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Dorothea Röschmann as Emilia Marty in Staatsoper Berlin's The Makropulos Case at Janáček Brno Festival. Photo: Marek Olbrzymek

Review | Berlin Staatsoper’s fragmented The Makropulos Case at Janáček Brno Festival

By Gianmarco Segato on 19 November 2024 Concert Reviews, Opera

Leoš Janáček’s penultimate opera, The Makropulos Case returned to Brno, where it premiered in 1926, in Claus Guth’s 2022 production from Berlin’s Staatsoper Unter den Linden. This was the company’s first appearance at the bi-annual Janáček Brno Festival where it presented two performances (seen Nov. 18) of the opera based on Karel Čapek’s 1922 “comedy” dealing with the complex emotional baggage associated with immortality. Guth, along with set designer Étienne Plus and costume designer Ursula Kudrna, have chosen a “period” 1920s Art Deco setting that includes a troupe of dancers/movement artists who cater to opera singer Emilia Marty. From the…

Hungarian State Opera's Falstaff. Photo: Valter Berecz/Hungarian State Opera

Review | Fabulous 50s Falstaff at Hungarian State Opera

By Gianmarco Segato on 19 November 2024 Concert Reviews, Opera

Verdi’s final opera, his comic masterpiece Falstaff, was revived by Hungarian State Opera on Nov. 16. in Swiss director Arnaud Bernard’s 2013 staging set in the fabulous 1950s. Opening and closing with a freeze frame set within a giant period TV screen, the update perfectly suits the work’s constant plot shifts and intricately-wrought musical ensembles. Despite a slightly misjudged directorial nod that we are watching a show within a show, this tightly-executed revival delivers all the self-mocking humanity of Verdi’s late comedy. The scene opens with Falstaff and his shady henchmen, Dr. Caius (Péter Balczó), Pistola (András Kiss) and Bardolfo…

Les Idées heureuses at Bourgie Hall, Nov. 12 Photo: Catherine St-Arnaud

Review | Medieval meets folk with Les Idées heureuses

By Heather Weinreb on 14 November 2024 Baroque and Early, Concert Reviews, Montreal

On Nov. 12, Les Idées heureuses presented their second concert of the season at Bourgie Hall. Jamais je ne t’oublierai : échos du Moyen Âge dans nos chants du terroir consisted of a program of French and French-Canadian folk music and Medieval works. As the title suggests, the program was conceived to illustrate the echoes of Medieval music in our local folk tradition. The concert was divided into five thematic sections—May, The Mother, Flowers, Cries, Goodbyes, and Dances—each featuring one folk song, arranged by Jean-François Daignault, and various Medieval works. What you missed: From its conception through to its execution,…

Scene from Hunagarian State Opera's Turandot. Photo: Valter Berecz / Hungarian State Opera

Review | Intriguingly ambiguous new Turandot at Hungarian State Opera

By Gianmarco Segato on 13 November 2024 Concert Reviews, Opera

Puccini’s final opera, Turandot, was famously left incomplete due to the composer’s untimely death. It premiered at Teatro alla Scala in 1926 using composer Franco Alfano’s ending based on fragments of vocal lines and indications for orchestration left by Puccini. Much controversy and critical dissatisfaction has always swirled around the Alfano ending prompting the commissioning of many alternate completions. The most famous of these is Italian composer Luciano Berio’s 2002 rendering which the Hungarian State Opera is currently using in their new production of Turandot, alternating in some performances with Alfano’s more familiar ending. Psychological Turandot As director Dóra Barta indicates…

Henry Kramer: Université de Montréal’s Newest Piano Professor

By Viktor Lazarov on 13 November 2024 Classical Music

By the time he joined the ranks of Université de Montréal’s music faculty in 2022, then-35-year-old American pianist Henry Kramer had already garnered impressive silverware, experience, and accolades. Prizewinner at prestigious competitions such as the Queen Elizabeth, Honens, Montreal, Shanghai, and Miami’s National Chopin Competition, Kramer previously held teaching positions at U.S. universities in Georgia, Missouri, and Massachusetts. In 2019, he received the Avery Fisher Grant awarded to the most promising young American soloists. As successful as his competition track record is, Kramer espouses a pragmatic philosophy in terms of career building. “Today, the need for a competition spotlight or…

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Announces 2025 National Tour

By Newswire on 13 November 2024 Arts Industry, Classical Music, Newswire, Orchestral, Vancouver

In March 2025, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) led by Maestro Otto Tausk will embark on a bold national tour, celebrating the creativity of British Columbia musicians and composers alongside world-renowned soloists. This will mark the orchestra’s first visit to Eastern Canada since 2018, and over 100 musicians will be making the journey. “Touring is essential for any world class orchestra,” says VSO Music Director Otto Tausk. “Vancouver can be very proud of presenting one of Canada’s finest orchestras and we can’t wait to share our music outside of our hometown. Besides bringing some of the absolute highlights of the…

Conductor Daniele Rustioni rehearsing with the Met Orchestra. Photo: Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera.

Daniele Rustioni Named Metropolitan Opera’s Principal Guest Conductor

By Newswire on 13 November 2024 Arts Industry, Classical Music, Newswire, Orchestral

New York, NY (November 13, 2024)—The Metropolitan Opera announced the appointment of Daniele Rustioni to the position of Principal Guest Conductor for a three-year term, becoming only the third Principal Guest Conductor in Met history, beginning with the 2025–26 season. In his new position, Rustioni will conduct a minimum of two operas per season. This morning, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director, made the announcement of Rustioni’s appointment to the orchestra at the start of a rehearsal for Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten. Nézet-Séguin said, “I am delighted to invite Daniele to the conducting roster of the Met as…

Jack Li Vigni: Shaping Tomorrow’s Opera Voices

By Adrian Rodriguez on 13 November 2024 Classical Music

In the realm of voice education, few names ring as clearly as Jack Li Vigni, a seasoned tenor and distinguished educator. Brooklyn-born, Li Vigni is currently a faculty member at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He is frequently invited to lead master classes at the Jette Parker Young Artists Program at London’s Royal Opera House, and serves as a guest teacher at Brooklyn College. Many of his students have become winners and finalists in major competitions, including Operalia, Cardiff Singer of the World, and Francisco Viñas, and have joined young artist programs at institutions such as Covent…

U.S. Music entrepreneurship programs

By Viktor Lazarov on 13 November 2024 Classical Music

“When choosing a music school, students should ask: ‘What will you do to help me become a successful professional?’” says David Cutler, author of the book The Savvy Musician and professor of Music Entrepreneurship at the University of South Carolina. In the absence of an answer substantiating the school’s entrepreneurial values and course offerings, “look for a different program,” he adds. Building a sustainable, thriving career in classical music is a challenging pursuit. Research conducted in Germany, Australia, the U.K., and Denmark shows that while a large portion of professional musicians find work through self-employment, most musicians hold a secondary…

Higher Education News

By Kaitlyn Chan on 12 November 2024 Classical Music

Université de Sherbrooke School of Music Université de Sherbrooke School of Music has three new scholarships for 2025 fall admission, thanks to a generous donation from the Sandra and Alain Bouchard Foundation. These scholarships, worth $10,000 each, will help high-achieving music students with the cost of tuition. Université de Sherbrooke continues to prioritize students with scholarship opportunities such as these as well as its flexible admission process, which allows students to apply any time throughout the year and complete the admission process remotely. Their new scholarships will be awarded based on the quality of admission files and results in admission…

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