#advice from verdiprati

[verdiprati]

Thirteen ways to approach your favorite opera singers

In 2013 when I went from a casual opera fan to a more committed one and joined the Tumblr opera community, I wanted very much to meet the opera singer I idolized, but I did not know how to go about it. At the time, I had seen some corrective advice on Tumblr about how NOT to interact with your favorite opera stars, but it would have helped me if someone had spelled out in positive terms some of the social norms of opera fan/star interaction so that I would know what was possible.

Four years and many opera adventures later, I’ve learned a lot that I wish I could convey to my past self. Since I can’t go back in time, I’m writing up this post to offer a few pointers to newer fans.

This advice is mostly based on my personal observations and I’m definitely open to other viewpoints and additional information. If the detailed explanations all seem obvious to you, then you are probably not the target audience for this post! It is meant for people who want to make a connection with their favorite opera stars but feel mystified and intimidated by the world of professional opera singers.

FIRST: SOME GENERAL ADVICE.

Having strong feelings about opera and about your favorite artists does not make you “creepy.” For one thing, opera is meant to stir feelings such as love and sadness. For another thing, celebrity crushes are perfectly normal. Even celebrities get celebrity crushes.

What makes a person “creepy” is behavior that shows a disregard for other people’s feelings, time, or privacy.

There is a long tradition of opera fans showing love for their favorite stars. It is fine to express your enthusiasm for opera and for your favorite artists, and it is totally normal to want to meet them! (It is also OK to not want to meet them; some people prefer to keep their idols on a distant pedestal.) Just always stay attentive to the artist’s signals. If you know that you have difficulty reading social cues, you might even want to ask for guidance from someone you trust who can help you with social steering.

That being said, I have observed an odd twist to fan/artist interaction: sometimes fans approach artists with excessive caution and reserve, understating their own desire to connect with the artist, feigning nonchalance or saying things along the lines of “we could meet just for a minute really quickly if you want.” I think artists can sometimes misread these signals and get the impression that a person is not really a fan and would actually rather be elsewhere, which could be a little hurtful. Yes, definitely respect performing artists’ time and feelings and privacy; sure, hold back from fawning and gushing over the artists if you think you would embarrass yourself; but there is a virtue in simply and straightforwardly telling someone that you admire them, that you are honored (or would be honored) to meet them, and that you would really love to have a photo of yourself with them or their autograph as a memento of the occasion.

=== THIRTEEN WAYS TO APPROACH YOUR FAVORITE OPERA SINGERS ===

First part: some things you can do even if you are not able to go to your favorite artists’ shows in person.

1. LINK UP WITH OTHER FANS. Look around on social media. The most prominent opera stars tend to have communities of fans gathered around them. Singers are individuals and they can have different quirks in how they interact with the public. Your best information about your favorite singers may come from other fans. If you join a community and earn some trust you may get to hear about other fans’ close encounters of the operatic kind.

2. INTERACT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Some opera singers have a personal presence on social media; some do not. You should be able to tell whether a singer manages their own Twitter, Instagram, fan page on Facebook, etc, or leaves it in the hands of a PR professional. Many singers are approachable this way. They do not necessarily owe you a response if you tweet at them or comment on their posts, but I see a lot of genial fan-artist interactions online, and those can result in the artist recognizing you if you finally get to meet them in real life. (This has happened to me more than once! Val has a cute story about it too.)

If your circumstances allow it, I recommend using your real name and/or photo for any social media accounts that you use to interact with your favorite artists. I think it fosters trust and helps them feel that they are talking to a real person.

As for what kinds of things to say to artists (or when tagging / @-mentioning them) on social media, I have three rules that I try to follow:

Keep it positive.

Keep it positive.

When in doubt, keep it positive.

You are allowed to have critical opinions, of course! But you can be selective about where you express them. If you trash a singer’s colleagues—not just other singers but also, for example, the director or costume designer for their current show—on their Facebook fan page or in a tweet @-mentioning them, you put them in an awkward position: if they “like” your comment, it may appear that they are publicly endorsing your criticism of the people they work with.

It is good to keep compliments 100% unambiguously positive, too. I’ve seen singers react with hurt feelings to social media comments that were clearly meant to be compliments, but that were phrased in a sort of backhanded or sardonic way. Clear and sincere expressions of enthusiasm never go amiss.

3. KNOW WHO THE ARTIST’S AGENT IS. This is not in itself a way of approaching your favorite opera singers, but you may need this information if you want to send fan mail or a backstage request. Here are the artist rosters for some of the larger agencies: IMG Artists, Askonas Holt, Harrison Parrott, and Maxine Robertson Management. If your fave does not appear on those lists, try googling “[artist name] agent”. Normally each artist’s webpage on the agent’s site will have contact information for the main person who represents them.

4. SEND FAN MAIL. Sending a letter of admiration written on actual dead-tree paper is still a time-honored and perfectly acceptable way of reaching out to let an artist know that they have inspired you or touched your heart. If you cannot find contact information on the singer’s website, you can email their agent and ask where to send fan mail for them. Keep your letter reasonably succinct and focused on the artist’s work and its importance to you.

5. PETITION LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO BRING YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST TO TOWN. I am not sure how often this works, but it can’t hurt, right?!

Make a list of opera companies, orchestras, and concert/recital series near you that regularly hire artists of similar professional esteem to your fave. (This last point is important—some smaller organizations do not have the resources to bring in A-list artists, and it is best to make a proposal only if the organization could realistically fulfill it.) Then write polite, formal letters or emails to those organizations naming your favorite artist, explaining why you think the artist would be a good fit for the organization and its audience, and saying how much you would love to see this artist perform there. Without going overboard, you may back up your case with one or two YouTube links or quotes from recent reviews.

You might not get a reply and you might not see instant results, since classical music and opera programming is often planned years in advance. However, you have little to lose—the worst case scenario is that your request gets ignored. The potential upside, if your favorite singer comes to perform near you, is awesome.

Second part: some things you can do if your favorite artists come to perform in your area, or if you are able to travel to see their shows.

6. GO TO CD SIGNINGS. Although they cannot be expected at every show, CD signings, when offered, typically take place in the lobby of the theater immediately following a concert or opera. Signings may or may not be announced in advance. In my experience there are always CDs for sale so you can buy one to be signed on the spot. There are not always credit card readers, though, so take cash to every concert if you want to be able to seize the opportunity. (The price for CDs is typically rounded off to $15 or $20 in the US.)

There may be a sign or announcement saying that the artist will only sign the specific CD they are promoting. In the absence of any such declaration, though, it is generally OK to bring your own CD, photograph, or other material for the artist to sign, or you can get them to sign your copy of the program or cast sheet. (I even saw a necktie being signed by the artist in one case, and I have to assume there have been far stranger requests.) For convenience, you can bring the booklet from a CD and leave the actual disc and jewel case at home.

It is also usually acceptable—unless there is an announcement to the contrary—to ask if the artist would be willing to pose for a quick photo or selfie with you. It is acceptable to ask, but the answer may not always be yes; if the artist demurs, be prepared to wave off your request and reiterate your thanks for the signing.

You will probably have a chance to chat very briefly with the artist. Be mindful of the line of people behind you as well as of the artist’s time; keep your remarks short and light. If your opera idol’s co-stars or accompanist are doing signings at the same table, be gracious to them; say thanks or “bravo” for the performance and collect their autograph(s) on your program.

I am still not sure of the etiquette about how many signatures you can ask an artist for at once, but one autograph is certainly the norm and I personally would place the max at two (e.g. asking the artist to sign one item for yourself and one for an absent friend who is a huge fan). Be prepared to give a name for the artist to dedicate each item to.

Bonus tip: Bring a spare Sharpie just in case. You may become the hero of the hour. (I have been the Sharpie-supplying hero on more than one occasion!)

7. GO TO PUBLIC Q&A SESSIONS, AUDIENCE TALK-BACK EVENTS, AND SIMILAR. Although this type of supplemental programming is sometimes announced months in advance along with the opera or concert in question, it often is added to the calendar on relatively short notice. If you have tickets to a performance, check the sponsoring organization’s website and social media frequently in the week or two leading up to the performance date.

If audience interaction is invited, you have a great opportunity to talk to your favorite artist about a topic you both care about: their professional work. Come with a few questions in mind but be aware that the moderator may steer conversation in certain directions. If you are called on to ask a question, you may briefly introduce yourself and say how much you admire the artist, but keep these statements really short. Really, really short. Then move on to your question.

It is not unusual for the artist(s) to hang around for a few minutes after a Q&A type of event and chat with audience members. If you see them doing this, go ahead and walk up to say “thank you for taking my question” or “I just want to say how awesome you are.” Just be respectful of the artist’s time and of other people’s desire for access to the artist.

8. TAKE CURTAIN CALL PHOTOS (OR VIDEOS) AND SHARE THEM ON SOCIAL MEDIA. This is the one thing I have done that has resulted in opera singers contacting ME out of the blue (!!!), asking for higher-res copies or permission to republish my photos of them taking their bows. Some singers don’t seem to care about curtain call photos, but many value them as mementos of their performances.

There is one major rule to follow: it is very important to wait until the performance has ended and the applause has started before you even take out your phone or camera and point it at the stage. Taking photos or videos during a performance is strongly frowned upon and can distract and anger the performers as well as your fellow audience members.

Many venues have signs or program notes saying that all photography is forbidden inside the auditorium. Despite these warnings, I have never had an usher try to stop me from taking curtain call photos, and even venues with these warnings have retweeted my curtain call photos, which I take as a form of tacit approval. Obviously, if any theater official asks you to stop taking photos, you should comply immediately.

Minjaš Žugić has made a real art form out of his curtain call portrait photography. His work is inspirational, but keep in mind that it is the result of years of investment in photographic equipment, editing software, and skill development. The average opera fan takes much humbler cell phone pictures, and that’s just fine.

9. SEND A NOTE OR GIFT BACKSTAGE. Like fan mail, this is a time-honored tradition!

What to send? A brief note expressing your excitement for the show and wishing the artist “toi toi toi” or “in bocca al lupo” (the opera world’s phrases for good luck) is always welcome! The artist will be busy getting ready for the show, mentally and physically, so you might want save your longer correspondence for fan mail.

It is not necessary to spend money on a gift; a note alone is perfectly good. However, if you have the means and want to send something, a bouquet of flowers is very traditional; goodies like a box of sweets or a bottle of champagne are also well within the norm. If you have artsy skills, small handcrafts are also nice.

One thing to keep in mind: if an artist is performing on tour, they may not be able to take hard-to-pack items like bouquets or bottles with them when they leave. That may be fine with you—they can simply enjoy the flowers in their dressing room, for instance—or you may want to come up with something more portable.

How to send? The simplest way is to drop off your note and/or gift at the stage door in person. The larger opera houses and concert halls will generally have a guard or receptionist stationed just inside the stage door in the hours before a performance. Locate the stage door by asking at the box office, walking around the theater, or googling “[venue name] stage door.” Walk in and state that you would like to leave a note or gift for so-and-so. This is pretty normal—I have never had the request declined. It helps if your note or gift is clearly labeled with the artist’s name. You generally will not be invited in to deliver the item to the artist yourself; the venue staff will take it to them.

Leave plenty of time before the performance (say, 30-60 minutes) for making the drop-off. Front-of-house staff like ushers, coat-check attendants, and box office workers probably will not be in a position to take items backstage to the artist.

If you are dealing with a smaller venue that might not have a stage door receptionist, or if you are in any doubt about approaching the stage door, contact the venue’s business office by phone or email a few business days in advance. Explain that you are looking forward to so-and-so’s performance on such-and-such date (be specific!); mention that you would like to drop off a note, bouquet, or small gift if acceptable; and ask how best to go about it.

You should also call or email the venue well in advance if you want to have something delivered to the stage door (e.g. by a local florist, or by a carrier such as FedEx) on your behalf; they will be able to give you the correct addressing information. They may want you to use an address for the stage door or loading dock that is not published on the venue’s website.

10. BRING A NOTE OR GIFT UP TO THE STAGE AT CURTAIN CALL. This is something I have seen on a few occasions, though I have not tried it myself: instead of sending a note, bouquet of flowers, or small gift backstage, a member of the audience will sometimes carry it up to the edge of the stage during curtain calls and offer it directly to the artist.

This strategy seems like it must work best at venues without orchestra pits. There is also a tradition of flinging flowers across the pit to the stage when a favorite opera star steps out for their curtain call, but that seems less personal—the artist might not see where the flowers are coming from.

11. STAGE-DOOR YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS. Stage-dooring refers to the practice of fans congregating outside the stage door after a show with the hope of briefly meeting the stars on their way out of the venue. It seems to be common at some of the major opera houses such as the Met and the Royal Opera, and if you spend any time browsing opera fans’ social media, you will see stage door selfies and group photos.

This is actually not something I have done myself, so I have limited advice on precisely how to go about it. Perhaps someone else can chime in?

As in any other situation, stage door behavior should be respectful of the artist’s time and feelings. Address the artist as “Ms. ---” or “Mr. ---” (or “Signora,” “Monsieur,” “Dame,” etc., as applicable!) to get their attention, unless you are already on a first-name basis. Ask politely for what you would like: “Would it be all right if I took a photo?” “Would you have time for a selfie?” “Would you be willing to autograph my program?” If the artist says she is tired or in a hurry, thank her for the performance and let her go. If the artist spends time with you and gives you an autograph, a selfie, or a bit of conversation, remember to thank her for that, too.

12. ATTEND POST-SHOW RECEPTIONS AND MEET-THE-ARTIST PARTIES. These events may or may not be well publicized in advance. Sometimes meet-the-artist events are by invitation only to high-level donors, but sometimes they are open to all ticket holders for a show. Sometimes there are post-show receptions with no formal “meet the artist” component arranged by the venue, but the artists might choose to put in an appearance.

I have had some very lovely chats with favorite singers over post-show drinks and I recommend sticking around for any receptions that you have the opportunity to enjoy!

As for how to approach artists at these events, it is like any other cocktail party or similar social situation, though with the slight twist that a star artist’s attention may be under more demand than other people’s. Sidle up and wait for a break in conversation. When the artist turns your way, say hello, introduce yourself, and tell them what a fantastic performance they just gave. Positive feedback and compliments are very much in order, especially in the hours immediately after a show!

You will have to read the situation a little bit to gauge how long to chat with the artist—try not to take longer than other people are doing, which could be anywhere from under a minute of quick greeting / admiration to several minutes of casual, wide-ranging conversation, depending what the event is like and how mobbed the artist is. If the artist seems to be hanging out with family or personal friends, err on the side of keeping your interaction brief.

I think it is generally OK to ask for an autograph or a selfie or offer the artist a fan letter or small gift at this kind of event: it is a form of compliment, and most artists are happy to oblige. Just keep in mind that it is primarily a social event and not a CD signing line. Make sure the artist gets time to chat with people and enjoy the party.

13. MAKE A BACKSTAGE REQUEST. If there is a singer who would be really special for you to meet, you can straight up ask for the opportunity to meet them. I really wish I had known this earlier! There is no guarantee that your request will be accepted, but it does not hurt to ask. The most standard sort of request is to ask if you may meet the artist backstage after a show.

I would generally recommend contacting the singer or their agent about two weeks in advance of the show you are going to see. If you can find direct contact information for the singer on their website, or if you are able to send them private messages online, you can go that route; otherwise, send an email to their agent. Making your request via a private channel of communication is best, since it might be awkward for the artist to respond to a public request on social media.

Keep your message businesslike and to the point. Here is a template based on emails I have sent to artists’ agents:

Subject: backstage request for [singer’s name] on [date] at [venue]

Hello,

I have been greatly impressed by [singer]'s work and I am very much looking forward to her recital at [venue] on [date]. Would I be able to meet her backstage briefly afterward, to say a word of admiration and perhaps request an autograph?

Thank you,

[my real name]

Allow about three business days for an answer to come back. After that point, if you have heard nothing, you may send a single, polite follow-up query; sometimes messages get lost in the shuffle. However, if your followup also gets no reply, I would read that silence as a “no.”

If your request is accepted, probably the artist will put your name on their backstage list. In most venues, access to the backstage area is restricted, and you will not be admitted backstage unless your name is “on the list.”

When the show ends, approach an usher and explain that you have arranged to meet the artist backstage, and ask where you should go. Go promptly after curtain down, but make sure and stop to collect any belongings you may have left at coat check, because it may close before you are done backstage.

When you get to the backstage entrance (which will probably be an interior door, not the exterior stage door), give your name to the guard and mention which artist you are there to see.

What the backstage experience is like will depend on numerous factors: How many people were onstage? How prestigious are the performers? Are you in a big city at a major opera house or at a smallish auditorium on a college campus seeing a show on tour? Are you part of a small crowd gathering to meet your opera idol, or is it just you? In some cases, the artist or the venue may have assistants guiding you around. In other cases, once you are through the door, you are more or less on your own. You might meet the artist at their dressing room, in the green room, or in a hallway. They may have changed to street clothes by the time you get there or they may still be in costume or in their concert clothes. They may be drinking champagne and celebrating the performance with their castmates or they may be exhausted and yearning for their hotel bed.

Despite the difficulty of generalizing about the backstage experience, the menu of common fan/star interactions is still similar to other in-person events. Lead off by introducing yourself and congratulating the artist on the performance they have just given. Say something about how much you admire them and why you wanted to meet them. You may offer a bouquet of flowers or another small gift if you have brought one, or a fan letter for the artist to read later, but it is certainly not required that you bring the artist anything. You can ask for an autograph or a selfie with the artist if you wish, or you can chat for a bit and say “I just wanted to tell you in person how much I admire you,” and leave it at that.

As always, be respectful not only of the artist but also of the other people in the room. Assume that everyone you meet backstage is someone important who has a good reason for being there.

With regard to the length of your visit, take cues from the artist and from the other people around you. When you sense that your time is up, thank the artist sincerely for their time and make for the exit. Congratulations! You have just met one of your favorite singers. Bask in the glow. :)

[verdiprati]

Yet more “ask verdiprati”

Continuing the series and catching up on some questions I promised to answer a year ago . . .

Q: I know you kind of answer this in your "about me" section but I've always been curious as to what draws non-singers to opera. What specifically about the art form is the biggest draw for you? In a similar vein: seeing as you aren't a singer are there some things about opera that you wish you understood but just can't quite get a grasp of? Basically do you feel that not being a musician hinders your enjoyment of opera in any way? 

A: It is hard to say what is the biggest draw for me! I have always really liked baroque instrumental music a lot, but I also like most of the historical range of instrumental “classical music,” from early (western) music to Mozart, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky to Joaquín Rodrigo and Aaron Copland. So I am not sure why baroque opera utterly transfixed me the first time I heard it while years of standard Met Opera fare on the radio (plus a little exposure to live opera performances: Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflöte, and Carmen) left me only mildly interested. There is something about the individuality and expressiveness of the human voice in opera that I now find very absorbing, and for some reason that plus the baroque musical aesthetic was the right combination to draw me in. 

I like highly formal poetry, too: Pope, Milton, Shakespeare, Donne. Perhaps there is something about the combination of music and text in baroque opera that made it “click” for me even though I could not understand the Italian in Alcina, the opera that first hooked me. I think I also like the strong rhythms and repeating structures typical of the baroque; they may plug into the same part of my brain that appreciates a well-constructed sonnet or heroic couplet.

I was pretty strictly a baroque-only opera enthusiast up until I went head over heels for my current favorite singer. She has really opened my mind to new things; I would never have gone to see Berg’s Lulu or Brett Dean’s Hamlet if she were not involved. (I still would not listen to either of those operas repeatedly the way I have listened to operas by Handel, Monteverdi, Lully, and Rameau over and over.)

I have definitely noticed that there is a preponderance of singers and other musicians among the younger (I can’t say “under 40″ anymore . . . let’s say “under 50″) opera crowd, and I am a bit of a strange beast for knowing almost nothing of music theory. I sometimes do feel that not being a musician hinders my enjoyment of opera, especially when music critics or other fans online discuss a performance in technical terms that I do not understand very well. I am sure I am missing out on layers of appreciation because I do not know how to analyze what I am hearing musically; I enjoy formal English poetry a great deal in part because I have been well trained in identifying poetic elements like chiasmus and zeugma, and I appreciate them when they are used really well. I think I also sometimes fail to appreciate the technical demands of a piece—it is not always obvious to me what passages of music are especially difficult to perform.

At the same time, I think it is nice that opera is a purely recreational enjoyment for me. My professional life is entirely unrelated. When I travel for opera, it is VACATION TIME. When I interact with opera singers, I am never hoping for the slightest wisp of professional, technical, or artistic advice; my presence is merely social and I can devote my attention entirely to appreciating them. Sometimes when I meet new people on the opera scene they ask “Are you a singer?” I always say “NO no no no nooooooo, I do not sing at all. But I am a very good audience member.”

Q: Who's your second favorite mezzo ;) (Or alternatively, your favorite historical singer)

A: Oh man, there are so many good mezzos, it is hard to pick one whom I would nominate as the runner-up to my current fave. Susan Graham was my first favorite mezzo, thanks to her Ruggiero on the Les Arts Florissants Alcina recording, and I maintain a warm admiration for her. Lorraine Hunt Lieberson was also someone I discovered early on in my life as an opera fan (in the DVD of Glyndebourne’s landmark Theodora), and I think she was quite wonderful; I am sorry I never saw her in performance. I also want to name Dorothea Röschmann even though she is a soprano; she has a dark, textural tone to her voice that sounds mezzo-ish to me. I would class her with Sarah Connolly and Christian Gerhaher as the best recitalists I’ve ever heard in live performance. And finally on this very crowded “second place” platform I would want to find room for Sonia Prina, if we count contraltos as a breed of mezzo. She has an un-pretty sound that rubs some people the wrong way but I’ve found her riveting as a character performer.

Nice alternate question about historical singers. I have not listened to a lot of historical recordings but my father’s music collection—which I listened to a lot while growing up—included two much-treasured LPs of Elizabethan English song performed by Alfred Deller, so I hold a special place in my heart for Deller in that repertoire.

Q: Hmmm... favourite opera? If you could interview/talk to one opera-involved person, who would it be (or do I even need to ask) and what would you talk to them about, ask them, etc?

A: Favorite opera is always a toss-up between Alcina and Semele. 

If you had asked me the second question back when I started this blog, the answer would have been that I was dying to talk to Sarah Connolly. I have now had that opportunity on many occasions, and I am not sure whom else I would want to talk to next! 

One burning question I’ve not yet asked Dame Sarah is what the heck is the beaded / be-chained / epauletted . . . thing she is wearing in the two headshots by Peter Warren that she used for several years. Is it considered a necklace? A capelet? A collar? Is it part of the dress she is wearing, or a separate piece layered on top of a strapless dress? (Is that even a dress? One cannot tell from the photos. It could be a bustier.) Who designed it? Does she own it, or was it borrowed for the photo shoot? Has she ever performed in it? I have never seen anyone else wearing anything remotely like it. It is so perfectly Sarah: she has a knack for carrying off dramatic jewelry, and this piece mixes fine craftsmanship and traditionally feminine details with a vaguely military or masculine shape (the suggestion of epaulettes and the placket of a dress uniform jacket down the front). 

You were perhaps expecting a more profound question about onstage artistry. What can I say? Fashion is a lot of fun to talk about. (I think Dame Sarah would agree.)

[verdiprati]

Upcoming Performances by Dame Sarah Connolly

[NOTE: this post is now out of date. Check the schedule tag on my blog for the most recent version of this list.]

After the jump: an unofficial schedule of Dame Sarah Connolly’s future performances. Those of you in Britain may catch a performance in London, Oxford, Worcester, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Buxton, Deal, or Lewes. Those on the Continent may see her in Berlin, Vienna, Brussels, Barcelona, Rotterdam, Stuttgart, Bordeaux, Vilabertran (near Figueres, Catalunya), or La Foce (Siena). Plus, Dame Sarah’s agency has mentioned future performances in Paris, Madrid, and New York, though no details are available yet. Don’t live near one of these places? Take in a concert from afar: I am adding online broadcast and livestream details as they become available.

This is not an authoritative list. These are the upcoming performances by Dame Sarah Connolly that I have been able to learn about from Dame Sarah's website (not currently being updated), her agent's website (Askonas Holt), Operabase, Bachtrack, Dame Sarah's Twitter, and generally ferreting around the web.

Some of these listings are not yet officially confirmed; you should of course check official sources before making plans and be aware that cast changes and cancellations can happen at any time.

I have added links to venue, ticketing, and broadcast information where available. Tips on new information are always welcome! Please contact me via email (verdiprati [at] selveamene [dot] com), Tumblr messaging, or ask box (plain prose only in the ask box; anything with links or an email address will get eaten by Tumblr filters) with corrections or additions.

Brett Dean, Hamlet (Gertrude) at Glyndebourne, last performance on July 6, 2017. Also starring Allan Clayton (Hamlet), Barbara Hannigan (Ophelia), Rod Gilfry (Claudius), Kim Begley (Polonius), and John Tomlinson (Ghost of Old Hamlet). With the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Jurowski.

[Livestream] The July 6 performance of Hamlet is scheduled for livestreaming to cinemas and online; the online stream will be free to watch and will remain online for a week. The streaming of the first part of the performance will be delayed about an hour in order to avoid imposing Glyndebourne’s traditional 90-minute “long interval” on online and cinema audiences; the second part will be relayed live or with minimal delay, according to my understanding. Hat tip to Avis Melodia for mentioning the livestream in the Sarah Connolly fan group on Facebook.

Recital at the Deal Festival, St George’s Church, Deal, Kent, July 8, 2017. With Joseph Middleton in a program titled “Love and Life.” Update: although Dame Sarah’s recital is still listed on the festival website as of this writing, the Astor Community Theatre has announced that she has withdrawn from the festival on advice of her doctor. Ruby Hughes will appear in recital with Joseph Middleton instead. Update update: although the recital date has come and gone, I want to note that I belatedly found an announcement about Dame Sarah’s withdrawal and Hughes’ substitution on the Deal Festival website.

Wagner, Das Rheingold (Fricka) at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusets, July 15, 2017. Update: as of July 4, Dame Sarah has been replaced by Stephanie Blythe in the role of Fricka. The BSO site has been updated to read, “Due to ill health, and on the advice of her doctor, Dame Sarah Connolly regretfully has had to withdraw from the BSO's performance of  Das Rheingold.” Operawire took note of the withdrawal and WBUR has published a short interview with Blythe about her stepping in. In a concert performance with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andris Nelsons. Also starring Thomas J. Mayer (Wotan), Kim Begley (Loge), David Cangelosi (Mime), Jochen Schmeckenbecker (Alberich), Morris Robinson (Fasolt), Ain Anger (Fafner), Malin Christensson (Freia), Jacqueline Echols (Woglinde), Catherine Martin (Wellgunde), Renée Tatum (Flosshilde), Patricia Bardon (Erda), David Butt Philip (Froh), and Ryan McKinney (Donner).

[Broadcast] As usual, this Saturday night concert by the BSO will be broadcast live by WCRB [update: without Dame Sarah’s participation] and presumably will be made available for listening on demand afterward.

Recital at the Buxton Festival, Buxton, July 22, 2017. Update: Dame Sarah is no longer listed on the Buxton program; she seems to have been replaced by Sir Thomas Allen, who will be performing in recital with Joseph Middleton.

Solo performance in a fundraising concert for Common and Kind, Union Chapel, Islington, London, July 25, 2017. Update: Common and Kind has tweeted that “Sarah Connolly has a bruised cord and is unable to sing indefinitely,” which I take to mean that she has withdrawn from this performance. 

Torsten Rasch, A Welsh Night at the Three Choirs Festival, Worcester, July 26, 2017. Update: Susan Bickley’s name now appears on the Three Choirs website in place of Dame Sarah’s. In a concert with Strauss’s Metamorphosen and Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass. Conducted by Frank Beermann. A newly orchestrated version of Rasch’s song sequence A Welsh Night will be premiered at the 2017 Three Choirs Festival; Sarah Connolly performed the original version for mezzo-soprano and piano with Joseph Middleton at their 2015 Three Choirs recital.

Recital at Incontri in Terra di Siena, La Foce, Siena, Italy, August 5, 2017. With accompanist Julius Drake. Songs by Mahler, Berlioz, Poulenc, and Debussy. This is a small festival and advance booking is recommended.

Recital at the Schubertíada Vilabertran, Vilabertran (near Figueres), Catalunya, August 24, 2017. With Malcolm Martineau. Songs by Strauss, Zemlinsky, Eisler, Korngold, Copland, and Britten. Broadcast possibility: many recitals from the 2015 Schubertíada Vilabertran, where Connolly made her festival debut, were broadcast either live or deferred on Catalunya Música. There is a PDF on the CatMúsica website showing this recital on the schedule of summer festival recordings being made by the radio station, but it does not give an air date; the recital does not appear on this PDF schedule of broadcasts for July and August. We’ll have to keep an eye out for it in the coming months.

[New!] Songs by Bridge and Brahams in a joint recital with Nils Mönkemeyer (viola) and Marcelo Amaral (piano) at the Liederhalle, Stuttgart, September 14, 2017. Sponsored by the Internationale Hugo-Wolf-Akademie.

Mahler, Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection,” with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, September 20, 2017. Vladimir Jurowski conducts and Maria Bengtsson sings the soprano part. Also with the Rundfunkchor Berlin. Tickets go on sale July 17, 2017.

[Broadcast TBC] No details yet, but the Deutschlandradio Kultur logo appears on the page under the phrase “Concert with,” so I am assuming the concert will be broadcast either live or deferred.

Recital at Wigmore Hall, London, September 29, 2017. With Malcolm Martineau. The program includes songs by Strauss, Zemlinsky, Eisler, Korngold, Copland, and Britten.

Elgar, Sea Pictures, Royal Tunbridge Wells, October 1, 2017. With the Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra conducted by Roderick Dunk. In a concert with orchestral works by Kodály and Brahms.

Mahler, Symphony No. 3 at the Opéra National de Bordeaux, October 6 and 8, 2017. With the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine and the women of the Chœur de l'Opéra National de Bordeaux. Conducted by Paul Daniel.

Mahler, Das Lied von der Erde at Kings Place, London, October 14, 2017. With Andrew Staples and the Aurora Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Collon. Das Lied will be played in an arrangement by Iain Farrington for sixteen instruments. This concert, oddly enough, is part of the orchestra’s “Mozart’s Piano” series, pairing Das Lied with Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 11.

G. Mahler, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, plus songs by A. Mahler, Zemlinsky and Korngold at the Oxford Lieder Festival, St John the Evangelist, Oxford, October 20, 2017. With Eugene Asti. This recital program perfectly fits the festival’s theme for 2017, “The Last of the Romantics—Mahler and Fin-de-Siècle Vienna.”

Wagner, Tristan und Isolde (Brangäne) at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, November 28 and December 2, 4, 7, 10, 12, and 15, 2017. With Stefan Vinke (Tristan), Iréne Theorin (Isolde), Albert Dohmen (Marke), Greer Grimsley (Kurwenal), et al., in a production directed by Àlex Ollé and previously seen in Lyon. Musical direction by Josep Pons.

Handel, Ariodante (title role) at the Wiener Staatsoper, February 24 and 26 and March 1, 4, and 8, 2018. With Chen Reiss (Ginevra), Hila Fahima (Dalinda), Christphe Dumaux (Polinesso), Rainer Trost (Lurcanio), and Wilhelm Schwinghammer (Il Re di Scozia). In a new production directed by David McVicar with music is supplied by Les Arts Florissants conducted by William Christie. Note: although Christie, LAF, and many of the soloists from this Ariodante will be performing the opera in a concert tour following its staging in Vienna, Dame Sarah is not scheduled to join them; Kate Lindsey has been announced to take over the title role for the tour.

[Livestream] The opera is scheduled for livestreaming on Sunday, March 4. There is a fee of €14 to watch the livestream.

Mahler, Symphony No. 8 “Symphony of a Thousand” at de Doelen, Rotterdam, March 23 and 25, 2018. With the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. The other soloists are Angela Meade, Erin Wall, Lisette Oropesa Erin Morley, Mihoko Fujimura, Michael Schade, Markus Werba, and Christof Fischesser. On choral duty are the Groot Omroep Koor, Rotterdam Symphony Chorus, Orfeon Donostiarra, and Nationaal Kinderkoor. Tickets go on sale May 15.

Mahler, Symphony No. 8 “Symphony of a Thousand” at BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels, March 24, 2018. With the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra; same details as the Rotterdam performances listed above. Broadcast possibility: this concert is part of the 2018 Klarafestival sponsored by the Klara radio station, so it seems like a good candidate for broadcast.

[Masterclasses] Teaching duties for the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme at Snape Maltings in Aldeburgh, England, March 23-April 1, 2018. A course on Handel’s Theodora to be co-taught with conductor Christian Curnyn. Although this doesn’t really count as a performance by Sarah Connolly, I am adding it to my “unofficial schedule” of her work with the thought that fans who live in the area might want to attend some of the public masterclasses Sarah Connolly will be teaching or the culminating performance by young artists she will have coached. (Note that the first weekend of this program clashes with the Mahler 8 concerts in Rotterdam, above; it is possible the students will start out working with Christian Curnyn and will pick up with Sarah Connolly a few days into the program.)

Handel, Giulio Cesare (title role) at Glyndebourne, June 10 through July 28, 2018. In a revival of the legendary 2005 production by David McVicar, with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment conducted by William Christie. With Joélle Harvey as Cleopatra, plus Christophe Dumaux and Patricia Bardon reprising the roles of Tolomeo and Cornelia respectively; also starring John Moore (Achilla) and Kangmin Justin Kim (Nireno).

Wagner, Das Rheingold and Die Walküre (Fricka in both) at the Royal Opera, London, September 24 through October 28, 2018. A revival of Keith Warner’s Ring Cycle, with Antonio Pappano conducting. For cast and date details, see the ROH web pages linked above.

[Details TBA] Future appearances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Opéra national de Paris, and the Teatro Réal in Madrid are mentioned in the current bio that can be downloaded from Dame Sarah’s page on the Askonas Holt website (click “Publicity Pack”).

Previous versions of this list can be found under the schedule tag on this blog. This version published on July 2, 2017. Edited July 4 to reflect Dame Sarah’s withdrawal from the Deal Festival and Tanglewood, and to add a link to the Saint John the Evangelist website. Edited July 7 to reflect Dame Sarah’s withdrawal from the Common and Kind concert and to add the Operawire link to the Tanglewood entry. Edited July 8 to reflect Dame Sarah’s withdrawal from the Buxton Festival. Edited July 10 to reflect the replacement of Lisette Oropesa by Erin Morley in the Mahler 8 tour and to (belatedly) add a link to the Deal Festival announcement of Dame Sarah’s withdrawal. Edited July 15 to add the Stuttgart recital and some updates to the Tanglewood entry. Edited July 23 to reflect Dame Sarah’s withdrawal from the Three Choirs concert. Edited August 4 to confirm that Dame Sarah’s recital with Malcolm Martineau at Vilabertran is scheduled for recording. Edited August 10 to add that it does not appear on the CatMúsica broadcast schedule for August. I may continue to edit this list if I receive new information.