Engaging Operatic Fare in Texas – October 2015 – March 2016

There is much of interest for opera-goers in the 2015-16 seasons of the Houston Grand Opera and The Dallas Opera. Below are four productions I am scheduled to review between the months of October 2015 through March 2016. One is a world premiere, three are significant productions of major operas that tend to be mounted less often than they should … Read more

The Impact of Young Operatic Artist Programs: An Interview with Michael Heaston of the Washington National Opera and Glimmerglass Festival

Wm: This post is part of a series of interviews on the impact of Young Artists programs, both on the career of opera singers and the opera companies that offer them. The interview took place at the Glimmerglass Festival, whose facilitation is greatly appreciated.   [Below: Michael Heaston; resized image of a publicity photograph, courtesy of … Read more

Santa Fe Opera Invests in its Future: An Interview with General Director Charles MacKay

The following interview took place in the administrative offices of the Santa Fe Opera, whose facilitation of this interview is deeply appreciated. Following the conversation, the Santa Fe Opera announced that it has commissioned its 15th world premiere for its 2017 season, Mason Bates’ opera “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs”   [Below: Santa Fe Opera General Director … Read more

Review: Hurt, Bauer, Angeletti, Barton, Thomas in “Nabucco” – Seattle Opera, August 9, 2015

The Seattle Opera has an established tradition of mounting opera productions in which the key principal roles are double cast. This permits the opera company to maximize the number of performances on Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees, when demand for tickets is at its strongest. For Verdi’s “Nabucco”, the Seattle Opera selected pairs of artists, … Read more

Review: Mary Elizabeth Williams’ Beautifully Sung Abigaille, Deep Casting Enrich New “Nabucco” – Seattle Opera, August 8, 2015

Until this evening, Seattle Opera had never performed Verdi’s first great success, “Nabucco”. It was mounted in an innovative new production that highlighted the opera’s musical wonders – vocal, choral and orchestral – while presenting the famously implausible plot in a reasonably effective way. Mary Elizabeth Williams’ Abigaille No company should present “Nabucco” without singers adept in the … Read more