A concert on 1 May at 9 pm (21.00 CEST – 15.00 EDT – 20.00 BST), organised by the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino’s new intendant Alexander Pereira, will feature Cecilia Bartoli, Vittorio Grigolo, Mikhail Petrenko, Diana Damrau, Ludovic Tézier, Francesco Meli, Lisette Oropesa, Luca Salsi, Thomas Hampson, Krassimira Stoyanova, Michele Pertusi, Eva Mei, Leo Nucci, Sonya Yoncheva, Fabio Sartori, and Saioa Hernández, among others yet to be announced.
Sonya Yoncheva
Colleagues support Vittorio Grigolo as he replies to being fired by the Royal Opera House and the Met
The Royal Opera House has announced its decision to fire 42-year-old tenor Vittorio Grigolo after an independent enquiry about his conduct in Japan – which resulted in a ‘brawl’ – when he was with the Royal Opera on tour (read here, here and here): Following an independent investigation into an incident involving Vittorio Grigolo in […]
La Scala, Milan: Opera and Recital Season 2019 – 2020
After Riccardo Chailly opens the season with Tosca, continuing the cycle of works by Puccini, he will conduct his first Strauss opera, as well as the complete Beethoven symphonies. Zubin Mehta will conduct two Verdi operas as well as Luigi Nonno’s Intolleranza which will be performed at La Scala for the first time. Handel’s Semele […]
Interview: Angel Blue at La Scala “It will never happen… not a black Violetta.”
When she was twenty, Angel Blue’s singing teacher told her, “I’m sorry, but it will never happen. There will never be a black Violetta.” Now she’s at La Scala singing that very role. It’s not the first time. She managed to break the taboo when she was twenty-four in Seoul, and there have been five […]
La Scala, Milan: Opera and Recital Season 2018 – 2019
OPERA SEASON 2018 – 2019 La Scala announced its 2018-2019 Opera season today with 15 titles, nine of which are new productions, and two are La Scala premieres. At the heart of the season remains the Italian repertoire, continuing with the cycle of works of Verdi, Puccini, Verismo (which will return in 2020 with Giordano’s […]
Three for free – La Scala’s surprise opera party with Eva Mei, Giorgio Berrugi and Markus Werba
How felicitous when a disappointing cancellation turns into a surprise party. La Scala heard shortly before midday on Sunday that Sonya Yoncheva, due to give a recital that evening, was suffering from a bad throat that had suddenly worsened, and she was obliged to cancel. At that time, many of the audience were already on […]
La Scala, Milan: Opera and Recital Season 2017 – 2018
A pleasing new season at La Scala seems to tick all the right boxes, with half the programming dedicated to the Italian repertoire, some rarities, important international operas and a world premiere. The season will also mark the 40th Anniversary of Riccardo Chailly’s collaboration with the theatre, and the 95th birthday of Franco Zeffirelli. The […]
Thomas Hampson answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition
Q&A When did you start singing? In the crib. Apparently, I was a very vocal baby … no seriously, I already sang as a child. Why did you start singing? I loved tunes and music always made sense to me. Which singer inspired you most when you were young? Frank Sinatra. Which singer do you […]
La Scala Opera Season 2016-2017 – full dates and casts
Ballet Season 2016-2017 Recital and Concert Season 2016-2017 The new season opens with another step along the path of Riccardo Chailly’s Puccini Project, Madama Butterfly, which will be directed by Alvis Hermanis (Die Soldaten and I due Foscari at La Scala) with Maria José Siri as Butterfly and Bryan Hymel as Pinkerton. It will use the […]
ROYAL OPERA SEASON 2016 – 2017: theatre, cinema and radio
All the details of the 2016-2017 Opera Season at London’s Royal Opera House: skip to section: ROYAL OPERA 2016-2017 SEASON – IN BRIEF THE ROYAL OPERA 2016-2017 SEASON THE ROYAL OPERA SEASON 2016-2017 – IN FULL BBC RADIO 3 AT THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE LIVE CINEMA SEASON ROYAL OPERA 2016-2017 SEASON […]