OperaVision

Opera Road Trip – Czech Opera | From Mozart's Prague to Janáček Why is Czech opera considered one of Europe's richest musical traditions? Why did Prague become Mozart's favourite operatic city? And how did Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák and Leoš Janáček shape the operatic repertoire we know today? In this episode of Opera Road Trip , host Sebastian F. Schwarz explores more than four centuries of...

In this episode of OPERA Road Trip, host Sebastian F. Schwarz turns to Belgium—a country whose operatic culture emerged at the crossroads of Europe's great linguistic and political traditions. From the Habsburg courts of Brussels and the French influence on eighteenth-century musical life to the revolutionary atmosphere surrounding Belgian independence in 1830, the episode traces how opera became...

In this episode of OPERA Road Trip , host Sebastian F. Schwarz turns to France—one of the historic strongholds of the European operatic tradition—shaped by a dense network of public institutions, a strong culture of state support, and a long-standing belief in opera as a public good. From the court of Louis XIV and the founding of the Académie Royale de Musique to the grand opéra tradition of the...

In this episode of  OPERA Road Trip , host Sebastian F. Schwarz turns to the United Kingdom, tracing a uniquely complex operatic landscape shaped as much by private initiative and tradition as by public institutions. From the courtly masques of the 17th century to Purcell's Dido and Aeneas , from Handel's operatic rivalries in London to Britten's reinvention of a modern British voice, the episode...

Polish opera takes centre stage in this episode of Opera Road Trip . From Warsaw to Kraków, Gdańsk and Poznań, Sebastian F. Schwarz explores how Poland built one of Europe's most resilient and decentralised operatic ecosystems. Introduced at the royal court in the 17th century, opera became a powerful tool of national identity — especially during the 19th century partitions. Stanisław Moniuszko's...

In this episode of Opera Road Trip , host Sebastian F. Schwarz turns to Croatia as a revealing case study for the operatic realities of smaller European countries. Blessed with one of the most striking Mediterranean coastlines and internationally known cities such as Split and Dubrovnik, Croatia attracts nearly five times as many visitors each year as it has inhabitants. Yet this global visibility...

In this episode of Opera Road Trip , host Sebastian Schwarz turns the spotlight from national operatic traditions to a crucial gateway for emerging artists: singing competitions . Against the backdrop of increasingly opaque casting processes, the episode explores why competitions continue to play a decisive — and controversial — role in operatic careers today. Schwarz is joined by key figures from...

Opera Road Trip is Operavision's new two-year podcast series, a journey through the 17 countries that currently partner with OperaVision , discovering their operatic history and current relationship with the artform, and meet ing along the way young talents finding their voice and seasoned professionals who have devoted their lives to the stage, discovering the diverse paths that have led them to...

Opera Road Trip is Operavision's new two-year podcast series, a journey through the 17 countries that currently partner with OperaVision , discovering their operatic history and current relationship with the artform, and meet ing along the way young talents finding their voice and seasoned professionals who have devoted their lives to the stage, discovering the diverse paths that have led them to...

Opera Road Trip's second episode is dedicated to opera in Ukraine. We hear from Anna Gadetzka, program direction of Open Opera Ukraine about creating alternatives to the state-run opera factories; from Vasyl Vovkun, director of the Lviv National Opera, Bogdan Strutynsky, director of the National Operetta of Ukraine and Galyna Grygorenko, first deputy minister of culture of Ukraine, about the count...

Opera Road Trip is Operavision's new two-year podcast series, a journey through the 17 countries that currently partner with OperaVision , discovering their operatic history and current relationship with the artform, and meet ing along the way young talents finding their voice and seasoned professionals who have devoted their lives to the stage, discovering the diverse paths that have led them to...

In the final episode of this Next Generation series, we ask two experts working at Oper Frankfurt to share their understanding of the challenges facing young artists entering a programme. From the shock of that first time on the main stage, to finding a common language when it comes to technique, and finally allowing the personality to really shine through, Felice Venanzoni and Hedwig Fassbender o...

This month ,  we're joined by young artists Chiara Boccabella and Francesco Leone in the run up to the Accademia Rossiniana Alberto Zedda this summer.  They share thoughts on  preparing for auditions (the key lies in character!) ,  and how exactly to bring lightness and joy to singing Rossini so that it feels (almost) effortless. Watch now on OperaVision Opera for Peace documentary  with Leonardo...

This month, we are back with our emerging artists from Palau de les Arts in Valencia, where we discover how steady and slow is the key to vocal progression, how going  beyond your comfort zone is necessary when hustling for work, and which key elements to take from a programme into the professional world. Mezzo-soprano Laura Orueta takes her first professional steps and soprano Iria Goti looks ahe...

This month, we're back at Oper Frankfurt following up with our four young artists, where juggling roles and dealing with vocal fatigue are part of life at the height of a busy season.  Our singers share stories of setting boundaries, juggling repertoire, and how sometimes saying no is essential to protecting both vocal and mental health. Featuring sopranos Nombulelo Yende and Clara Hyoyoung Kim, m...

In an industry where self-doubt can be paralysing, Opera for Peace Ambassador and soprano Ailyn Perez shares her techniques for helping emerging artists to trust their voices, how to navigate away from the feeling of continually being judged, and she acknowledges her own vulnerability when approaching a new piece – a reminder that even those at the pinnacle of their careers experience moments of u...

With its extensive international travel, sets and costumes created for individual productions, many of which are then disposed of, opera does not have a reputation for being particularly green. However, companies and individuals are now making great strides towards sustainability in the face of the climate crisis and are continuing to find ways to make spaces and performances more environmentally...

For many artists there are barriers that go much deeper than the gender binary, but how can we ensure people of every gender have real access and are genuinely welcomed in the opera world?  Trailblazing American baritone Lucia Lucas reveals the highs and lows of inhabiting a role close to her heart; Lili Elbe at the Theater St. Gallen, about the eponymous painter who was the first person to have g...

'Classical opera has a racism problem' ran a headline in the New York Times in 2019, one of many articles in recent years to discuss the subject. Racism is high on the list of issues the opera world is looking to tackle, and in this episode we're joined by two artists from different sides of the Atlantic, exploring how they are striving to create an opera and classical music culture that better re...

'Is opera the most misogynistic art form?' asked Charlotte Higgins in The Guardian back in 2016, noting that the genre itself seems to devour women. In Classical Music Magazine in 2020, Becca Marriott argued that 'Sexism is preventing women from forging a career in opera'. Over the course of the next episodes, we are looking at how voices in opera are calling for change to make it better for the n...

Opera has long been accused of elitism, racism and misogyny, and over the course of the next few episodes we are looking at how voices in opera are calling for change to make it better for all our young artists. We begin by looking at the representation of Asian culture on the operatic stage, and investigate the lived experience of artists who are striving to make the opera world a place where eve...

This month, OperaVision is back in Paris at Opera for Peace's second academy, with our expert the soprano Sumi Jo sharing her warm yet strict approach to working with emerging artists, and giving us tips on sustaining a long and healthy career. Meanwhile we explore what it means to come to opera later in life with tenor Raùl Guttierrez, and the importance of protecting your voice and the pursuit o...

OperaVision heads to the Palau de les Arts and their Centre de Perfeccionament in Valencia, where two of our young artists talk about the challenge of balancing outside opportunities with in-house commitments, the realisation that insecurities as an artist happen at  every  level, and  the difference between being treated like a young artist and a young professional.   View the OperaVision website...

This month, OperaVision takes you along the Adriatic Coast to the Rossini Opera Festival's Accademia Rossiniana's 'Alberto Zedda' in Pesaro. Three young artists negotiate their way through the packed auditions, develop their Rossini style and technique, and find ways to make roles truly their own. We learn what they are discovering from their Masterclass with Rosetta Cucchi, such as using Stanisla...

This month, OperaVision takes you from the Studio at Oper Frankfurt to backstage at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. Nombulelo Yende shares her hopes and fears about performing in front of experts and an international audience, while Clara Hyoyoung Kim is honest about the challenges of clashing schedules and saying 'no' when it is necessary. Meanwhile the visiting expert Matthias Rexroth sets the...