Liudmyla Monastyrska News

Houston Grand Opera's (HGO) 2013-14 season includes the launch of the company's first Ring cycle, in a visionary and captivating production by the Catalan company La Fura dels Baus; the hotly anticipated American premiere of Mieczyslaw Weinberg's Holocaust opera The Passenger; the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's A Coffin in Egypt, based on the play of the same name by renowned Texas writer Horton Foote and starring iconic mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade; a new HGO production of Carmenfrom Broadway sensation Rob Ashford; revivals of Aida, Rigoletto, and Die Fledermaus; and, in tribute to the nation's homegrown musical theater tradition, Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music designed by fashion star Isaac Mizrahi. Through its HGOco Song of Houston project-winner of the National MultiCultural Institute's Leading Lights Diversity Award-the company continues to celebrate Houston's cultural diversity with the world premieres of two new commissions exploring the city's Vietnamese and Indian communities as part of the East + West series.

Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, in his fourth summer season at the Hollywood Bowl, celebrates the 200th anniversary of Verdi's birth with a concert performance of Aida on tonight, August 11, at 7:30 p.m. and performances of the Requiem on Tuesday, August 13 and Thursday, August 15, both at 8 p.m.

Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, in his fourth summer season at the Hollywood Bowl, celebrates the 200th anniversary of Verdi's birth with a concert performance of Aida on Sunday, August 11, at 7:30 p.m. and performances of the Requiem on Tuesday, August 13 and Thursday, August 15, both at 8 p.m.

Symphony Space, New York's home for innovative and diverse cultural programming on the Upper West Side, celebrates its 35th season of Music programs in 2013-14 with a stellar array of artists in imaginative, thought-provoking presentations. Curated by Artistic Director Laura Kaminsky, the offerings range from marathon celebrations to intimate recitals, encompassing a rich variety of musical styles. Highlights include a visit from Krzysztof Penderecki, October 25; the fifth THE MUSIC OF NOW MARATHON, with the dream-inspired theme of 'REM: Rapid Ear Movement,' February 1; and appearances by Dar Williams, Tom Paxton, Christine Lavin, and other icons of folk/acoustic music. Capping the season is SLEEPING AROUND, a multidisciplinary festival celebrating the culture, history, art, scene, and scandal of New York's most famous hotels, highlighted by WALL TO WALL SLEEPING AROUND on May 3.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association today announced the Hollywood Bowl summer 2013 subscription series and single events for its 92nd season at the historic venue. The Hollywood Bowl is one of the most renowned summer cultural venues in the world and has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 1922.

Houston Grand Opera (HGO)-the only opera company with two Grammys, two Emmys, and a Tony - continues to raise the bar for American opera with next season's gripping new line-up.

Aida has been among the most popular operas in the Met's repertory since the "German Seasons" in the 1880s and this season's production follows suit. This Sonja Frisell 1988 production of a classic Verdi opera left the audience feeling a wide range of emotions from beginning to end. From the vast Egyptian landscapes to the extraordinary musical talents, Aida at the Met this season is a production to remember.

Many of today's biggest names in opera - such as baritones Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Gerald Finley; mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina; tenors Stephen Costello, Marcello Giordani, and Giuseppe Filianoti; bass Ildar Abdrazakov; and bass-baritone Erwin Schrott - will light up TV screens across the country on Thursday, December 13 at 8 pm (check local listings) for the national broadcast of the Richard Tucker Opera Gala on PBS's Emmy Award-winning Live From Lincoln Center.

Carl Tanner will sing the role of Radames in this evening's performance of Verdi's Aida, replacing Marco Berti, who is ill.

Carl Tanner will sing the role of Radames in this evening's performance of Verdi's Aida, replacing Marco Berti, who is ill.

Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi will lead his first company performances of Aida,Verdi's grand opera of love and war, beginning November 23. Ukrainian soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska makes her Met debut in the title role of the Ethiopian slave, opposite Marco Berti as Radames and Olga Borodina as Aida's formidable rival, Amneris. Later performances feature Hui He as Aida, Roberto Alagna as Radames, and Dolora Zajick as Amneris. The role of Amonasro, Aida's father, will be shared by Alberto Mastromarino and George Gagnidze. Štefan Kocan will sing the priest Ramfis, and Hungarian bass Miklos Sebestyen will make his Met debut as the King of Egypt. The December 15 matinee performance of Aida will be transmitted worldwide as part of The Met: Live in HD series, which now reaches more than 1,900 theaters in 64 countries around the world.

Tonight, November 11th at 6:30 pm, the New York Choral Society (NYCS), returns for its nineteenth year as guest artist at the Richard Tucker Music Foundation Gala in Avery Fisher Hall. In an evening led by Maestro Patrick Summers, the Gala concert will feature Ailyn Pérez, soprano, winner of the prestigious Richard Tucker Award, which is conferred annually upon a single artist who is on the threshold of a major international career.

The Richard Tucker Music Foundation holds its 37th annual gala, one of the most highly anticipated events of the opera season, tonight, November 11 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York's Lincoln Center. Soprano Ailyn Perez, winner of the 2012 Richard Tucker Award and the first Latina singer to be so honored, joins a dazzling array of special guests - including baritones Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Gerald Finley; mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina; tenor Marcello Giordani; bass Ildar Abdrazakov; bass-baritone Erwin Schrott; and many more - in a program of favorite arias and ensembles, including selections by Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, Massenet, Mascagni, Handel, and Wagner. Maestro Patrick Summers, Artistic and Music Director of Houston Grand Opera, leads the lineup of luminaries, supported by members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the New York Choral Society.

On Sunday, November 11th at 6:30 pm, the New York Choral Society (NYCS), returns for its nineteenth year as guest artist at the Richard Tucker Music Foundation Gala in Avery Fisher Hall. In an evening led by Maestro Patrick Summers, the Gala concert will feature Ailyn Pérez, soprano, winner of the prestigious Richard Tucker Award, which is conferred annually upon a single artist who is on the threshold of a major international career.

The Richard Tucker Music Foundation holds its 37th annual gala, one of the most highly anticipated events of the opera season, on Sunday, November 11 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York's Lincoln Center. Soprano Ailyn Perez, winner of the 2012 Richard Tucker Award and the first Latina singer to be so honored, joins a dazzling array of special guests - including baritones Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Gerald Finley; mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina; tenor Marcello Giordani; bass Ildar Abdrazakov; bass-baritone Erwin Schrott; and many more - in a program of favorite arias and ensembles, including selections by Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, Massenet, Mascagni, Handel, and Wagner. Maestro Patrick Summers, Artistic and Music Director of Houston Grand Opera, leads the lineup of luminaries, supported by members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the New York Choral Society.