Obituary: Conductor Víctor Eloy López Cerezo Dies 43
Spanish conductor Víctor Eloy López Cerezo died at 43 from cancer after a year‑long battle. He served as principal conductor of the Spanish Philharmonic and the Andalusian Symphony, and guest‑conducted leading European ensembles such as the Vienna Chamber Orchestra. López Cerezo was renowned for directing more than 300 zarzuela performances and appeared at prestigious venues including Vienna’s Konzerthaus and Geneva’s Victoria Hall. His death removes a rapidly rising talent from Spain’s classical music landscape.
Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra to Honor Denyce Graves at the Spring Legacy Awards
The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra will present mezzo‑soprano Denyce Graves with its National Legacy Award at the Spring Legacy Awards dinner on June 4 in Easton, Maryland. Graves, who retired from the Metropolitan Opera on Jan. 24, 2026, is celebrated for iconic roles like...
Anna Netrebko, Sondra Radvanovsky, Saioa Hernández, Brian Jagde, Ludovic Tézier, Lisette Oropesa, Jakub Józef Orliński, Sonya Yoncheva, Marina Rebeka, Xabier...
Teatro Real de Madrid unveiled its 2026‑27 season, featuring a star‑studded roster that includes Anna Netrebko, Sondra Radvanovsky, Lisette Oropesa and Benjamin Bernheim. The program mixes heavyweight staples such as Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra and Wagner’s Tannhäuser with rarer works like Stradella’s San Giovanni Battista and Busto’s Bodas de Sangre. Performances run...
Artist of the Week: Marina Comparato
The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino is staging “The Death of Klinghoffer” in Florence under director Luca Guadagnino, marking the opera’s first high‑profile production at the festival. Mezzo‑soprano Marina Comparato returns to the Teatro del Maggio to sing the Swiss Grandmother/Austrian Woman, adding...
IN Series Unveils 2026–27 Season
IN Series announced its 2026‑27 season, unveiling four productions that blend contemporary opera with early‑music experimentation. "The Makado" opens Oct. 10‑25, 2026, starring Hayley Abramowitz and a diverse cast under directors Corinne Hayes and Timothy Nelson. "(N)O King(S)" runs Jan....
Sondra Radvanovsky Responds to Teatro San Carlo Investigation
The Teatro di San Carlo in Naples is under police investigation, with 12 people—including former superintendent Stephane Lissner and director general Emmanuela Spedaliere—accused of fraud, embezzlement and forgery. Authorities say roughly €200,000 (about $218,000) was paid to artists for masterclasses...
Cast Change: Léo Vermot-Desroches Joins Opéra De Paris’ ‘Werther’
The Opéra National de Paris announced that Michael Spyres has withdrawn from its 2027 production of Jules Massenet’s “Werther.” French tenor Léo Vermot‑Desroches will replace him, making his company debut and sharing the title role with Benjamin Bernheim. Vermot‑Desroches will perform...
Clara Osowski to Headline Recitals at The Schubert Club in February 2027
Mezzo‑soprano Clara Osowski will headline the Schubert Club’s February 2027 Accordo concerts, a series presented by the string collective of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Minnesota Orchestra. She will be joined by pianist Robert McDonald for a program that includes...
Killer Queen Opera to Present Inaugural Patricia Ellen Singing Artist Residency Concert
Killer Queen Opera will launch the Patricia Ellen Singing Artist Residency with a concert on April 25 at Grace Lutheran Church in Brooklyn. Sopranista Jay St. Flono serves as the inaugural artist‑in‑residence, presenting an autobiographical recital titled “Waters and Airs: The...
Britten Pears Arts Awarded £1.9 Million Grant for Snape Maltings Concert Hall Restoration
Britten Pears Arts has secured a £1.9 million (≈$2.4 million) Creative Foundations Fund grant from Arts Council England to restore the Snape Maltings Concert Hall, with work slated to start in January 2027. The funding is the second phase of a £13.86 million...
Birmingham Opera Company to Present World Premiere of ‘RE-WIRE’
The Birmingham Opera Company announced the world premiere of “RE‑WIRE,” staged April 28‑30, 2026 at Forum Digbeth. The event showcases six brand‑new works commissioned with and about Birmingham residents, ranging from Leon Clowes’s “Absent Fathers” to Franki Dodwell’s “Cause and...
Elgar Festival Announces 2026 Edition, Featuring I Fagiolini, Jenny Lind Singers & April Fredrick
The Elgar Festival has unveiled its 2026 program, running May 23‑31 across Worcester, Malvern and Pershore. Highlights include a new multidisciplinary suite by Nakisha Swatton inspired by Elgar’s Enigma Variations, a women‑composer choral concert by the Jenny Lind Singers, and...
Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Artists Programme Announces 2026-27 Cohort & 25th Anniversary Celebrations
The Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Artists Programme marks its 25th anniversary in the 2026-27 season, unveiling a new cohort of nine singers and two conductor‑répétiteurs. The celebration includes a two‑day Linbury Theatre festival featuring chamber operas, recitals, and a retrospective...
CD Review: Jonas Kaufmann’s ‘Magische Töne’
German tenor Jonas Kaufmann releases "Magische Töne," a 22‑track collection of Austro‑Hungarian operetta ranging from Kálmán to Lehár. The album showcases a renewed, luminous vocal quality after his recent lung infection, blending operatic power with crooning nuance. While the production,...
Marie Jacquot Appointed Chief Conductor of WDR Sinfonieorchester
Marie Jacquot has been appointed chief conductor of Germany’s WDR Sinfonieorchester, effective the 2026-27 season. She joins the orchestra after serving as principal conductor of the Royal Danish Theatre Copenhagen and guest‑conducting the Vienna Symphony. Jacquot’s repertoire spans Baroque to...
Perelman Performing Arts Center Unveils 2026-27 Season
New York’s Perelman Performing Arts Center has released its 2026‑27 season, featuring three classical vocal concerts. The lineup opens with Angélica Négron’s world‑premiere song cycle “The Puerto Rico Experiment,” running Jan 16‑23, 2027. It is followed by Timothy Long’s “North American...
Accademia Filarmonica Romana to Feature Francesca Aspromonte
Rome’s Accademia Filarmonica Romana will stage a baroque concert on April 16 featuring soprano Francesca Aspromonte and the ensemble Arsenale Sonoro, with violinist Boris Begelman conducting. The program includes works by Handel, Corelli, Bononcini and Scarlatti, showcasing the richness of...
Asmik Grigorian & Iurii Samoilov Headline the Metropolitan Opera’s ‘Eugene Onegin’
The Metropolitan Opera will revive Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin in Deborah Warner’s production, opening on April 20 and running eight performances through May 16. Asmik Grigorian returns as Tatiana opposite Iurii Samoilov as Onegin, with a cast that includes Stanislas de Barbeyrac, Maria Barakova and Alexander Tsymbalyuk....
Opera Omaha & Omaha Symphony to Join Forces for Beethoven & Bartok
Opera Omaha and the Omaha Symphony are teaming up to present a two‑night concert featuring Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Bartók’s opera Bluebeard’s Castle at the Holland Performing Arts Center on April 24‑25, 2026. Russian‑American conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya will lead both works, with...
Joyce DiDonato, Cecilia Bartoli, Nonhlanhla Yende & Daniel Schmutzhard Lead Lucerne Festival’s 2026 Summer Season
The Lucerne Festival unveiled its 2026 summer season, featuring a blend of classic operas, symphonic works, and new commissions. Highlights include Joyce DiDonato performing Mahler and Missy Mazzoli, Cecilia Bartoli in Gluck’s “Orfeo and Euridice,” and a full staging of Wagner’s...
Rolando Villazón, Piotr Beczała, Javier Camarena, Kathryn Lewek, & Klaus Florian Vogt Lead Festival Internacional De Santander’s 2026 Season
The Festival Internacional de Santander unveiled its 2026 program, featuring a star‑studded roster of operatic and classical performances across August. Highlights include Rolando Villazón directing Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Piotr Beczała and Kathryn Lewek tackling Verdi and Puccini, and the...
Lise Davidsen, Julia Kleiter, Ailyn Pérez & Soloman Howard Lead Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra’s Invincible Tour
The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra announced its 2026 "Invincible Tour," its fifth season under founder Keri‑Lynn Wilson. The itinerary runs from mid‑August in Warsaw, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Dublin, London and culminates with two performances at New York’s David Geffen Hall. Programs pair...
Royal Opera & Ballet Credits Timothée Chalamet for Boosting Ticket Sales
Royal Opera and Ballet CEO Alex Beard says Timothée Chalamet’s “no one cares about opera or ballet” remark sparked a surge in interest. The institution’s Instagram post about the comment earned 2.5 million engagements and half‑a‑million shares. Ticket sales jumped immediately, and...
TellTale Opera Theatre to Present Double Bill Workshop of Two New Operas
TellTale Opera Theatre, a new nonprofit focused on contemporary opera‑theatre, will debut with a double‑bill workshop of two original works, “Rabbit Season” and “Take Me Down,” on May 2 2026 at Baltimore’s 2640 Space. The operas, composed by local artists Meg Huskin...
Fraser Anderson Appointed Permanent Chief Executive of The Glasshouse
The Glasshouse International Centre for Music has named Fraser Anderson its permanent Chief Executive, effective immediately. Anderson, who served as interim CEO for the past six months following Abigail Pogson’s move to London’s Barbican Centre, was selected after a competitive...
Alexa Frankian Named 2026 Recipient of Igor Gorin Memorial Award
Soprano Alexa Frankian has been named the 2026 recipient of the Igor Gorin Memorial Award, presented by the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona. The award honors young vocal artists who demonstrate exceptional promise and artistry. Frankian receives the honor as...
Ruth Iniesta Makes Historical Encore in ‘Jugar Con Fuego’ at the Teatro De La Zarzuela
Ruth Iniesta made history on April 12 at Madrid’s Teatro de la Zarzuela by earning a rare encore during the revival of Barbieri’s zarzuela “Jugar con Fuego.” She starred as Leonor/Duquesa de Medina, delivering a standout performance of the demanding third‑act Romanza...
The Metropolitan Opera, Death of Classical, & The Green-Wood Cemetery Present ‘Frida, Diego, and the Day of the Dead’
The Metropolitan Opera will stage Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz’s new work, “El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego,” on May 14. The opera, sung in Spanish and steeped in Día de los Muertos tradition, imagines a reunion between Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Death of Classical and Brooklyn’s Green‑Wood Cemetery are co‑hosting a...
Fourth Wall Ensemble to Present ‘The Beatitude’
The Fourth Wall Ensemble will present the East Coast premiere of Jeff Beal’s “The Beatitudes” on May 1 at Grace and St. Paul’s Church in New York. The program also includes “The Paper Lined Shack,” featuring soprano Zoe Allen, while Beal himself will play flugelhorn...
Liv Redpath to Perform at Park Avenue Armory
Liv Redpath will make her New York solo recital debut at the Park Avenue Armory’s Board of Officers Room on May 28 and May 30, 2026. She will be joined by pianist Harry Rylance for a French art‑song program titled...
Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Juan Diego Flórez, Elīna Garanča, Lisette Oropesa, Pretty Yende, Asmik Grigorian, Freddie De Tommaso, Luca Salsi, Marina Rebeka,...
The Wiener Staatsoper has released its 2026‑27 season, showcasing more than 30 productions and a roster of world‑renowned artists such as Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Juan Diego Flórez, and Elīna Garanča. Highlights include new productions of Zemlinsky’s "Eine Florentinische Tragödie" and Bartók’s "Bluebeard’s...
Sarasota Opera House Celebrates 100 Years
Sarasota Opera will mark the centennial of its historic Opera House with a weekend of events. The April 11 Centennial Concert showcases resident singers and the Sarasota Orchestra under Victor DeRenzi, while a free documentary screening on April 12 chronicles...
Pensacola Opera Unveils 2026-27 Season Featuring Amber Monroe, Luis Alejandro Orozco & Ben Gulley
Pensacola Opera announced its 44th season, running 2026‑27, with three productions. The season opens on Nov. 20‑21, 2026 with “The Falling and the Rising,” featuring a local volunteer veterans chorus. It continues with a traditional staging of “Tosca” on Jan....
Opera Lafayette to Present ‘New Woman’ with Lauren Snouffer
Opera Lafayette will stage “New Woman,” a reinterpretation of the Classical era that juxtaposes the polished castrato repertoire with the powerful voices of women who challenged tradition. The concert features soprano Lauren Snouffer in Ralph Rucci couture, works by Gluck and J.C. Bach,...
Artist of the Week: Amina Edris
The Metropolitan Opera is reviving its classic staging of “La Bohème,” featuring Egyptian‑Kiwi soprano Amina Edris in her Met debut as Musetta. Edris, who has performed at major houses such as Opéra Comique and Staatsoper Berlin, describes the engagement as a personal honor and...
Arianna Zukerman & Heather Johnson to Headline Nova Linea Musica’s ‘L’dor V’dor’
Nova Linea Musica will stage “L’dor v’dor” on May 6, 2026 at Chicago’s Guarneri Hall, featuring soprano Arianna Zukerman, mezzo-soprano Heather Johnson, and pianist Jason Wirth. The concert spotlights the legacy of Jewish‑American composers through a program that includes a...
Annalisa Stroppa Headlines ‘Carmen’ in Piacenza, Modena & Ravenna
Mezzo‑soprano Annalisa Stroppa will headline Bizet’s Carmen at three Italian regional houses—Modena’s Teatro Comunale (April 10‑12), Piacenza’s Teatro Municipale (April 17‑19) and Ravenna’s Teatro Alighieri (April 24‑26). The engagement marks Stroppa’s first major tour of the title role, positioning her as a rising...
Rodrigo Carreto Joins Tiben Artists for General Management
Portuguese tenor Rodrigo Carreto has signed with Tiben Artists for general management, adding a high‑profile operatic talent to the agency’s roster. Carreto’s résumé includes performances at Teatro alla Scala, the BBC Proms, and Lisbon’s Teatro Nacional de São Carlos. This...
Bernes Perles Joins TACT Artists Management
Spanish soprano Berna Perles has joined TACT Artists Management and will be represented by Emanuele Destrini. Perles brings a distinguished performance record that includes leading roles at Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu, Madrid's Teatro Real, and other major Spanish opera...
Sondra Radvanovsky Named Artistic Advisor at the Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera of Chicago has appointed three‑time Grammy‑winning soprano Sondra Radvanovsky as Artistic Advisor for the next five seasons. In the role she will lead masterclasses, mentorship and career guidance at the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center....
Sondra Radvanovsky, Leah Hawkins, Christian Van Horn, Gabriella Reyes, Federica Lombardi, Erin Morley Headline Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2026-27 Season
The Lyric Opera of Chicago unveiled its 2026‑27 season, featuring a mix of classic and contemporary works. Highlights include Mozart’s Don Giovanni, the new opera Omar by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels, and a Strauss Ariadne auf Naxos production. Star...
Opera Forward Festival 2026 Review: Theory Of Flames
Michel van der Aa’s sixth opera, “The Theory of Flames,” premiered at Amsterdam’s Opera Forward Festival 2026, marrying live singers with pre‑recorded video and electronic soundscapes. The libretto follows a film director’s obsession with a laboratory fire and a time‑travel...
American Lyric Theater to Present Double Bill at Symphony Space
American Lyric Theater will stage a double‑bill at New York’s Symphony Space on Saturday, May 16. The afternoon program features “Ofrenda,” a new work by composer Jorge Sosa and librettist John de los Santos that blends Día de los Muertos...
Shanghai & Freiburg Partner for ‘Die Zauberflöte’ to Mark Mozart’s 270th Anniversary
Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Germany’s Freiburg University of Music will co‑produce Mozart’s opera "Die Zauberflöte" as the grand finale of the 41st Shanghai Spring International Music Festival, running April 9‑12 at the Shangyin Opera House. The project integrates an elite...
Sonya Yoncheva, Jakub Józef Orliński, Nadine Sierra, Sabine Devieilhe, Franco Fagioli, Théo Imart & Catherine Trottmann Lead Opéra Royal Du...
The Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles unveiled its 2026‑27 season, presenting a diverse slate of operas, concerts, and sacred works from October 2026 through July 2027. Star performers such as Sonya Yoncheva, Franco Fagioli, Nadine Sierra, Sabine Devieilhe, and Jakub Józef Orliński headline productions ranging...
Brooklyn Art Song Society to Open New Voices Festival
The Brooklyn Art Song Society (BASS) will kick off its 2026 New Voices Festival on Sunday, April 12, with the opening concert “Longing I.” The program spotlights contemporary composers from the United Kingdom and features the world premiere of a...
Wexford Opera Festival Announces 75th Anniversary Gala
The Wexford Opera Festival will stage a 75th‑anniversary gala on October 17, 2026 at the O’Reilly Theatre, National Opera House. World‑class soloists Ermonela Jaho, Joseph Calleja, Daniela Barcellona and Giorgi Manoshvili will perform with the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland under Daniele Callegari. The program pairs Puccini and...
Erin Morley & Lawrence Brownlee to Present Golden Age Concert in New York
92NY will present the Golden Age concert starring soprano Erin Morley and tenor Lawrence Brownlee on May 6, 2026 at the Geffen Stage in Kaufmann Concert Hall. Accompanied by pianist Malcolm Martineau, the program spans Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Bellini, Delibes and...
OPERA America Awards $100,000 in Discovery Grants to Eight Women Composers
OPERA America announced its 2026 Discovery Grants, distributing $100,000 among eight women composers to develop new opera and music‑theater works. In addition to cash awards, grantees receive travel assistance and free registration for the organization’s 2026 and 2027 Opera Conferences,...
Juilliard Opera to Present ‘Falstaff’
Juilliard Opera will stage Giuseppe Verdi’s comic masterpiece “Falstaff” on April 22, 25, and 27 at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater. The production is directed by generative‑artist Marcus Shields, marking his Juilliard debut, with Joseph Colaneri returning as conductor of the Juilliard Orchestra. Students...