Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Remembers Richard Tucker

The Supreme Court Justice in 1953.

"A tribute to the late, great American tenor Richard Tucker was well under way at the Juilliard School on Wednesday when the panelists, led by soprano Renée Fleming, stopped for a moment. Making a late entrance to the stage was Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whose flight had been delayed due to a rainstorm. 'I really have no expertise to be on this stage,' said the justice, once she had settled, 'but because of my age, I attended many performances.' When Ms. Fleming asked of her first memory of Tucker onstage, Ms. Ginsburg recalled the exact date and performance. It was Verdi's La forza del destino, at the old Metropolitan Opera House, located on Broadway between 39th and 40th streets, on March 4, 1960, which was also memorable because it was the night that another Met star, the baritone Leonard Warren, died. After that, Ms. Ginsburg saw many more Tucker performances. 'It's hard to think of a Verdi role I didn't see Richard Tucker in,' she said." [Source] Click here to also read the The New York Times coverage of the event.

Second Annual Richard Tucker Day Good News For Reuben Lovers

"Throughout the day, Junior's restaurant - a Brooklyn institution for more than 60 years - will offer an off-menu special sandwich, "The Richard Tucker Reuben," in a nod to the American tenor's given name, Rubin. The sandwich, a variation on the traditional Reuben, includes both pastrami and corned beef, which were two of Richard Tucker's favorite deli meats. Junior's is located at 386 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn." [Source]

Check out highlights of the festivities and opera stars performing for Richard Tucker Day, after the jump.

Opera Star Power Comes Out For Cardiff SOTW Master Classes

The class of 2013: Singers from around the globe ready to compete for a main prize of £15,000 (Photo: Facebook).

Cardiff Singer of the World Competition began this past weekend, but the real event may take place this Saturday. Check out the scheduled opera stars that will be giving master class:

Saturday 22 June
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
Dora Stoutzker Hall – with competition non-finalists
11am, Håkan Hagegård, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
3pm, Elena Obraztsova, Neil Shicoff

Richard Burton Theatre – with vocal studies students from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
12.30pm, Christoph Prégardien
4pm, Dame Felicity Palmer
Each session lasts more than one hour and times are likely to overlap.
[Source]

Check out more of the television and radio broadcast schedule by clicking here. And watch a preview of the BBC special celebrating 30 years of the competition after the jump.

Opera Scores Big at Golden Mask Awards in Russia

Mezzo-soprano Yelena Zhidkova

"2011 will go down as the year when the Golden Mask truly went international. Non-Russian artists have won awards in the past, but this year was something special. More than two dozen foreign artists — singers, choreographers, conductors, directors and designers — received nominations for work completed during the 2009-10 season. Of them, five walked away with the coveted plaque featuring a ceramic mask on a mirrored background."

American tenor Neil Shicoff - Best Male Singer in La Juive for the Mikhailovsky Theater of St. Petersburg. Greek conductor Teodor Currentzis - Best Director for Wozzeck at the Bolshoi Theater. Britain's Paul Brown - Best Designer for Die Frau Ohne Schatten at the Mariinsky Theater. Russian mezzo-soprano Yelena Zhidkova - Best Female Opera Singer for Duke Bluebeard's Castle for the Mariinsky Theater. Additional winners included Tatyana Maslakova - Best Female Singer in an Operetta/Musical (Khabarovsk Musical Theater) and Dmitry Averin - Best Male Singer in an Operetta/Musical (Rostov-on-Don Musical Theater) [Source]