Kiri Te Kanawa News

Houston Grand Opera (HGO) continues its 54 th season with Verdi's haunting and tragic tale Rigoletto. Rigoletto, which was last performed at HGO in 2001, returns to the Wortham Theater Centerwith a powerful new staging of Michael Yeargan's classic production that was inspired by Italianpainter Giorgio di Chirico.

Under the direction of conductor and violin virtuoso Vladimir Spivakov, the National Philharmonic of Russia is joined by 2007 Tchaikovsky Competition Gold Medalist, Mayuko Kamio, in a program featuring work by Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Prokofiev at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, April 3, 7:30 p.m.

Under the direction of conductor and violin virtuoso Vladimir Spivakov, the National Philharmonic of Russia is joined by 2007 Tchaikovsky Competition Gold Medalist, Mayuko Kamio, in a program featuring work by Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Prokofiev at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, April 3, 7:30 p.m.

Eight new productions, four of which are company premieres, will highlight the Metropolitan Opera's 2009-10 season. General Manager Peter Gelb and Music Director James Levine jointly announced plans that include: the Met premieres of Rossini's Armida, Verdi's Attila, Jan?ček's From the House of the Dead, and Shostakovich's The Nose; new productions of Bizet's Carmen, Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Thomas's Hamlet, and Puccini's Tosca; and 18 revivals from the company's repertory. The season is the first to be entirely planned under Gelb's leadership, in collaboration with Levine (the past three seasons were planned before Gelb became General Manager in 2006-07 but included some productions, repertoire, and casting changes made by Gelb).

Ravinia Festival's Box Office officially opens for walk-up sales on Saturday, May 17 during a day filled with discounts, the chance to purchase pavilion seating to some sold-out concerts and promotions and samples from some of Ravinia's sponsors.

Prior to the opening performances of Marguerite and for one night only - Sunday April 13 at 7PM - jazz legend and triple Oscar-winning composer Michel Legrand will give a rare London concert performing his own work accompanied by two of the world's top jazz musicians.

Now that the 50th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony is history, and before the Tony Awards season sneaks up on us, it might be a good time to do a little investigating into the relationship between the category that both award shows recognize-Best Musical, of course.

Kimmel Center Chairman William P. Hankowsky, Acting President and COO Natalye Paquin, and Vice President of Programming and Education Mervon Mehta, today announced the 2007-08 season of Kimmel Center Presents concerts, recitals and dance presentations. The Kimmel Center opened its doors in December 2001, and has notably and positively transformed the Philadelphia-region performing arts scene. Encompassing classical, jazz, world, pop, educational, and dance presentations, the Kimmel Center continues its tradition of presenting a musically and culturally diverse line-up of performing artists to the Philadelphia-region community, September 16, 2007 - May 10, 2008.

Legendary former Beatles member Paul McCartney will be involved with a new stage show

English National Opera announces that Michael Ball will perform the role of Hajj/Poet in the new production of Robert Wright & George Forrest's KISMET. Based on themes of Alexander Borodin and the play by Edward Knoblock, the book is by Charles Lederer & Luther Davies. This is the first new West End production for almost 30 years.

Conductor/Artistic Director Sung Jin Hong offers his perspective on Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris and West Side Story

A 'virtuoso' adaption of Phantom with a Woman in White suite to be released on May 30.