Torsten Kerl to Perform Tannh‰user

Casting changes continue at the Bayreuth Festival, now only three months
away.

The Kathleen Ferrier Awards 2012

This year’s Kathleen Ferrier Awards final was both a competition and a
celebration, marking as it did the centenary anniversary of the great singer’s birth.

Christopher Koelsch Tapped by LA Opera

Christopher Koelsch has been tapped Wednesday as the new president and chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Opera. Koelsch, 41, was the opera’s chief financial officer and will take the new post September 15.

Ignacio Garcia-Belenguer Appointed

Ignacio Garcia-Belenguer, 45, has been named as the new general manager of Madrid’s opera, Teatro Real.

Uwe Eric Laufenberg Resigns

The director of the Cologne Opera, Uwe Eric Laufenberg, has confirmed at the
press conference this afternoon that he will leave his post at the end of the
coming season. His contract runs until 2016.

Denoke Bows Out of Bayreuth

Soprano Angela Denoke announced on Wednesday that she would not be appearing as Br¸nnhilde, one of the critically important roles, at the 2013 Bayreuth Festival Ring Cycle.

Cologne Opera to Cancel Next Season?

On Tuesday evening, Cologne Opera’s director indicated he was planning to cancel the next season, 2012-2013.

Chinese Conductor to Lead Italian Opera

The Chinese conductor and pianist Xu Zhong will be the new artistic director
of an Italian opera house, the Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania.

Mishap at the Musikfreunde

Tenor Johan Botha had just started carving his steak when his phone rang. A
director of Vienna’s Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde was on the line with an
emergency request.

International HD Broadcast of Rigoletto by Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House started doing opera and ballet broadcasts before many other houses, and is now expanding its schedule. On April 17th, Verdi’s Rigoletto is being streamed live in over 600 cinemas in 21 countries.