Latvian soprano Marina Rebeka will soon be playing the mysterious priestess Leïla in Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers at Lyric Opera of Chicago. The Mozart and Rossini expert has an active concert life in addition to her opera performances, and has some exciting house debuts this season. I am thrilled that Marina Read more…
Daron Hagen does it all: he is a composer, dramaturge, director, teacher, and mentor. He is one of those artists who speaks truth to power, and audiences delight in the results. I am thrilled that Daron was willing to talk to me about three of his exciting projects currently in Read more…
Michael Mayes is one of those performers whose portrayals stick with you. His tremendous successes in the world of American verismo opera, especially as Joseph de Rocher in Jake Heggie’s opera Dead Man Walking, are the result of a profound understanding and connection to the characters he plays on stage. Read more…
American tenor Russell Thomas is one of the world’s leading interpreters of Verdi roles. By no means does he limit himself to Verdi, however; recently, he completed a magnificent run at the Met as Rodolfo in Puccini’s masterpiece La bohème. I am thrilled that Russell was willing to take some Read more…
Soprano Lisette Oropesa has been lighting up the great stages of the world for the last 10 years. The Cuban-American soprano is currently working her magic at the Royal Opera House, singing the title role in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, but that’s only one of the many exciting productions she Read more…
Opera Sense recommended recordings of The Consul: What I appreciated most about Chicago Opera Theater’s The Consul is the fact that the company used the production to draw attention to issues – immigration and refugee issues – that touch us all on some level. In fact, this was such a Read more…
The opening of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Die Walküre was a thrilling spectacle to behold. Operagoers who were fortunate enough to experience the five-hour event were spellbound by a stunning set, gorgeous orchestral colors, and exquisite vocal performances. This production exposes the magic behind the theatrics. It takes place in a Read more…
Mark Adamo is one of today’s most exciting opera composers. His first major work, Little Women, was composed for Houston Grand Opera nearly 20 years ago. Since that time there have been over 100 productions of the work, and it is soon going to be on stage at Annapolis Opera. Read more…
Baritone Jacques Imbrailo will soon be playing Count Almaviva in Minnesota Opera’s production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro). Imbrailo, a renowned interpreter of Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd, took some time out of his busy schedule to discuss his background, The Marriage of Figaro, and his Read more…
I’ve always been fascinated with Greek mythology, and Richard Wagner felt the same way. Taking his cue from the ancient Greeks, Wagner wanted to transform the theater in Germany into what it had been in Classical Greece: a powerful, influential institution that was a part of people’s everyday lives. It Read more…