Soprano Meryl Dominguez may still be young, but her talent is already turning heads and gaining critical and popular approbation. In a recent concert with The Dallas Opera, The Dallas Morning News praised her “fabulous singing”, saying that they’d be “thrilled to hear” her on any stage. Her star turn Read more…
Soprano Lisette Oropesa has been lighting up the great stages of the world for the last 10 years. The Cuban-American soprano is currently working her magic at the Royal Opera House, singing the title role in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, but that’s only one of the many exciting productions she Read more…
It was one of those moments when the entire audience was enraptured. It was during Rosa Feola’s “Caro nome” in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s latest production of Verdi’s Rigoletto. I had the good fortune of being in the audience on opening night. As I basked in her sounds, I decided Read more…
Saimir Pirgu is one of those talents that seemed destined for greatness from the very beginning. Pavarotti discovered him when Pirgu was only 19. He went on to study many of the great tenor roles with the operatic titan. At 22, Pirgu won over Claudio Abbado with half an aria. Read more…
Joan Sutherland was the first operatic soprano I ever knew. My passion for opera began with a 1971 Decca recording of Verdi’s Rigoletto in which Joan played Gilda opposite Pavarotti’s Duke of Mantua. Although never a master of diction, Sutherland had an unforgettable voice with a natural flair for coloratura passages.
They were all the rage in the early 19th century, a time when bel canto dominated the operatic stage. The vast majority of mad scenes were written for the leading soprano, providing her the ultimate opportunity to showcase her skills. Many of these pieces are extremely demanding, full of Read more…