Classical and Opera Features
by Dominic McHugh
Mezzo-soprano Felicity Palmer is one of the most respected and admired opera singers of the past three decades, her vivid performing style, pronounced acting ability…
by Dominic McHugh
American opera and theatre director Francesca Zambello’s productions have been seen the world over.From La bohme in the round at the Royal Albert Hall to...
by Ben Hogwood
Sarah Chang is the classic child prodigy, beginningto play the violin at the age of four, performing withmajor orchestras by the age of eight.While mostviolinists...
by Dominic McHugh
2006 was the year of the big anniversary, as orchestras and opera houses went head to head in celebrating the 250th and 100th birthdays of,...
by Dominic McHugh
It’s been a busy year for composer Will Todd, his projects including an off-Broadway musical, an opera world premiere at Gateshead and another for Welsh...
by Dominic McHugh
The clocks have turned back and winter’s here.But there’s no need to despair: some of London’s best concerts and opera productions might just help you...
by Dave Paxton
If there is such a thing as the ‘ideal Tosca’, the name that springs to mind is that of Maria Callas. Less familiar to those...
by Dominic McHugh
American soprano Katie van Kooten has benefited from her time on the Royal Opera’s Young Artists Programme even more than most.Back in November 2004, only...
by Ben Hogwood
When the musical style known as Minimalism began to take hold in the late 1960s it would have seemed almost inconceivable that, 40 years on,...
by Dominic McHugh
A special excitement is gathering around the Royal Opera’s next production it’s the world premiere of an opera that has been several years in development.Bird...
by Dominic McHugh
Welsh tenor Dennis O’Neill can truly be called one of the operatic all-time greats. Since 1979, he’s appeared in nearly every season at the Royal...
by Dominic McHugh
In recent seasons, Piotr Beczala has appeared as the Italian Tenor in Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier and as the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, both to...
by Dominic McHugh
American tenor Kurt Streit is something of a rarity in the opera world: he is both a specialist in a particular repertoire (Mozart) and a...
by Ben Hogwood
Jiri Belohlavek’s first full season as chief conductor of the BBCSymphony Orchestra shows promise in a series of concerts that reaffirms theensembles commitment to contemporary...
by Ben Hogwood
Monday, 25th September will mark the exact centenary of the birth ofDmitri Shostakovich, who has latterly become one of the most influentialand most performed composers...
by Agnes Kory
This was not the most ideal time to sample musical life in Hungary as the summer holiday period was still not quite over.Nevertheless, there was...
by Dominic McHugh
The leading Wotan of his generation, Sir John Tomlinson has sung at Bayreuth every year since 1988 and has appeared regularly at the two London...
by Dominic McHugh
Since becoming a member of the Royal Opera House’s Young Artists scheme in September 2004, Stirling-born conductor Rory Macdonald has assisted leading conductors Antonio Pappano...
by Dave Paxton
After the Proms die down, things are back to normal in London, with the start of new seasons from most companies.The Royal Opera offers an...
by Dominic McHugh
With 90 concerts and over 120 events, the BBC Proms 2006 are the highpoint of the classical music calendar.Celebrations of the anniversaries of Mozart and...
by Ben Hogwood
This year the BBC Proms have reached the ‘Nelson’ figure: 111 not out, and showing signs of strengthening each year.This term there are 74 concerts...
