Jennifer Johnson News

Musical America has called her 'a genuine superstar for the 21st century.' Now, for one afternoon, Anna Netrebko will appear at Lyric for a memorable recital.

The Metropolitan Opera presents Verdi's towering Shakespearean masterpiece Otello, with performances December 14, 2018, to January 10, 2019. Otello marks the Met debut of conductor Gustavo Dudamel, who over the last decade has transformed the Los Angeles Philharmonic into one of the most closely watched classical ensembles in the world. Starring in the title role of Shakespeare's doomed Moor is Stuart Skelton, with Sonya Yoncheva as the devoted Desdemona and Željko Lu?i? as the treacherous Iago. The cast also features Jennifer Johnson Cano as Emilia, Alexey Dolgov as Cassio, and Met stalwart James Morris as Lodovico. Julianna DiGiacomo sings the role of Desdemona on December 28.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Louis Langree present this season's One City concert program November 9-10, at Music Hall. The Orchestra, May Festival Chorus, members of the Classical Roots Community Mass Choir and guest vocal soloists Angel Blue, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Rodrick Dixon, and Dashon Burton.will perform Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The program opens with the world premiere of Ode by CSO Composer-in-Residence Jonathan Bailey Holland.

The Greenwich Village Orchestra (GVO) presents Concerti Per Tutti, led by Music Director Barbara Yahr, on Sunday, December 2, 2018 at 3:00pm at All Saints Church. The ensemble-focused program features the award-winning Lysander Piano Trio (Itamar Zorman, Liza Stepanova, Michael Katz) in Beethoven's lyrical Triple Concerto. The orchestra itself becomes the soloist in Bartok's poignant Concerto for Orchestra.

I grew up with many versions of the Frankenstein story--some with greater nods to Mary Shelley's novel than others--spending Saturday afternoons being scared witless and loving every minute of it. But I was changed forever by Mel Brooks' YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, making it hard to come to the story of monster and master today with fresh eyes and ears, no matter how serious the intentions. But Gregg Kallor's SKETCHES FROM FRANKENSTEIN, which played last week in the catacombs of Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery, managed to do it.

Conductor Manfred Honeck's 2018/2019 season begins with a busy fall schedule, featuring appearances with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) in September and October, and his returns to the San Francisco Symphony in October and the New York Philharmonic in November. Shortly after Honeck opened his 11th season as Music Director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on September 15, the orchestra announced that it had extended his contract as Music Director through the 2021/2022 season.

The Greenwich Village Orchestra (GVO) announces its 2018-2019 season concerts, led by Music Director Barbara Yahr. Now in its 32nd season, the GVO is committed to making music at the highest possible level and enriching the lives of both players and audience through emotionally charged, exhilarating performances. All concerts of the 2018-2019 season will take place at All Saints Church (230 East 60th Street, NYC) unless otherwise noted.

The Greenwich Village Orchestra (GVO) announces its 2018-2019 season concerts, led by Music Director Barbara Yahr. Now in its 32nd season, the GVO is committed to making music at the highest possible level and enriching the lives of both players and audience through emotionally charged, exhilarating performances. All concerts of the 2018-2019 season will take place at All Saints Church, 230 East 60th Street, Manhattan, unless otherwise noted.

The Angel's Share presents the world premiere of Gregg Kallor's Sketches from Frankenstein, as well as his setting of Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart, October 10-12 in the Catacombs of The Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn

Lincoln Center's MOSTLY MOZART FESTIVAL is over for the season and finished up with a program that was an oddity because it wasn't mostly Mozart (or no Mozart) but all Mozart. Well, hooray for the 18th century. I was happy to be back in the bosom of the festival's namesake. Does that make me a bad person?

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association has announced the four conductors who will participate in the 2018/19 Dudamel Fellowship Program: Nuno Coelho, Stephen Mulligan, Elena Schwarz, and Jesus Uzcategui. Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, together with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, created the Dudamel Fellowship Program in 2009 to provide a unique opportunity for promising young conductors from around the world to develop their craft and enrich their musical experience through personal mentorship and participation in the LA Phil's orchestral, education, and community programs.

This summer, the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, called 'the crown jewel of chamber music festivals on Long Island – arguably anywhere on the East Coast” by Newsday last year, celebrates its 35th anniversary. A pre-festival ramp-up of five free pop-up concerts around the Hamptons sets the stage, Alan Alda returns to launch the season, hosting a musical portrait of Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn, and the festival features the world premieres of BCMF-commissioned works by Kenji Bunch and Paul Moravec.

Orpheus could charm the very stones with his lyre and his singing. Just such magic can be seen on the stage of Opera Theatre St. Louis when Jennifer Johnson Cano portrays the mythical superstar in the company's current production. She gives an utterly stunning performance.

Beloved Los Angeles Children's Chorus Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson,  Who Steps Down July 31 After Highly Successful 22-year Tenure, Makes Final Southern California Conducting Appearance With Chorus To Lead Free  Send-off Concert For Concert Choir's 11-day Tour To Iceland And Norway Thursday, June 28, 2018, 7 Pm, At Pasadena Presbyterian Church  

If you didn't find a performance to attend in the first part of this series--or you simply can't get enough operas, symphonic concerts and musical theatre pieces thrown in for good measure--here's more to choose from. It covers the gamut from the Mozart REQUIEM to Bernstein, Bernstein and more Bernstein.

This summer, the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, called 'the crown jewel of chamber music festivals on Long Island – arguably anywhere on the East Coast” by Newsday last year, celebrates its 35th anniversary. A pre-festival ramp-up of five free pop-up concerts around the Hamptons sets the stage, Alan Alda returns to launch the season, hosting a musical portrait of Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn, and the festival features the world premieres of BCMF-commissioned works by Kenji Bunch and Paul Moravec.

Acclaimed bass Soloman Howard will join conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in their performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, presented by Lincoln Center's Great Performers series, on April 29, 2018, at 3:00 pm in David Geffen Hall. He will replace Davone Tines, who withdrew due to illness.

On Sunday, April 22, 2018, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra gave a matinee performance of Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms together with Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D Minor.

On Sunday, April 29, 2018 at 2:30pm, the Greenwich Village Orchestra (GVO) returns to the beautiful 19th-century Church of the Incarnation (209 Madison Ave.) for its final concert of the season, Requiem Aeternam. The GVO joins forces with St. George's Choral Society, under artistic director and conductor Matthew Lewis, for Verdi's epic Requiem. Requiem's soloists will feature soprano Rebecca Farley, mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis, tenor Jonathan Tetelman, and bass Christian Zaremba.