Renata Scotto, soprano of uncommon intensity, dies at 89

Scotto became a successful director after her singing career.

Chicago Summer Concerts, Events, Festivals, and More for 2023 (Updated 7/17/23)

Chicago abounds with exciting activities, concerts, exhibitions, and more. Here are some ideas to make sure your summer is filled with art and music!

Adams’ Nixon in China

From Paris Opera, hear a star-studded cast that includes Thomas Hampson as Richard Nixon and Renée Fleming as Pat Nixon, with John Matthew Myers as Chairman Mao.

Strauss’s Salome

Conductor Philippe Jordan leads the ensemble in Strauss’s Salome, with Malin Byström in the titular role, alongside Gerhard Siegel (Herod), Wolfgang Koch (John the Baptist) and more.

Beethoven’s Fidelio

Vienna’s production of Fidelio stars Brandon Jovanovich as Florestan, alongside an Axel Kober-conducted cast that includes Anja Kampe as Leonore.

Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte

One of opera’s most beloved works receives its first new Met staging in 19 years.

Superstar Baritone Nathan Gunn on American Opera, Stage Presence, and Versatility

“My job as a singer, if I’m doing my job correctly, is no different than what a curator does with a beautiful work of art.”

Lyric Opera 2023-2024 Season: Dutchman, Aida, Cinderella, Audra

Next year’s lineup of six mainstage operas offers choices for traditional and contemporary opera fans alike.

At top of opera, Yoncheva worries about classical music

In a bid to shape projects and bolster opera’s audience, Yoncheva is launching her own record label.

Quiz: Should These Opera Characters Be on the Naughty or Nice List?

We’ve made a list, now we’re checking it twice… can you help WFMT find out which of these opera characters can expect a nicely wrapped present… and which ones can expect coal?

Chicago-born opera stars Janai Brugger & Matthew Polenzani trade tales, on-camera singing tips

Tenor Matthew Polenzani reflects that “there are definitely pieces where what’s required dramatically in a hall of 4,000 seats is different from what’s required dramatically on a screen.”

Singer driven from Belarus for speaking out tries to rebuild

“It was so evident to all of us that we could not keep silent any more,” said baritone Ilya Silchukou.

Playlist: Classical Fire and Flames

The Great Chicago Fire began on October 8, 1871. Here’s some music that takes inspiration from flames.

US soprano, offended by blackface, pulls out of Italy opera

Soprano Angel Blue will be bowing out of La Traviata because the theater recently mounted another Verdi opera using blackface.

Sing Different: Why the Life of Apple’s Steve Jobs Makes for Great Opera

Steve Jobs gets the operatic treatment with Mason Bates’ Grammy-winning The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs. We spoke with the composer, librettist Mark Campbell, as well as baritone Edward Parks, who created the role of Jobs.

Met moves Donizetti opera to decaying American town

Call it bel canto in the Rust Belt.

Ginsburg’s art, fur coat, awards in auction to benefit opera

A signed and inscribed print of the late Supreme Court Justice is among 150 items from Ginsburg’s office and home in an online auction to benefit opera in Washington.

New ‘La bohème’ tells story in reverse for happy ending

The director says that the reinterpretation emphasizes the power of love despite inevitable death and disappointment.

‘Music is an ephemeral art’: Conductor Eun Sun Kim on Puccini and her Lyric Debut

It’s been a very Puccini year for conductor Eun Sun Kim. In the span of 9 months, she’ll have conducted two Toscas, two Bohèmes, and a Turandot. Here’s how she continues to find the new in these beloved scores.

Verdi’s ‘Don Carlos’ arrives at Met Opera in original French

The version is largely based on the 1867 rehearsals and Paris Opéra premiere, including long-lost sections rediscovered in the late 1960s by David Rosen and Andrew Porter.

Mozart’s Top 10 Works

Picking a favorite out of Mozart’s immense catalog of music is no small feat, so we asked all WFMT hosts, producers, and staff to weigh in on their best-loved compositions and recordings.

Vivaldi Opera Gets Premiere in Ferrara Nearly 300 Years Late

The Catholic Church and the northern Italian city of Ferrara are making their peace with Antonio Vivaldi nearly 300 years after the city’s archbishop effectively canceled the staging of one of his operas.

Met Opera to present Blanchard’s ‘Champion’ in April 2023

The staging follows the success of the composer Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones on the opening night of this season.

Kennedy Center Honors back once more, Biden attends

Honorees include Motown Records creator Berry Gordy, opera singer Justino Diaz, and folk music legend Joni Mitchell.

Opera’s Newest Voice: Meet Debra Lew Harder, the New Host of the Met Broadcasts

After nearly two years, Metropolitan Opera live broadcasts are back. With their revival comes the arrival of a new host: Debra Lew Harder.

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