opera

Opera Saratoga’s season begins Friday with Mozart's “Cosi Fan Tutte,” followed the next night by “Guys and Dolls” and on Sunday, June 30, with the world premiere of “Mad Scramble for Crumbs.”Opera Saratoga's Artistic and General Director Mary Birnbaum joins us for a preview of the performances that run through July 7 at the Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga.

On October 3, 2011, Chinese-American Army Pvt. Danny Chen was found dead in a guard tower at his base in Afghanistan. The opera “An American Soldier” is based on his story and the ensuing courts-martial of Chen’s fellow soldiers. “An American Solider” is having its New York City premiere at PAC NYC May 12-19 in a new 2024 version co-commissioned by PAC NYC and Boston Lyric Opera. Composed by Huang Ruo, “An American Solider” features a libretto by our guest, David Henry Hwang.

Hudson Hall in Hudson, New York has commissioned an ambitious multi-year series of operas by Handel with the daring, internationally acclaimed director (and Hudson resident) R.B. Schlather.The first in the series, Rodelinda, premieres at the hall on October 20. There will be 6 performances between October 20-29.

The Berkshire Opera Festival will be performing Puccini’s "La Bohème" on August 26, 29 and, September 1 at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA. The unbridled passion of this ageless tale has made it a favorite of audiences for over a century.Berkshire Opera Festival artistic director, conductor and co-founder Brian Garman joins us to tell us this morning. We also welcome the star of "La Bohème," singing the role of Mimi, Soprano Whitney Morrison.

J’Nai Bridges will perform at Tanglewood tonight in a prelude concert in Ozawa Hall, and this Sunday, August 20, she’ll join the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus in The Shed for a performance of Michael Tippet’s “Five Spirituals from A Child of Our Time” and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.

Saint-Saëns’s opera "Henry VIII" will run as part of the 20th Bard SummerScape, July 21–30, in the Sosnoff Theater at the Fisher Center at Bard. This, the first fully staged production of Henry III in the United States will be sung in French with English supertitles. Leon Botstein conducts the American Symphony Orchestra.Internationally acclaimed stage director Jean-Romain Vesperini helms the production at Bard and he joins us.

Opera Saratoga’s 2023 summer festival season will be anchored in the heart of Saratoga Springs. They are excited to be partnering with Universal Preservation Hall this season for their Main Stage performances.General and Artistic Director for Opera Saratoga Mary Birnbaum joins us.

Musicians of Ma’alwyck is a flexible-size chamber ensemble in residence at the Schuyler Mansion New York State Historic Site and Schenectady County Community College. The first concert of this season, "A Stranger in Your Own Land" is this coming Saturday. The centerpiece on the program is the lamentation cantata Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight by Roy Harris. We welcome Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz.

“Seeds Under Nuclear Winter: An Earth Opera" shows stories of rebirth in a post-apocalyptic atmosphere. The theme centers on “finding light and beauty in the darkest times, and remembering how connected we all are to each other,” says Elizabeth Clark, composer/producer/performer of this immersive theater/performance art.

On August 20, 23, and 26, Berkshire Opera Festival's 2022 season culminates with Mozart's comedy-tragedy masterpiece Don Giovanni at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.