Opera & Ballet – Seen and Heard International

Guildhall’s oddly compelling, well-performed vision of Dido and Aeneas

11/06/2025 by Mark Berry

United Kingdom Purcell, Dido and Aeneas: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama / James Henshaw (conductor). Milton Court Theatre, London, 9.6.2025. (MB)

Karima El Demerdasch (Dido) © David Monteith Hodge

Nature of Waves shapes the music and singing at the Bremen world premiere of Lampson’s new opera

11/06/202511/06/2025 by Daniel Meyer-Dinkgräfe

Germany Lampson, Wellen: Soloists and Chorus of Theater Bremen, Bremer Philharmoniker / Yoel Gamzou (conductor). Theater Bremen, 5.6.2025. (DM-D)

Nadine Lehner (Doralice) © Jörg Landsberg

The little OPERA theatre of ny reframes a Zemlinsky opera at BAM Fisher

11/06/2025 by Edward Sava-Segal

United States ‘Zemlinskys Zimmer/ Zemlinsky’s Room’: Soloists, Orchestra of the little OPERA theatre of ny / Tiffany Chang (conductor). BAM Fisher, Brooklyn, 7.6.2025. (ES-S)

Mary-Hollis Hundley (Bianca) and Eric McKeever (Simone) © Tina Buckman

Bedlam reigns at Longborough’s sparkling The Barber of Seville

10/06/202510/06/2025 by Clive Peacock

United Kingdom Rossini, The Barber of Seville (Il barbiere di Siviglia): Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Longborough Festival Opera / Elaine Kelly (conductor). Longborough, Gloucestershire, 8.6.2025. (CP)

Longborough Festival Opera’s *The Barber of Seville* © Clive Barda

Garsington’s delightful production of L’elisir d’amore captures its warm-hearted Italian spirit and comedy

09/06/2025 by Curtis Rogers

United Kingdom Garsington Opera 2025 [2] – Donizetti, L’elisir d’amore: Soloists, Garsington Opera Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra / Chloe Rooke (conductor). Garsington Opera at Wormsley, 7.6.2025. (CR)

[l-r] Oleksiy Palchykov (Nemorino), Madison Leonard (Adina) and Carles Pachon (Belcore) © Julian Guidera

Lots to love about Opera North’s Così fan tutte at Nevill Holt

08/06/2025 by Clive Peacock

United Kingdom Mozart, Così fan tutte: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Opera North / Chris Hopkins (conductor). Nevill Holt, Leicestershire, 6.6.2025. (CP)

[l-r] Egor Zhuravskii as Ferrando, William Dazeley as Don Alfonso and Seán Boylan as Guglielmo © Tristram Kenton

Ballet Nights – Spring into Summer skillfully brought together dance pieces of different styles and periods

07/06/2025 by John O'Dwyer

United States Ballet Nights – Spring into Summer: Cadogan Hall, London, 5.6.2025. (JO’D)

Sangeun Lee and Gareth Haw in *Slingerland Duet* © Deborah Jaffe

La bohème hits all the right notes at San Francisco Opera

06/06/202505/06/2025 by Harvey Steiman

United States Puccini, La bohème: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of San Francisco Opera / Ramón Tebar (conductor). War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, 3.6.2025. (HS)