A favorite art song performance from Peter Russell A favorite art song performance from Peter Russell

William Parker‘s career launch coincided with the closet door fully opening for American male classical vocalists; the cruel irony is that Will was also an early AIDS casualty, gone in 1993 at 49.

La gioconda

La gioconda / Metropolitan Opera

Renata Tebaldi, Carlo Bergonzi, Fiorenza Cossotto, and Cornell MacNeil are the golden age quartet in a performance of Ponchielli‘s opera from 1968

Streamed April 4, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Pelléas et Mélisande

Pelléas et Mélisande / BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Ryan Wigglesworth conducts Huw Montague Rendall and Sophie Bevan in the title roles in a performance recorded last week in Glasgow.

Streamed April 4, 2026 at 1:00 PM
A favorite art song performance from feliks A favorite art song performance from feliks

This song has always been one of my favorites.

A favorite art song performance from Remko Jas A favorite art song performance from Remko Jas

The song recitals I remember most vividly were, unsurprisingly, the most vivid ones.

My 600 performance life My 600 performance life

Parterre Box acknowledges Riccardo Muti‘s 600th performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by highlighting two of his favorite singers — under a different conductor.

A favorite art song performance from Krunoslav A favorite art song performance from Krunoslav

The staggeringly great Ukraine-born Jewish bass Mark Reizen sings “The Ebullient Kura Swirls” a/k/a “The Persian Love Song” by Moldova-born Jewish composer Anton Rubinstein.

Anime sante degli avi Anime sante degli avi

Madama Butterfly confronts anime, virtual reality, and weeaboos in Matthew Ozawa‘s bold production at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Sfortuna nell’amore vale fortuna al giuoco Sfortuna nell’amore vale fortuna al giuoco

Parterre Box is announcing a formal partnership with Kalshi Inc. 

A favorite art song performance from Ivy Lin A favorite art song performance from Ivy Lin

Frida Leider is a major Wagnerian soprano who does not sound like a Wagnerian soprano.

Hit me with your best Shoshty Hit me with your best Shoshty

Barrie Kosky’s zany production of The Nose time-steps back onto the Komische Oper Berlin stage.

A favorite bass performance from Michael Anthonio A favorite bass performance from Michael Anthonio

As a (former) bass singer myself, I’ve always been captivated by this aria.

Suffering a sea-change Suffering a sea-change

Calixto Bieito‘s production of Idomeneo at La Monnaie is anchored by a committed cast, but gets swept up in pseudo-psychoanalytic imagery — and foot fetishism.

Which witch? Which witch?

Washington National Opera offered a searing production of Robert Ward’s opera The Crucible, directed by WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, as the second installment in the company’s next chapter.

A favorite performance from Margarete Cum Klose A favorite performance from Margarete Cum Klose

Pure class. Kurt Moll really knew his own voice inside out.

Un ballo in maschera

Un ballo in maschera / Berlin Staatsoper Unter den Linden

Enrique Mazzola conducts a live performance from Berlin starring Charles Castronovo, Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Anna Netrebko, and Anna Kissjudit

Streamed March 29, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Lohengrin

Lohengrin / Baden-Baden

Joana Mallwitz conducts Piotr Beczała, Rachel Willis-Sørensen, Tanja Ariane Baumgartner, and Wolfgang Koch in a slightly delayed performance from Baden-Baden

Streamed March 28, 2026 at 2:00 PM
La traviata

La traviata / Metropolitan Opera

Lisette Oropesa leads a live broadcast from New York

Streamed March 28, 2026 at 1:00 PM
A favorite bass performance from Christopher Corwin A favorite bass performance from Christopher Corwin

As we reach the end of “Bass Month” I’d like to call attention to the superb American Gregory Reinhart who particularly shone in music by Jean-Philippe Rameau.

Follow the signs Follow the signs

Opera directors could learn a thing or two from Deaf Broadway’s vivacious performance of Jeanine Tesori‘s Violet.

A favorite bass performance from TildyDiva A favorite bass performance from TildyDiva

The greatest bass performance I ever experienced was actually four – four performances in four roles.

Road shows Road shows

Brendan Latimer hitches a ride with members of the “site-responsive opera” movement who are taking their shows out of the opera house — and out of the box.

Gild the Lily Gild the Lily

Lisette Oropesa, Piotr Buszewski, and Luca Salsi feature in a rote revival of Michael Mayer‘s cloying production of La traviata.

A favorite bass performance from William Guanbo Su A favorite bass performance from William Guanbo Su

This performance was introduced to me by Norman Treigle’s granddaughter —very fine mezzo-soprano Emily Treigle; while I was preparing the role of Olin Blitch, and it completely changed my understanding of the character.