‘Tis almost fairy time ‘Tis almost fairy time

Curtis Opera and a charming cast of young singers cast a spell with their beguiling production of Britten‘s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

Now sleeps the crimson petal Now sleeps the crimson petal

Gregory Spears’s Sleepers Awake mystifies and delights at Opera Philadelphia.

In the garden of Eden In the garden of Eden

Gregory Spears, whose newest opera Sleepers Awake opens this week at Opera Philadelphia, is reviving Romanticism

Youth has no age Youth has no age

Led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Yoann Combémorel, the Curtis Symphony Orchestra proves themselves the equal of any major American orchestra in a program of Mahler, Wagner, and Dawson.

Anime sante degli avi Anime sante degli avi

Madama Butterfly confronts anime, virtual reality, and weeaboos in Matthew Ozawa‘s bold production at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Lady in the dark Lady in the dark

Golda Schultz and Jonathan Ware present Dark Matter(s), an intriguing program of songs, at the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society.

Here, there, and everywhere Here, there, and everywhere

David Fox and Dan Johnson report on Yannick Nézet-Seguin‘s recent performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the Philadelphia Orchestra in Philadelphia and New York.

Back to school Back to school

Time to Act at Pittsburgh Opera effectively employs Greek tragedy to explore the all-too-common tragedies haunting schools across the United States.

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

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

The arc of life The arc of life

The dazzling and deeply moving Complications in Sue bodes well for Anthony Roth Costanzo‘s stewardship of Opera Philadelphia.

The best thing I saw in 2025 was <em>In a Grove</em> The best thing I saw in 2025 was <em>In a Grove</em>

I had the pleasure of going with some members of the Pittsburgh Opera to the PROTOTYPE Festival in New York at the start of the year- almost unfortunate it was so early on in 2025 because it set my expectations for the year so high!

Reduce, reuse, recycle Reduce, reuse, recycle

Global warming meets the cool factor in The Seasons.

Mein Lieder Schwan Mein Lieder Schwan

Matthew Polenzani charms the pants off of Philadelphia.

Form over function Form over function

A consideration of Anika Kildegaard’s extraordinary recital in Philadelphia—and the oddity of recitals themselves. 

So brutal but also so joyful So brutal but also so joyful

Composer Philip Venables talks about queer utopias and bending gender and genre in The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions which opens at the Park Avenue Armory this week.

Pride in your work Pride in your work

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

The open wound that will never heal The open wound that will never heal

In his new production that opens at San Francisco Opera this weekend, Matthew Ozawa is creating a Parsifal for the cancel culture age.

Museum quality Museum quality

Opera Philadelphia’s Il viaggio a Reims in a nutshell: Hyperactive, confusing, and distracting from (and sometimes for) the singers? Yes. Imaginative, wildly entertaining, and musically rewarding? Absolutely.

Höchste Lust! Höchste Lust!

Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the Philadelphia Orchestra, Stuart Skelton, and Nina Stemme in a Tristan und Isolde for the ages

Momentum mori Momentum mori

A fine Don Giovanni at Opera Philadelphia rounds out the company’s inaugural season under Anthony Roth Costanzo

Bachelor party Bachelor party

It may be blasphemy to admit—particularly this month—but usually I can either take or leave Donizetti’s serious operas. However, I love the composer in comic mode, so Chris’s Cache runs with that sentiment in offering three recordings of Don Pasquale.

Happiness indeed Happiness indeed

The nail-biting adventures of Voltaire’s titular hero Candide are hardly more circuitous than those faced by Leonard Bernstein’s 1956 Broadway musical adaptation.

Opera Philadelphia 2025-26 Opera Philadelphia 2025-26

Opera Philadelphia announced today its 50th Anniversary 2025-2026 season, the second under the leadership of Anthony Roth Costanzo, but the first to bear his distinctive imprint.

Blythe esprit Blythe esprit

Operettas always seem to be on the menu for New Year’s Eve, so Chris’s Cache joins in with a broadcast of Offenbach’s delicious La Grande-duchesse de Gérolstein featuring Stephanie Blythe in the title role.