Q & A: Christophe Rousset on Porpora’s ‘Ifigenia in Aulide’ & Les Talens Lyriques Orchestra at Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival 2024    

(Photo credit: Ignacio Barrios) Bayreuth Baroque Festival has been awarded “The Best Festival of 2024” by Germany’s Oper! Awards. The first season began in 2020 with a staged production of Nicola Antonio Porpora’s “Carlo il Calvo”, and an opera in concert version of “Gismondo, Re di Polonia” by Leonardo Vinci and libretto by Francesco Briani’s Il Vincitor Generoso. The orchestras {…}

Q & A: Soprano Aida Garifullina on Her Role in ‘La Traviata’ & How to Connect With Opera in Deeper Ways

(Photograph by Camilla Greenwell) Russian-Tatar star soprano Aida Garifullina is considered one of the best singers of her generation and is an internationally celebrated artist. She is a regular guest artist of the world’s leading opera houses and concert venues, including the Royal Opera House, La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, Paris National Opera, Arena di Verona, and Salzburg Festival. Garifullina {…}

Q & A: Molly Noori Discusses Her Non-Profit ‘The Chronicled Voice’ & Experiences With Chronic Illnesses

(Photo credit: Anastasia Sistevaris) Unable to perform this past year due to a chronic illness that directly affects her vocal mechanism, mezzo-soprano Molly Noori has turned towards advocating for other singers in a similar position. Through her new non-profit, The Chronicled Voice, Molly has created a safe space for opera singers to talk openly about their frustrations, fears, and ideas {…}

Q & A: Eva-Maria Sens on Leading Innsbruck Festival of Early Music & How Local Community Inspires at an International Level

(Photo credit: Alexander Kofler) OperaWire had the incredible opportunity to attend the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music this summer and learn firsthand about what makes this local community, nestled in the Austrian Alps, inspiring at an international level both artistically and sustainably. Innsbruck, Austria is a place where everything and everyone participates in celebrating Early Music as an art for {…}

Q & A: Laura Attridge, Aoife Miskelly, & Nazan Fikret on Vache Baroque’s New Production of Pergolesi’s ‘L’Olimpiade’

(Photo credits: Hughes & Knight) Sopranos Aoife Miskelly and Nazan Fikret along with director and script writer Laura Attridge spoke with OperaWire about their unique experience in Vache Baroque’s new production of Pergolesi’s “L’Olimpiade.” This production which coincides with the 2024 Paralympics held in Buckinghamshire, which neighbors the birthplace of the games. Attridge discusses her process of developing an English {…}

Q&A: Gerald Cohen & Deborah Brevoort on the Recording of ‘Steal a Pencil for Me’ & the Importance of Storytelling

Despite living in a horrific Nazi concentration camp, Jaap Polak and Ina Soep continued to write love letters to one another. The couple’s letters were published in 2000 and were featured in a documentary film of this same title. Their relationship inspired Composer Gerald Cohen and librettist Deborah Brevoort‘s first opera together, “Steal a Pencil for Me.” The couple was {…}

Q & A: Mezzo-Soprano Sarah Richmond on Her Forthcoming Role as Olga for Northern Ireland Opera

(Photo: Ross Kavanagh) This September, Northern Ireland Opera premieres its new production of Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin”, with its quality cast members directed by Cameron Menzies, and conducted by Dominic Limburg. This production looks certain to be another hit with local audiences, following its sell-out productions of “La Traviata” and “Tosca.” OperaWire met up with one of its stars, mezzo-soprano Sarah {…}