Un paio in tre Un paio in tre

Christopher Corwin and Andrew Lokay provide dual perspectives on the National Symphony Orchestra‘s performances of Puccini’s triple-bill.

Which witch? Which witch?

Washington National Opera offered a searing production of Robert Ward’s opera The Crucible, directed by WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, as the second installment in the company’s next chapter.

The art of the possible The art of the possible

Ahead of his first season as the Music & Artistic Director of the New York Philharmonic, how much longer can — and should — Gustavo Dudamel stay quiet about the situation in his native Venezuela?

I’m likin’ this American boy I’m likin’ this American boy

Baritone John Brancy smoothly traverses the American songbook at Carnegie Hall. 

Agent orange Agent orange

That Trump opera at the Staatsoper Hamburg is lazy activism at its finest, we fear.

The best thing I saw in 2025 was <em>Vanessa</em> The best thing I saw in 2025 was <em>Vanessa</em>

“Let me look around once more. Who knows when I shall see this house again?”

I wanna be the one to walk in the sun I wanna be the one to walk in the sun

Two recent Paminas feature in concerts at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.

Pride in your work Pride in your work

Pittsburgh Opera’s Fellow Travelers delivers a timely story with detail and care.

Tag team Tag team

The women were the highlights of Washington National Opera’s militaristic Aïda

“By boycotting us, you are killing art” “By boycotting us, you are killing art”

Brendan Latimer sits down with Francesca Zambello and members of the cast of Washington National Opera’s production of Aïda to discuss the complicated legacy of one of Verdi’s most beloved works and the tricky business of “inventing the truth.”

Brain Wurm Brain Wurm

By the time the curtain rose on Verdi’s Luisa Miller last Sunday in Washington Concert Opera’s final show of the season, the originally announced line-up was about as accurate as a federal agency org chart from February.

Countering expectations Countering expectations

Apologies in advance to Key’mon Murrah, whose rather extraordinary Marian Anderson award recital with pianist Brian Zeger at the Kennedy Center on December 17 demands some general musing.

Soar, losers Soar, losers

Chopping up the action and dutifully showing each plot point may work in a film but in an opera, where every piece of marginal dialogue must be set to music, it feels like a chore.

Moody ‘Blue’ Moody ‘Blue’

Originally scheduled for a D.C. premiere in spring 2020 but thwarted by the pandemic, Washington National Opera was finally able to present composer Jeanine Tesori and librettist Tazewell Thompson’s Blue at the Kennedy Center last Saturday.

Going ‘South’ Going ‘South’

Cotton, a world-premiere song cycle commissioned by Philadelphia’s Lyric Fest, takes its audience on a journey through Black American history that extends from the Deep South to the contemporary urban landscape.

Last dance Last dance

If it is true that there are few respectable ways for people over 40 without small children to celebrate Halloween, a performance of Richard Strauss’ pioneering horror opera Elektra belongs on the short list.

Magnificent: Michael Spyres in recital Magnificent: Michael Spyres in recital

This tenor must be the finest classical singer in the world today.

Room temperature Room temperature

It’s maybe not a surprise that Carmen is neither a good vocal nor temperamental fit for Isabel Leonard.

‘Così,’ cheap ‘n cheerful ‘Così,’ cheap ‘n cheerful

In 2022, making Così fan tutte intimate is not a radical act. Making it enjoyable, however, is.

Moving on Moving on

The Kennedy Center’s Opera House was a white-hot crucible of theatre kid energy on Friday evening for a luxurious 50 Years of Broadway at the Kennedy Center gala.

The second time around The second time around

While the formulaic nature of some of Rossini’s other operas can undermine his ability to balance bravura singing and playing with legitimate drama, a concert Maometto II proves, with what it offers as much as what it lacks, that the formula still works.

Open and clothes case Open and clothes case

From an exposure standpoint, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the best thing to happen to opera since Beverly Sills.

Reorientation Reorientation

Concerts at Wolf Trap, mixed bags in more ways than one, provided fleeting glimpses of the old normal as moments of frisson mingled with more familiar monotony.

The 50-Year-Old Virgin The 50-Year-Old Virgin

Joan of Arc inspired many splendid works of art including Tchaikovsky’s Orleanskaya Deva which Trove Thursday presents today in a 1975 broadcast featuring the great Russian mezzo Irina Arkhipova and her husband tenor Vladislav Piavko.