12 Aug 2025
On August 12, 2025, Juan Sancho stars in the title role in a concert performance of Monteverdi’s epoch-making masterpiece L’Orfeo at France’s Les Heures Musicales de l’Abbaye de Lessay, under the musical direction of Stéphane Fuget. Acclaimed as one of today’s leading tenors in Baroque opera, Juan Sancho has been featured in numerous recordings of Monteverdi’s groundbreaking and celebrated trilogy, L’Orfeo, Il ritorno di Ulisse in patria, and L’incoronazione di Poppea. These include DVD releases on the Dynamic label of Pier Luigi Pizzi’s productions at Teatro Real Madrid, conducted by William Christie, as well as a Naïve label recording of L’Orfeo with the ensemble I Gemelli.
11 Aug 2025
On August 11, 2025, acclaimed mezzo-soprano Beth Taylor appears as the alto soloist in Gustav Mahler’s Third Symphony at the Royal Albert Hall, as part of the BBC Proms. Known for her dark-hued tone and expressive depth, BethTaylor brings emotional resonance to Mahler’s profound setting of Nietzsche’s “O Mensch! Gib Acht!” and the luminous “Es sungen drei Engel”. Ryan Bancroft conducts a powerful collaboration between the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Orchestre National de Bretagne, joined by the CBSO Children’s Chorus and the upper voices of the National Chorus of Wales. The Scottish mezzo-soprano has quickly risen to prominence as one of today’s leading interpreters of Mahler. Just weeks ago, she earned critical acclaim for her performance of Das Lied von der Erde in Munich. [Photo: John Cooper]
08 Aug 2025
On August 9, 2025, Kangmin Justin Kim takes on the role of Natasha in Peter Eötvös’s “Three Sisters” at the Salzburg Festival, in a new production by Evgeny Titov. The opera is conducted by Maxime Pascal with Klangforum Wien, while Alphonse Cemin leads the offstage ensemble. Joining the cast are Dennis Orellana, Cameron Shahbazi, and Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen as the titular sisters—Irina, Masha, and Olga, respectively. Premiered in 1998 at the Opéra National de Lyon, “Three Sisters” is widely regarded as one of the most significant operas of the late 20th century, celebrated for its inventive orchestration and psychological intensity. The role of Natasha, a symbol of vulgarity, pragmatism, and social ambition, stands in stark opposition to the sisters’ fading ideals and intellectual longing, making her one of the opera’s most pivotal and unsettling figures. Additional performances are scheduled on August 12, 21, and 24, 2025
07 Aug 2025
On August 7, 2025, Beth Taylor performs the role of La Messaggera (The Messenger) in Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo” with the Gemelli Factory Ensemble, conducted by Emiliano Gonzalez Toro and semi-staged by Mathilde Etienne, at the Festival du Tuono in Vissoie, Switzerland. Though on stage for only a short time, the Messaggera is one of the most emotionally powerful and dramatically pivotal roles in this expressive, lyrical, and groundbreaking early Baroque masterpiece.
26 Jul 2025
July 26, 2025, marks a significant milestone in the career of Federico Fiorio, who makes his highly anticipated Salzburg Festival debut as Sesto in Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto, arguably the composer’s most popular opera. The new production, directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov and conducted by Emmanuelle Haïm, features a stellar cast including Christophe Dumaux in the title role, Olga Kulchynska as Cleopatra, Lucile Richardot as Cornelia, Yuriy Mynenko as Tolomeo, Andrey Zhilikhovsky as Achilla, Jake Ingbar as Nireno, and Robert Raso as Curio. Additional performances will take place on July 29 and August 3, 6, 11, 14, and 17. Hailed by Opera Magazine as an “astonishing sopranista” with a “svelte, bright voice” and “fluent coloratura,” the Verona-born singer is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most sought-after male sopranos on the international stage. His recent portrayals of the youthful and impassioned Sesto in Piacenza, Ravenna, Modena, Reggio Emilia, and Bolzano earned widespread acclaim. L’Opera praised his performance as “a revelation,” noting: “He has a pliable, particularly beautiful timbre, even across the range with no noticeable inconsistencies. He handles florid passages with confidence and phrases effectively, capable of being tender, but also resolute when needed.”
25 Jul 2025
Another exciting role debut awaits Michael Spyres at the 2025 Bayreuth Festival, where he steps into the role of Walther von Stolzing in a new production of Richard Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg”, directed by Matthias Davids and serving as the festival’s season opener. Under the baton of Daniele Gatti, the cast features Georg Zeppenfeld as Hans Sachs, Michael Nagy as Sixtus Beckmesser, Christina Nilsson as Eva, Jongmin Park as Pogner, Christa Mayer as Magdalene, and Matthias Stier as David. The premiere is set for July 25, with additional performances on August 2, 11, 14, 19, and 22. Just two days later, Spyres returns to the Bayreuth stage in his acclaimed interpretation of Siegmund in “Die Walküre”, in the Valentin Schwarz production conducted by Simone Young. He is joined by Catherine Foster as Brünnhilde, Tomasz Konieczny as Wotan, Jennifer Holloway as Sieglinde, Christa Mayer as Fricka/Schwertleite, Vitalij Kowaljow as Hunding, and Margaret Plummer as Waltraute. An additional performance is scheduled for August 16. Spyres made his Bayreuth debut last summer as Siegmund—now a signature role, while Walther von Stolzing marks the third Wagnerian hero to enter his ever-expanding repertoire. [Photo: Marco Borrelli]