Happy 76th birthday soprano Judith Blegen.
Happy 49th birthday soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek.
On this day in 1926 Puccini’s opera Turandot premiered in Milan.
Happy 64th birthday to performance artist Lypsinka.
On this day in 1961, Judy Garland made the rafters of Carnegie Hall ring with her celebrated solo concert.
Happy 83rd birthday mezzo-soprano Fiorenza Cossotto.
On this day in 2005, the Metropolitan Opera presented a new production of Faust.
On this day in 2015 Renée Fleming made her Broadway debut in Joe DiPietro‘s comedy Living on Love.
Happy 54th birthday soprano Natalie Dessay.
Happy 71st birthday soprano Catherine Malfitano.
Happy 79th (or so) birthday soprano/mezzo-soprano Anja Silja.
Opera premieres on this day…
Born on this day in 1843 novelist Henry James.
On this day in 2016, James Levine announced his retirement as Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera to become music director emeritus.
Happy 61st birthday soprano Aprile Millo.
Born on this day in 1933 soprano Montserrat Caballé.
On this day in 1975 soprano Katia Ricciarelli made her Met debut as Mimi.
On this day in 1996 tenor Roberto Alagna made his Met debut as Rodolfo.
On this day in 1964, Richard Burton opened in Hamlet at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.
Born on this day in 1921 tenor Franco Corelli.
On this day in 1989 soprano Sumi Jo made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Gilda.
Born on this day in 1908 definitive American film actress Bette Davis.
On this day in 1964 Stephen Sondheim’s Anyone Can Whistle premiered on Broadway and closed after nine performances.
On this day in 1975 soprano Magda Olivero made her historical, belated Metropolitan Opera debut as Tosca.
Tell us: What was the best of 2025?
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.
