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Most hands do not go up when I ask my audiences, “Who is an opera fan?” It’s as if I had asked, “Who is a big fan of brussels sprouts?” Yes, there will be a few enthusiasts, but most faces go neutral, some almost grimacing.  While it’s true that it is the most expensive performance art form in the world, opera’s power lies in the most human of expe...

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With its non-intimidating, welcoming style, Opera Southwest has been converting down-to-earth, everyday folks into serious opera fans since 1972. There’s nothing elitist about New Mexico’s acclaimed Italian opera company. There’s nothing stuffy about it. And there’s nothing pretentious about its celebrated Artistic Director and Principal Conductor,...

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The Vatican echoes with chants. Rodrigo Borgia is pope. Steps away, and five centuries later, a tour guide regales visitors with tales of the infamous Borgia clan. Rodrigo, the family patriarch, boasts of their strength. Eldest son Cesare, ensconced within the College of Cardinals, longs for an army. Daughter Lucrezia, alleged poisoner of the famil...

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Returning to The New York concert stage after a long absence, esteemed Italian pianist Sandro De Palma will present a recital on Sunday, December 3, 2017 at 7:30 pm at Weill Recital Hall (154 W. 57th Street), highlighted by the U.S. premiere of two works by rising, prize-winning Italian composer Sylvia Colasanti. The program - of music inspired by...

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In 1975, just a dozen years after its founding, Seattle Opera created an international sensation when it staged the complete production of Richard Wagner’s “Ring” in the six-day cycle prescribed by the composer. This landmark accomplishment stood the opera world on its ears. Producing the complete operatic masterpiece was seldom seen outside German...

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The Washington National Opera production of Verdi's Aida, which is currently playing the Kennedy Center Opera House through September 23, will be simulcast free at Washington, D.C.'s Nationals Park. The live opera simulcast, as part of the company's Opera in the Outfield series, is scheduled to begin at 7 PM September 23 (the final performance). Ga...

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Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli’s voice soars to the rafters of the Tuscan theatre, but all eyes are on the orchestral conductor beside him — a robot with an apparent penchant for Verdi. The concert in the heart of Pisa is a world first, with two mechanical “arms” conducting live music at the grand finale of the first International Festival of Robotic...

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The serious opera lover would have to go back over half a century, when Maria Callas made her American debut, to find a more prestigious Chicago event than the Monteverdi 450, scheduled for October 12, 13 and 15 at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park. On each of these three dates, one of Claudio Monteverdi’s extant operas will be performed – “L’O...

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Protetta dietro ai silenzi bizantini di Ravenna, al terzo anno di attività e incentrata sull’Aida di Verdi, l’Italian Opera Academy di Riccardo Muti si presenta con un duplice profilo: da un lato, è luogo eletto di alta formazione per i giovani direttori d’orchestra di domani, dall’altro è un progetto-pilota, interamente sostenuto dal mecenatismo p...

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L'opera piu' americana di Giacomo Puccini ha stregato di nuovo New York. 'La Fanciulla del West' ha aperto la stagione lirica della New York City Opera, strizzando l'occhio alla precedente produzione del Metropolitan Opera, ed e' stata accolta con tutto il calore e l'entusiasmo che il capolavoro di Puccini merita. 'La Fanciulla del West' ha portato...

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