Rising Stars: An Interview with Sean Panikkar, Part 2

The facilitation of the interview by the Glimmerglass Festival is gratefully acknowledged. See: Rising Stars: An Interview with Sean Panikkar, Part 1.   [Below: Tenor Sean Panikkar; edited image, based on a Kristina Sherk photograph, for img_artists.com.] Wm: Your agent is Bill Palant, whose conservative approach to building the careers of young tenors you have noted. Several … Read more

Rising Stars: An Interview with Sean Panikkar, Part 1

The facilitation of this interview by the Glimmerglass Festival is gratefully acknowledged.   [Below: Tenor Sean Panikkar; edited image, based on a Kristina Sherk photograph, from imgartists.com.] Wm: You were born and raised in Bloomsburg, a small city in a rural part of Central Pennsylvania. Nothing in your early experiences would have suggested an operatic … Read more

A Second Look Review: A Bright Future for Heggie’s Magnificently Melodious “Moby Dick” – San Francisco Opera, October 21, 2012

San Francisco Opera is the third American opera company (after those of Dallas and San Diego) to mount Heggie’s extraordinary opera “Moby Dick”. I first reviewed the world premiere in Dallas [see World Premiere: Heggie’s Theatrically Brilliant, Melodic “Moby Dick” at Dallas Opera – April 30, 2010]. I was also present at the first performances in … Read more

Review: Jovanovich is a Joy in Luisotti’s Luminous “Lohengrin” – San Francisco Opera, October 20, 2012

The San Francisco Opera presented Wagner’s “Lohengrin” in Daniel Slater’s Grand Théâtre de Genève production. It was the occasion for the role debut of Brandon Jovanovich as the spellbound knight in the magical service of the Holy Grail. It also marks Music Director’s Nicola Luisotti venture into conducting Wagnerian opera. Both proved worthy champions of … Read more