Author: Gilly Lloyd

Image courtesy of Nice Opera In a coproduction with the Anthéa Theatre of Antibes, Nice Opera stages Georges Bizet’s opera-comique, Carmen. The production stars Ramona Zaharia as the fiery, passionate and seductive Carmen, and Jean-François Barros as Don José, the army corporal who falls for Carmen’s attractions. Jean-Fernand Setti is Escamillo, the handsome toreador who…

Opéra Royale de Versailles presents Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s lyrical masterpiece, David et Jonathas, regarded by many as one of the miracles of Baroque opera. The role of David is sung by Belgian countertenor Reinoud Van Mechelen, that of Jonathas by French soprano Caroline Arnaud, and the role of Saül by French baritone David Witczak. The conductor…

Jean-Yves Thibaudet plays the Khachaturian Piano Concerto © E Caren Estonian conductor, Paavo Järvi, leads Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw Orchestra in a programme of music from Northern and Eastern Europe – the Dutch premiere of Vesper by Estonian composer, Ester Mägi, Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto, with soloist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Stravinsky’s ballet score for Petrushka. The programme opens…

Monte-Carlo Ballet in Alexei Ratmansky’s Wartime Elegy Monte-Carlo Ballet takes to the stage this month with a three-part programme which closes the Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo festival. Accompanied by the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Jesko Sirvend, the company performs Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, Ratmansky’s Wartime Elegy, and a new ballet by Marco Geocke…

Poster courtesy of Nice Opera Nice Opera stages a new production of Giachino Rossini’s Le barbier de Séville (The Barber of Seville), with a cast led by Rossinians Lilly Jørstad, Dave Monaco and Gurgen Baveyan. Lilly Jørstad sings the role of Rosina, tenor Dave Monaco is Count Almaviva, bass-baritone Gurgen Baveyan is the barber Figaro,…

Kazuki Yamada and the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra © Sasha Gusov In collaboration with the Festival Printemps des Arts, the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra pays tribute to the music of Maurice Ravel – the 150th anniversary of whose birth is celebrated this month. Led by Music Director, Kazuki Yamada, the Orchestra is joined by guest pianist Nelson…

Omar Sosa © Massimo Mantovani Cuban composer and pianist, Omar Sosa, has just launched the documentary of his life and music – Omar Sosa’s 88 Well Tuned Drums – on Amazon TVOD, the documentary having previously been shown only at jazz festivals. Sosa, regarded as one of the most versatile jazz artists of the day,…

The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra with Lahav Shani © Oden Antman This month, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra embarks on a five-city tour of Florida and California, presented by American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic (AFIPO). Led by Music Director Lahav Shani, the tour marks the orchestra’s first return to the US since 2022. The programs will…

Lise Davidsen in Beethoven’s Fidelio © Karen Almond/Met Opera The latest cinema production from the Metropolitan Opera, Beethoven’s Fidelio, screens on March 15 in The Met Live-in-HD series. This production, which will be available in more than 1800 theatres worldwide, stars soprano Lise Davidsen in her Met role debut as Leonore, with bass René Pape…

Poster courtesy of Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo This year, Monte-Carlo’s Printemps des Arts festival pays tribute to French composer, conductor and essayist Pierre Boulez. The festival was created in 1970 on the initiative of Princess Grace of Monaco, and has been presided over by HRH the Princess of Hanover since 1984. Under the direction…