Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette

Two singers at the height of their powers—radiant soprano Nadine Sierra and tenor sensation Benjamin Bernheim—come together as the star-crossed lovers in Gounod’s sumptuous Shakespeare adaptation.

7 Strange, Silly, and Surreal Opera Plots

Take out the high courts and bring in the dancing elephants: here are some of the strangest opera plots that have ever been put to paper.

Met Opera Announces ’24-25 Season

Four contemporary operas have their Met premieres.

10 Operas by Black Composers You Should Know

Operas from the 19th century to today that depict Black stories.

Mozart Made Mini in Reimagined, “Matchbox” Magic Flute From Tony-Winner Mary Zimmerman

“It’s sort of maximalist in a tiny little space,” describes Tony-winning adapter/director Mary Zimmerman of her miniaturized Matchbox Magic Flute.

Playlist: 6 Classic Songs that Sample Classical Music

Let’s take a step back in time to hear how classical music influenced some of the 20th century’s hits!

Kennedy Center Honors fetes new inductees, including Queen Latifah, Billy Crystal and Dionne Warwick

Opera singer Renée Fleming and music star Barry Gibb were also honored at the Sunday night black-tie gala.

Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman

A production of Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman, featuring Georg Zeppenfeld, Elisabeth Teige, Tomislav Mužek, Nadine Weissmann, Attilio Glaser, and Michael Volle as the Dutchman. Oksana Lyniv conducts.

Lidiya Yankovskaya to Depart COT at End of Season

As one of the very few women music directors of a major US opera company, Yankovskaya is respected for her leadership, artistic vision, as well as her inventive programming.

Opera on Film: 6 Movies that Showcase Opera’s Drama, Emotion, Glamor, and Beauty

What does one of the grandest artforms look like on the big screen? Check out some of our favorite portrayals of opera in the movies.

Catching Up with Ryan Speedo Green

“It is rare, not only for a male singer who’s not a tenor, but especially a bass-baritone to be able to do this kind of concert with an orchestra like the Chicago Philharmonic.”

Renata Scotto, soprano of uncommon intensity, dies at 89

Scotto became a successful director after her singing career.

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.

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