conducts a production directed by Ted Huffman.
Performance Dates: March 11, 2023
Verdi’s Requiem will be staged by Krystian Lada and conducted by Modestas Pitrenas. Birgit Bücker, Anna Blumer, Guang-Xuan Chen, Christian Hettkamp, Swane Küpper, and Oliver Losehand headline the cast.
Performance Dates: May 6, 2023
“Andrea Chénier” will be directed by Rodula Gaitanou and conducted by Modestas Pitrenas. Jorge Puerta, Alexey Bogdanchikov, Daniel Miroslaw, Gabriela Schrerer, Ewa Vesin, Jennifer Panara, and Malgorzata Walewska will headline the cast.
Performance Dates: June 23, 2023
There will be a concert series entitled “Révolutionnaire” in honor of the French independence. “Sfergio – Narben der Seele” will star Michaela Riener, Soetkin Baptist, Anne Rindahl Karlsen, and Tomàs Maxé.
Performance Dates: June 25, 2023
“Le Chant du Serpent will feature countertenor Samuel Cattiau alongside a baroque ensemble.
Performance Dates: July 6, 2023
Orchestra Concerts
There will be a summer concert featuring mezzo-soprano Jennifer Panara performing music by Joseph Canteloube. Modestas Pitrenas conducts a performance which also includes Bizet’s Symphony in C Major.
Performance Dates: August 26 & 27, 2022
Soprano Yeres Suh will perform music by Bach and Mozart alongside conductor Rubén Dubrovsky. The concert will also feature Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn.
Performance Dates: Dec. 16 -18, 2022
