World's Best Tenors Captured On Film By Johannes Ifkovits

High C: The cover and back inlay for the book World's Best Tenors captures the artists 
singing the infamous note. (Photo: Johannes Ifkovit)

Opera Rifko Verlag, the publisher that designed the book Die Oper Kocht featuring opera singers in the kitchen cooking, releases a new book dedicated to the greatest kings of the high-C's living today: Die weltbesten Tenöre (World's Best Tenors). The duo team of photographer Johannes Ifkovits and stylist Evelyn Rillé created an essay that highlights 44 opera tenors from around the globe that had time or willingness to participate in the project. The Festival Castell de Peralada featured an exhibition of the book with large images surrounding the grounds of Palau Robert in Barcelona, Spain. Inside the book, portraits of legendary tenors like Plácido Domingo, Vladimir Atlantov, René Kollo stand alongside their hot young counterparts like Pavol Breslik, Giuseppe Filianoti, and Michael Fabiano. The book will soon be available for pre-order here. More photos after the jump. 

(Click to enlarge image)

Strumming His Guitar: Juan Diego Flórez captured by photographer Johannes Ifkovits

Rubber Ducky You're The One: Funny guy Rolando Villazón relaxes in the tub for his portrait by Johannes Ifkovits

Anna Netrebko Ushers Out John Copley "La Bohème" At ROH

Living on Love: Rodolfo (Joseph Calleja) and Mimì (Anna Netrebko) struggle to make ends meet,
but they still have each other until death do them part at Covent Garden.

"So now we bid farewell to another dear old friend, as John Copley’s venerable production of Puccini’s weepie, rich in period detail and devoid of interpretative tricks, is being laid to rest after four decades in service, embracing twenty-six revivals and well over two hundred sold-out performances. To be honest, this loyal carthorse of a show does seem a trifle sclerotic nowadays. I’ve seen stagings recently that feel more youthfully raw and emotionally urgent; aspects of its 'realism' look dated; and the second interval slows the pace down unhelpfully. But the tableaux for the snowy Barrière d’Enfer and bustling Café Momus remain wonderfully atmospheric, and the straightforward characterisations never inhibit the singers. Richard Jones, rumoured to be

Herr Direktor: Read more about 
John Copley by clicking here.

commissioned for a replacement, will have his work cut out to provide anything sturdier. Copley, a spry octogenarian, returned to rehearse this final outing and made a lively job of it. Sharp cameos from Ryland Davies (Alcindoro) and Donald Maxwell (Benoit) sprinkled light relief. Marco Vinco’s Colline mourned his pawned coat in style, Lucas Meachem presented an exuberant jock of a Marcello, and Jennifer Rowley was a brassy Musetta, with a touch of Ethel Merman about her gusto....His Mimi was the mercurial Anna Netrebko, in lustrous voice. She is not a subtle artist, and having adjusted her focus to more dramatic repertory, her resinous soprano can’t convey the fragility of the consumptive flower-girl. She also failed to float the rapturous 'ball of light' note at the end of Act I. But she never just phones it in or holds back à la Gheorghiu, and here she gave of herself unstintingly, most notably in an affecting account of the third act - one of Puccini’s most masterly inspirations." [Source]

Joseph Calleja Is Judge On Corinthia Hotel Residence Panel

Somebody's Watching You: A possible room for the winner

"Corinthia Hotel London has announced that its fourth annual Artist in Residence programme is opera. Also announced is the prestigious panel of judges who will choose a winning idea from a range of artist applications. The selected artist will be awarded a month residency at the hotel, over which time they will develop and realise their vision. The finished project will launch in September. A selection of artists have been approached to submit ideas for the project, with one final ‘wild card’ position still remaining. Corinthia Hotel London’s General Manager Renaud Gregoire will select one final applicant from open submissions to join the other artists. The esteemed judging panel for 2015 is made up of: Alex Beard CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House; Joseph Calleja, internationally acclaimed award-winning tenor; Susanna Eastman OBE, Chief Executive of Sound and Music; Sir Nicholas Kenyon, Managing Director of the Barbican Centre; Justine Simmons, Head of Culture, The Mayor’s Office; Imogen Tilden, Classical Music Editor at the Guardian; Jenny Waldham, 14-18 NOW Director; Timothy Walker, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of the London Philharmonic Orchestra; Graham Vick CBE, Artistic Director of Birmingham Opera Company, and Renaud Gregoire, General Manager of Corinthia Hotel London. On joining the panel, Joseph Calleja said 'I was delighted to be asked to be on the panel and am very excited to be involved in such a creative venture. The Corinthia’s Artist in Residence programme is a great way to nurture emerging opera talent. The nature of this enterprise means that it also has the potential to address preconceptions and reach new audiences. It’s a wonderful opportunity and I can’t wait to see what ideas they come up with.'" [Source] See a photo of the tenor Joseph Calleja performing at the Corinthia Hotel London, and one with a special friend in one of the hotel rooms, after the jump.

When Joseph Calleja Met The Leader Of The Free World

(Photo: White House)

"Joseph Calleja meeting US President Barack Obama after he performed at the Kennedy Centre Honors last month in tribute to American soprano Martina Arroyo. The tenor is currently appearing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York before moving on to London for a seven-performance run of Faust at the Royal Opera House and a solo concert at the Royal Festival Hall." [Source]

Opera Stars Pack Kennedy Center For Martina Arroyo Tribute

Denyce Graves

Renée Fleming

Jessye Norman

Joseph Calleja performs "Celeste Aida"

Sondra Radvanovsky performs "O Patria Mia"

Joseph Calleja and Sondra Radvanovsky sing the "Triumphal Scene" from Verdi's Aida

Joseph Calleja Has Cameo In Ray Mizzi's Film "Adormidera"

Tenor Joseph Calleja and his children, Clara and Xandru, prepare to shoot a scene with actress Julia Calvert

"Sword-wielding knights upon charging horses, merry bouts of tavern dancing and a cameo by tenor Joseph Calleja form part of the Maltese film Adormidera which will hit the cinemas on October 2. Produced by Great Siege Productions and directed by Ray Mizzi, the film is set in the medieval era and tells the story of army general Tristan de León and the enigmatic Adormidera." [Source]

Glimpse Joseph Calleja 2013 Festival Performances In Malta

Click on the above image to see a video of performances from the festival in Malta that Joseph Calleja built to bring classical music to larger audiences.

Maltese Tenor Joseph Calleja Debuts New Disc in USA

Tenor Joseph Calleja will be performing arias from his new CD The Maltese Tenor on Monday, October 24, at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City. To learn more about the album, visit the official site here. To listen to the entire album, check out NPR's "First Listen" series here. If you are in New York City and want to purchase tickets to the event ($20 plus a "two item minimum per person at all tables") click here. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the event will begin at 7:30 PM. There is also an audio story about Joseph Calleja on NPR by Tom Huizenga, click hear to listen. As a bonus, the album also features Decca's latest exclusive artist Aleksandra Kurzak singing the following duets with Joseph Calleja: “De mon amie, fleur endormie – Leïla, Leïla! Dieu puissant” from Les Pêcheurs de perles and "O soave fanciulla” from La Bohème.

Decca Launches Microsites: Kurzak, de Niese and Calleja

Click on photos to launch a microsite promoting an artist's new release on Decca:

"No Reservations" Features Plenty of Opera in the Kitchen

Looking back to the 2007 film, No Reservations featuring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart and Abigail Breslin, there is enough opera interspersed throughout that it could be a fourth character. Original scoring for the film was done by Philip Glass. The film itself is no Academy Award-winning film, but it is a charming romantic story from director Scott Hicks (Snow Falling on Cedars, Shine and Hearts in Atlantis).

Some of the clips included in the film:

"Celeste Aida" Aida (Luciano Pavarotti)

"O mio babbino caro" Gianni Schicchi (Renata Tebaldi)

"Libiamo, libiamo" La Traviata (Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland)

"La donna é mobile" Rigoletto (Joseph Calleja)

"Un bel dì vedremo" Madama Butterfly (Renata Tebaldi)

"Cielo e mar" La Gioconda (Luciano Pavarotti)

"Nessun dorma" Turandot (Luciano Pavarotti)

A full synopsis of No Reservations is after the jump.

Fleming, Calleja, Mehta LIVE in Theaters for Jerusalem Concert

The concert entitled "Live from Jerusalem," that features Zubin Mehta conducting the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra with soloists Renée Fleming and Joseph Calleja honoring the legacy of American tenor Richard Tucker, will be broadcast by NCM Fathom and Mod 3 Live in a Delayed Live Broadcast in more than 475 select movie theaters nationwide on Thursday, July 28, 2011, at 7:00 pm (local times). Filled with majestic arias and duets, the spectacular performance will include a sweeping visual and audio experience that will bring down the curtain on the Jerusalem Season of Culture 2011. [Source]

Click here to find a list of theaters for the event.

Happy Birthday: Joseph Calleja

Joseph Calleja is already one of the tenors most sought after by leading opera houses on both sides of the Atlantic. His voice has routinely inspired comparisons to “legendary singers from earlier eras: Jussi Björling, Beniamino Gigli, even Enrico Caruso” (Associated Press). The Maltese tenor’s recent successes include role debuts at the Metropolitan Opera, where he “gave his all, singing with ardor, stamina, and poignant vocal colorings and winning a rousing ovation” in the title role of Bartlett Sher’s new Tales of Hoffmann (New York Times), and at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where, almost “steal[ing] the show” (Independent), he proved himself a “thrilling Adorno” (Financial Times) opposite Plácido Domingo in Simon Boccanegra.