In New York, Will Crutchfield’s company celebrated 200 years of Italian opera in America with performances of ‘Il Don Giovanni’ and ‘Il Turco in Italia’; upstate, at Caramoor, William Christie’s French ensemble and select young vocalists delivered moving renditions of two Marc-Antoine Charpentier works. By Heidi Waleson July 20, 2026 at 5:09 pm ET Kresley Figueroa …
Author Archives: Andy Manshel
‘Lalovavi’ Review: The Black Opera Project’s Glittery Debut
Composed by Kevin Day, the Cincinnati Opera’s Afrofuturist world premiere is a promising opening to its commissioning initiative. By Heidi Waleson July 13, 2026 at 5:06 pm ET Brittany Olivia Logan and Terrence Chin-Loy. PHILIP GROSHONG Cincinnati Last week, Cincinnati Opera gave the world premiere of “Lalovavi,” the first entry of its Black Opera Project. Over three years, this …
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Aix Festival 2026 Review: Brilliant Strauss, Messy Mozart
A new production of ‘Die Frau Ohne Schatten,’ conducted by Klaus Mäkelä, proved a highlight of this year’s festival in Provence, France, in contrast to its incoherent stagings of two Mozart works. By Heidi Waleson July 8, 2026 at 5:49 pm ET A scene from ‘Die Frau Ohne Schatten.’ MONIKA RITTERSHAUS Aix-en-Provence, France The opening days of …
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Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Review: From ‘Streetcar’ to Shakespeare The highlight of the company’s season is a production of André Previn’s ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’; also being presented are Adam Guettel’s musical ‘The Light in the Piazza’ and Gounod’s ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ Sara Gartland in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire.’ ERIC WOOLSEY By Heidi Waleson June 15, …
‘Vanessa’ Review: Heartbeat Opera’s Strident Samuel Barber
The New York company offers a stark, taxing adaptation of the composer’s 1958 work, which centers on a woman waiting for her long-gone lover’s return. By Heidi Waleson May 18, 2026 at 4:28 pm ET Inna Dukach as Vanessa. RUSS ROWLAND Heartbeat Opera’s 100-minute adaptation of Samuel Barber’s “Vanessa”(1958) by company artistic director Jacob Ashworth, first presented last summer at …
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‘El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego’ Review: Painters Reunited at the Met Opera
Gabriela Lena Frank’s work about Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera is full of luxuriant color—visual and musical—in the company’s new production. By Heidi Waleson Updated May 18, 2026 at 4:46 pm ET Isabel Leonard and Carlos Álvarez MARTY SOHL / MET OPERA New York The lavish new Metropolitan Opera production of Gabriela Lena Frank’smagical “El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego” …
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‘Sleepers Awake’ Review: Opera Philadelphia’s Refashioned Fairy Tale
A world premiere by Gregory Spears casts a veil of dream-like haunting over the story of Sleeping Beauty. By Heidi Waleson April 24, 2026 at 5:18 pm ET Jonghyun Park and Susanne Burgess STEVEN PISANO Philadelphia “Sleepers Awake” by Gregory Spears, given its world premiere by Opera Philadelphia at the Academy of Music on Wednesday, turns “Sleeping Beauty” …
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‘Innocence’ Review: An Attack’s Aftermath at the Metropolitan Opera
The Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho’s final work is an immersive, astonishing achievement, viscerally depicting a group of people affected in different ways by a school shooting. By Heidi Waleson April 8, 2026 at 5:27 pm ET Vilma Jää (above) and Joyce DiDonato (below) in a scene from ‘Innocence.’ MET OPERA New York Kaija Saariaho’s “Innocence,” one of the …
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‘The Crucible’ Review: Washington National Opera’s Nimble Reset
Following its split with the Kennedy Center, the company has ably adapted to George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium, where it is presenting a gripping staging of Robert Ward’s version of the Arthur Miller classic. By Heidi Waleson March 23, 2026 at 5:01 pm ET A scene from the Washington National Opera production of ‘The Crucible.’ SCOTT SUCHMAN …
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‘Hercules’ Review: Handel’s Musical Myth at Carnegie Hall
Harry Bicket and the English Concert presented the composer’s highly theatrical but little-known 1745 oratorio in an uneven but frequently arresting performance. By Heidi Waleson March 18, 2026 at 5:22 pm ET Harry Bicket and the English Concert at Carnegie Hall. RICHARD TERMINE New York The annual Carnegie Hall visit of Harry Bicket and the English Concert, the superb …
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