Q & A: Il Volo on Bringing Italy to North America
Il Volo, the Italian opera‑pop trio, has launched the North American leg of its world tour, beginning in Denver on April 15. The group, which boasts nearly a million Instagram followers and millions of YouTube and TikTok fans, will blend classic Italian arias such as “Nessun dorma” with American standards like “My Way” and an Elvis tribute, performed with a full orchestra. They aim to spread the Bel Canto tradition to younger U.S. audiences while visiting several cities they have never played before. The tour reflects their 15‑year evolution from Eurovision newcomers to global crossover stars.
Jordi Savall, Hespèrion XXI & La Capella Reial De Catalunya Close Schubert Club’s International Artist Series
Jordi Savall will close the Schubert Club’s 2025‑26 International Artist Series at the Ordway in Saint Paul on April 16, 2026, leading his ensembles Hespèrion XXI and La Capella Reial de Catalunya. The concert, titled “Songs, Battles, and Dances from the Old and the New World,”...
Samuel Hasselhorn, Claire Lefilliatre, Anne Warthmann Lead Salle Cortot’s April 2026 Programming
Salle Cortot unveiled its April 2026 calendar, opening with a concert on April 4 that pairs Debussy’s “Danse sacrée et danse profane” with orchestrated songs by Duparc and Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony. A contemporary program drawing on Amerindian traditions follows on April 7,...
Luciano Pavarotti, Sondra Radvanovsky, Marina Rebeka, Piotr Beczala & Randall Scotting Lead CD/DVD Releases
This week’s classical releases span iconic reissues and fresh recordings, highlighted by Decca’s remastered Luciano Pavarotti “Verismo” album and a new Tenor Arias collection. Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky delivers a live Puccini Heroines set recorded in February 2025, while countertenor Randall Scotting issues a...
Margareta Matišić Joins Zelaya Artists
Zelaya Artists has added Croatian mezzo‑soprano Margareta Matišić to its roster. Matišić debuted professionally in 2018 at the Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka and quickly amassed a diverse operatic repertoire across Europe. Her international breakthrough came in 2023 with a...
Yeongtaek Yang Joins Centre Stage Artist Management
Baritone Yeongtaek Yang has joined Centre Stage Artist Management, adding a rapidly rising talent to the agency’s roster. Yang earned degrees from Seoul National University and the Manhattan School of Music and has been recognized with top honors in several...
Jasmin White, Le Bu & Konstantin Krimmel Win 2026 Herbert Von Karajan Prize
The Salzburg Easter Festival announced the 2026 Herbert von Karajan Prize, endowed with €50,000 (approximately $55,000) by the Karajan family. The award was presented to three rising opera singers—Jasmin White, Le Bu, and Konstantin Krimmel. White, recently cast as Erda in...
The Elgar Festival Announces 2026 Season
The Elgar Festival has unveiled its 2026 program, running May 23‑31 across Worcester, Malvern and nearby venues. The lineup includes vocal performances by the Jenny Lind Singers, a recital by soprano April Fredrick and pianist Eric McElroy, and I Fagiolini’s 40th‑anniversary tour....
Coro Allegro to Present ‘Luminous Rescue: Psalms of Protest and Reconciliation’
Boston’s LGBTQ+ and allied chorus Coro Allegro will close its season on May 17 with “Luminous Rescue: Psalms of Protest and Reconciliation” at the Church of the Covenant. The program pairs Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms” and Charles Ives’s “Psalm 90” with...
Natalya Romaniw, Martin Muehle, Daniel Johansson, Catherine Foster, Olena Tokar & Franz Xaver Schlecht Lead Oper Leipzig’s 2026-27 Season
Oper Leipzig unveiled its 2026‑27 season, introducing new productions of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, and Kaija Saariaho’s contemporary work Innocence. The lineup spotlights leading singers Natalya Romaniw, Martin Muehle, Daniel Johansson, Catherine Foster, Olena Tokar and...
Laureano Quant, Sara Gartland, Efraín Solís, César Delgado & John Moore Lead Utah Opera’s 2026-27 Season
The Utah Opera unveiled its 2026‑27 season, featuring four productions—Héctor Armienta’s “Zorro,” Rossini’s “La Cenerentola,” Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” and Mason Bates’s tech‑driven “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs.” Notable performers include Laureano Quant, Sara Gartland, Efraín Solís, César Delgado, and John Moore,...
Iria Goti to Perform Recitals in Valencia & Barcelona
Spanish soprano Iria Goti will present two recitals in Spain—first on March 31 at Valencia's Sala Rodrigo and then on April 9 at Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu. Both concerts are organized by local foundations and feature pianist Leonardo Moyano...
Benevolence Opera Project & Redwood Theatre to Present ‘Don Giovanni’
Benevolence Opera Project and Redwood Theatre will stage a one‑night performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni on May 22 at Toronto’s Redwood Theatre. Canadian baritone Alexander Hajek leads a cast of emerging local talent, with Brahm Goldhamer directing and Ryan Hofman narrating....
Bass Andrew Munn to Headline ‘postWinterreise’ Premeire at Tanglewood
Interdisciplinary hub A Circle will present the world premiere of “postWinterreise” at Tanglewood Linde Center on April 25, 2026. Bass Andrew Munn and pianist Elenora Pertz perform a fragmented version of Schubert’s Winterreise, with the score physically eroded by melting...
Opera Is a Place: Understanding Why Younger Audiences Come to the Opera House
The essay argues that opera houses should be positioned as cultural "third places" rather than merely performance venues to attract younger audiences. It highlights how young people are drawn to the architecture, ambiance, and social opportunities of spaces like Mexico...
Q & A: Janet Farrell on IN Series Opera & Being a Recipient of a National Opera Trustee Recognition Award
Janet Farrell, a senior executive at M&T Bank and board president of Washington, D.C.’s IN Series Opera, was named one of five recipients of Opera America’s National Opera Trustee Recognition Award. Farrell highlighted the company’s bold, socially‑charged productions—such as a “Madama Butterfly”...
E. Scott Levin, Kyaunnee Richardson, Jonny Kaufman & Melody Wilson Lead Union Avenue Opera’s 2026 Festival Season
Union Avenue Opera announced its 2026 Festival Season, running July through August at Union Avenue Christian Church in St. Louis. The lineup includes three productions: "Fiddler on the Roof" (July 3‑11) starring E. Scott Levin as Tevye, Donizetti’s "L’elisir d’amore" (July 24‑August 1) featuring...
Ryan Opera Center Ensemble to Present ‘Rising Stars in Concert’
The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center will stage “Rising Stars in Concert” on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at the Lyric Opera House. The free evening features the 2025‑26 ensemble performing selections such as Donizetti’s “Viva la mamma,”...
Grimeborn Opera Festival Unveils 2026 Lineup
Grimeborn Opera Festival announced its 2026 season, featuring a diverse slate of productions from contemporary premieres to baroque classics. The schedule runs from July 15 through September 5, with double bills, solo productions, and overlapping performances across multiple venues. Notable...
Artist of the Week: Toni Marie Palmertree
The Metropolitan Opera will close its current run of “Madama Butterfly” with a landmark casting: soprano Toni Marie Palmertree makes her principal‑role debut as Cio‑Cio San. Palmertree, already acclaimed for her Butterfly interpretations at venues such as San Francisco Opera and the Lyric Opera of...
Chicago Symphony Orchestra Names Robert Kahn Assistant Conductor
Robert Kahn has been appointed Assistant Conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for the 2026‑27 season, a role sponsored by the Solti Foundation U.S. He will serve as a cover conductor during select subscription weeks, lead March 2027 youth concerts,...
Les Machinchouettes Releases Krzysztof Żelichowski’s ‘Hitzli Putzli (Opera-Movie)’ Gets YouTube Release
Les Machinchouettes has launched the operatic short film “Hitzli Putzli” on YouTube, a project composed and directed by Polish creator Krzysztof Żelichowski. The EU‑sponsored co‑production, featuring Polish and Italian talent, premiered in mid‑March 2026 and follows two young people who meet on...
Franz Schubert Filharmonia Announces 2026-27 Season Featuring Mark Padmore, Irene Mas & Gemma Coma-Alabert
The Franz Schubert Filharmonia unveiled its 2026‑27 season, presenting four major vocal concerts between November 2026 and February 2027. Highlights include Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony and Mozart’s Requiem under Guillermo García Calvo, Casals’ “El Pessebre” conducted by Edmon Colomer, and Schubert’s “Winterreise” featuring Mark Padmore...
Bella Voce to Present ‘Star of the Sea: Music for Mary From Colonial Guatemala’
Chicago‑based early‑music ensemble Bella Voce will stage “Star of the Sea: Music for Mary from Colonial Guatemala” on May 2 in Chicago and May 3 in Evanston. The a cappella program pairs Tomás Luis de Victoria’s Missa Ave maris stella with Marian...
How Motherhood, Career Gaps & Stage IV Cancer Led Toni Marie Palmertree to Her Met Opera Debut
American soprano Toni Marie Palmertree, a Peabody Conservatory graduate, will make her Metropolitan Opera principal debut as Cio‑Cio‑San in “Madama Butterfly” on March 28 at age 44. After a decade‑long hiatus for motherhood, a manufacturing job, and a battle with stage IV uterine...
Tippet Rise Art Center Announces 2026 Season
The Tippet Rise Art Center has unveiled its 2026 concert season, featuring a dedicated classical voice program. Soprano Mireille Asselin and baritone Jesse Blumberg will present a selection of songs by Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Marc Blitzstein, Kurt...
University of Houston’s Moores Opera Center to Present Houston Premieres of Two Carlisle Floyd Operas
The University of Houston’s Moores Opera Center will present the Houston premieres of Carlisle Floyd’s one‑act operas “Slow Dusk” and “Markheim” as part of his centennial celebrations. The double‑bill runs April 16‑19, 2026, directed by artistic director Kathleen Smith Belcher and...
FEDORA Opera Prize Winner ‘The Curing Line’ Set to World Premiere in Ireland
FEDORA Opera Prize 2025 winner “The Curing Line” will debut worldwide at the Kilkenny Arts Festival’s Watergate Theatre in Ireland on August 7, 2026. The immersive work, composed by Michael Gallen and co‑directed by Shawn Fitzgerald Ahern, fuses traditional Irish...
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Publishes New Report on Public Interest in Orchestral Music & AI
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2025 audience trends report shows a surge in public interest, with 35% of UK adults wanting to learn more about orchestral music, up from 20% in 2024. Interest among under‑25s jumped dramatically to 30%, and daily...
Shanghai Production to Mark First Time Katharina Wagner Directs ‘Die Walküre’
Katharina Wagner will direct her first production of Wagner’s "Die Walküre" in Shanghai, premiering on April 24 and 26, 2026 at the Shanghai Grand Theatre. The staging is the second installment of the three‑year "Bayreuth in Shanghai" project, following last year’s...
Summermusik Festival Announces 2026 Season
The Summermusik Festival announced its 2026 season, featuring a three‑night vocal series in August. Resident Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra remains the festival’s core ensemble, while vocalists Annie McAllister, flutist Annie Darlin Gordon, and rising star Victoria Okafor headline the new programs....
Washington National Opera 2025-26 Review: The Crucible
Washington National Opera opened its spring season with a revival of Francesca Zambello’s 2016 production of “The Crucible” at the Lisner Auditorium on March 21. The minimalist staging, striking lighting, and a split‑orchestra led by Robert Spano highlighted the opera’s neo‑Romantic...
Q & A: Gregory Spears on ‘Fellow Travelers’ & His Upcoming Opera ‘Sleepers Awake’
Composer Gregory Spears marks the 10th anniversary of his opera “Fellow Travelers,” a work about the 1950s Lavender Scare that will tour ten U.S. cities, including Seattle, Portland, San Diego and Cooperstown. He notes the piece’s lasting relevance, with singers...
If Opera Festival Unveils 2026 Lineup
The If Opera Festival marks its 30th anniversary with a 2026 season that runs from August 6 to 14, featuring Bizet’s Carmen, a baroque drinking‑song concert, a family‑friendly Carmen fiesta, Oscar Straus’s The Chocolate Soldier, and a baroque masterclass. Productions...
Q & A: Music Director Peter Whelan on His Vision for Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale & the 2026-27 Season...
Peter Whelan steps in as the new Music Director of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale, unveiling the 2026‑27 season titled “The Power of Music.” The season opens with Handel’s opera Tolomeo, features a cross‑cultural Vivaldi‑and‑oud program, and presents the U.S....
Berkshire Opera Festival to Present ‘Once Upon an Opera’
The Berkshire Opera Festival (BOF) will stage a free, interactive family concert titled “Once Upon an Opera” on April 12 at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The one‑hour program showcases soprano Juliet Schlefer, mezzo‑soprano Abbegael Greene,...
Mexican Conductor Felipe Tristán Earns Mayte Spínola Gold Medal
Mexican conductor Felipe Tristán has been awarded the Mayte Spínola Gold Medal, a top honor from the Grupo Pro Arte y Cultura recognizing contributions that fuse culture, society, and patronage. The ceremony takes place in Belgium, underscoring the award’s international...
Clémentine Margaine, Constantin Trinks, Ian Bostridge, Lidia Fridman Headline Opéra De Lyon’s 2026-27 Season
The Opéra de Lyon unveiled its 2026‑27 season, featuring a blend of classic operas, contemporary works, and extensive concert and recital programming. Star performers Clémentine Margaine, Constantin Trinks, Ian Bostridge and Lidia Fridman headline key productions, including new stagings of Prokofiev,...
Central City Opera Announces Cast of ‘The Ballad of Baby Doe’
Central City Opera revealed the principal cast for its upcoming production of “The Ballad of Baby Doe,” featuring Virginia Mims as Elizabeth “Baby Doe” Tabor, Weston Hurt as Horace Tabor, Emily Pulley as Augusta Tabor, Kristin Gornstein as Mama McCourt, and...
Opera Unbound to World Premiere ‘The Fox’
Opera Unbound will stage the world premiere of Roan Shankaruk’s chamber opera “The Fox” from April 17‑19, 2026 at the ANNEX in Vancouver. The production marks the company’s first full‑length opera, directed by Christopher Lam and conducted by music director...
Cast Change: Aigul Akhmetshina Set to Deliver Solo Recital at Hungarian State Opera
The Hungarian State Opera announced a cast change for its March 22, 2026 recital, replacing the originally scheduled duet partner Long Long with mezzo‑soprano Aigul Akhmetshina as the sole vocalist. Akhmetshina will now perform a solo program alongside pianist Jonathan Papp, featuring...
Cast Change: Tommi Hakala Steps Into ‘Siegfried’ Production of the Royal Opera & Ballet Production
The Royal Opera & Ballet announced a cast change for its March 21, 2026 performance of “Siegfried.” Tommi Hakala will replace Christopher Maltman as the Wanderer after Maltman developed laryngitis. Hakala, making his Royal Opera debut, brings experience from the Finnish National Opera...
Glyndebourne Names 2026 Jerwood Young Artists
British opera house Glyndebourne has announced its 2026 Jerwood Young Artists cohort, naming five emerging singers: soprano Seohyun Go, mezzo‑soprano Angelina Dorlin‑Barlow, tenor Liam Forrest, and baritones Hector Bloggs and Oliver Williams. The programme, backed by the Jerwood Foundation since...
The Crossing’s Donald Nally Named to Interim Position at Eastman School of Music
Donald Nally, Grammy‑award‑winning founder of The Crossing, has been appointed visiting professor of conducting and ensembles and interim director of choral activities at the Eastman School of Music for the 2026‑27 academic year. He will lead the Eastman Chorale and...
Young Texas Artists Music Competition Announces 2026 Winners
Rice University baritone Heechang Byun captured both the gold medal and the Audience Choice Award in the Voice division of the Young Texas Artists Music Competition, earning $8,000 in prize money. Boston Conservatory student Elizabeth Marlow took silver with a...
Finnish National Opera to Showcase Finnish Premiere of ‘Festen’
The Finnish National Opera announced the Finnish premiere of Mark‑Anthony Turnage’s opera “Festen,” scheduled from 27 March to 7 May 2026. The production, directed by Richard Jones, debuted to critical acclaim at London’s Royal Opera House in February 2025. Featuring a cast led by...
Emily D’Angelo Recipient of 2026 Glenn Gould Protégé Prize
Mezzo‑soprano Emily D’Angelo has been named the 2026 Glenn Gould Protégé Prize recipient, selected by Laureate Elton John. D’Angelo, who debuted at 21 and has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Berlin State Opera and Paris Opera, also opened...
Bergen Philharmonic Announces New Chief Conductor
Tabita Berglund has been appointed chief conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, becoming the first Norwegian in the role since 1985 and the first Norwegian woman to lead a major Norwegian symphony. She will assume the title of chief conductor...
New Wave Opera to Present ‘Rising Tides’
New Wave Opera will stage “Rising Tides,” a free lunchtime concert in Portland on April 15, 2026, exploring climate grief, the natural world, and social justice through opera and song. The program previews excerpts from Caroline Louise Miller’s upcoming queer‑fantasy...
Halle Opera House to Stage Rare Schreker Opera ‘Das Spielwerk Und Die Prinzessin’
The Halle Opera House will present Franz Schreker’s seldom‑performed opera “Das Spielwerk und die Prinzessin” from April 11 to May 24, 2026. Conducted by Fabrice Bollon and directed by Nele Lindemann, the production features Thomas Weinhappel as Master Florian alongside a multinational cast. The staging revives the original 1913 version, which sparked...