Andris Nelsons Innaugural Concert With Kaufmann & Opolais To Air

"Andris Nelsons’s first season as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra has come and gone — but in case you missed it entirely, you wanted more, or you just wondered what all the buzz was about, you can now catch a glimpse of the new partnership from the comfort of your living room. On Friday at 9 p.m., PBS will broadcast the young Latvian conductor’s inaugural concert with the orchestra, recorded live in Symphony Hall last September....Among the highlights on the night itself were the contributions of the two star vocal soloists, especially tenor Jonas Kaufmann’s outstanding performance of 'In Fernem Land' from Act III of Lohengrin, an account whose intensity and poetry is conveyed here. The Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais, Nelsons’s wife, sings a vivid 'Un Bel Di' from Madama Butterfly as well as a smoldering duet with Kaufmann: 'Tu, Tu, amore? Tu?' from Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, a work this pair is slated to perform together next season in a new Met production directed by Richard Eyre. For an additional opening night souvenir, the two singers also offered as an encore a melting, sweet-toned account of 'O Soave Fanciulla' from the Act I finale of La Bohème." [Source]

(Photo: Chris Lee)

Anna Netrebko Visits PBS Studios During Three Tenors Fundraiser

Soprano Anna Netrebko stopped by the PBS studios during her performances of Iolanta at The Metropolitan Opera to talk about the three tenors: Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, and Luciano Pavarotti. She also discussed her thoughts on open-air stadium concerts; being a child of the theater; what helps her create characters; and advice that she is definitely not sharing with young singers. Watch the video after the jump.

Renée Fleming Headlines All-Star Evening Of American Voices

"World-renowned American opera singer Renée Fleming convenes a festival of special guests to celebrate the diverse range of America’s vocal artistry. Young artists receive mentoring from respected singers including Ben Folds, Dianne Reeves, Sutton Foster, Eric Owens, Kim Burrell and Alison Krauss. Also see performances by Josh Groban, Sara Bareilles and Norm Lewis. A documentary about the festival will air on Great Performances on PBS Friday, January 9 at 9/8c." [Source] Watch the complete performance,  or just an excerpt of Renée Fleming singing "Danny Boy," after the jump.

Deborah Voigt And Mormon Tabernacle In Festive Holiday Mode

"Leading dramatic soprano Deborah Voigt and acclaimed British actor and voice artist John Rhys-Davies join the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square in a concert of holiday favorites.Among the highlights of the concert, conducted by Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy, are Voigt’s performances of the English carol 'The Holly and the Ivy' and the light-hearted 'The Twelve Days After Christmas' with the choir and orchestra. The program includes a new Mack Wilberg twist on the traditional song 'Christmas Is Coming (The Geese Are Getting Fat).' The Bells on Temple Square join the choir and orchestra for an upbeat rendition of 'Ring Those Christmas Bells.' The concert also includes Rhys-Davies’ dramatization of A Dickens Christmas with Robin Dick and the Christmas Players. The vignette features Rhys-Davies as the Ghost of Christmas Present soaring overhead at the LDS Conference Center in a dazzling scene of aerial choreography. Rhys-Davies also reads Luke 2: The Christmas Story with a fervor that moves audiences. Recognized as one of the world’s most versatile singers, Deborah Voigt is a leading dramatic soprano revered for her performances in the operas of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. She also has portrayed heroines of Italian opera to great acclaim. An active recitalist and performer of Broadway standards and popular songs, she appears regularly as both performer and host in the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series. Acclaimed British actor and voice artist John Rhys-Davies is one of modern cinema’s most recognizable character actors, best known to film audiences for his role as Sallah in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and more recently as the ax-wielding dwarf Gimli in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Together with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, Voigt and Rhys-Davies performed before a combined audience of 80,000 people in the annual concert taped in December of 2013 at the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah." [Source] Check your local listings for performance times this evening. You can also purchase the DVD and CD by clicking here.

Renée Fleming Sings With Daughters And Sister For PBS Christmas

"American soprano Renée Fleming and special guests bring the magic of Christmas in New York to homes across America. The essence of the city during this most wonderful time of year is captured in a series of intimate and unique musical performances in a beautiful setting decorated for the holidays. Fleming performs popular seasonal favorites with Kurt Elling, Kelli O’Hara, Gregory Porter and Rufus Wainwright, and is joined by her daughters and sister to sing heartwarming Christmas carols. Guests discuss family, food, traditions and more, and scenes filmed around the city during the holidays make this an unforgettable musical experience. Renée Fleming - Christmas In New York premieres Thursday, December 4, 2014 on PBS. Backed by a who’s who of New York musicians, Renée and her guests perform beloved holiday songs, as well as 'Central Park Serenade,' a new song from Diane Warren. Renée Fleming - Christmas In New York features these selections: 'The Christmas Waltz,' 'Still, Still, Still' (with Kurt Elling), 'Winter Wonderland,' 'Silver Bells,' (with Kelli O’Hara), 'Central Park Serenade' (with Gregory Porter), 'In the Bleak Midwinter' (with Rufus Wainwright), 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' (with Gregory Porter) and traditional holiday carols, featuring Renée’s sister and daughters." [Source] Watch the video preview after the jump. See what special upcoming events are planned for Ms. Fleming by clicking here.

Tavis Smiley Interviews Renée Fleming About Her Singing

Renée Fleming sat down with Tavis Smiley in Los Angeles to discuss a variety of topics including what it's like to have André Previn write a piece specifically for the soprano; getting boxed into specific singing genres by critics; the "valleys" of her career; how her voice is holding up to the demands of time; singing the national anthem; singing with honesty; the usefulness of critics; what is going to help the arts survive in the future; among other topics discussed. Watch the video of the interview after the jump, as well as a bonus of an earlier

episode of Tavis Smiley interviewing soprano Jessye Norman from 2011. And in case you missed the Kennedy Center Honors tribute to André Previn in 1998 at which Ms. Fleming sang "I Want Magic!" from the composer's operatic rendition of A Streetcar Named Desire, click the image on the right to launch the video of the performance. For more information about Tavis Smiley and to see more of his interviews, go to PBS online by clicking here.

Stephanie Blythe Talks About Her Kate Smith Tribute Concert

Watch Stephanie Blythe Talks Kate Smith on PBS. See more from pbs.

Watch Renée Fleming at The Penthouse on PBS until April 14!

Watch Renee Fleming @ The Penthouse on PBS. See more from pbs.

More clips of the entire performance can be found by clicking here.

Renée Fleming and Josh Groban to Perform at The Penthouse

Click the photo for the promo video for the "Live from Lincoln Center" concert. "Renee Fleming combines her musical worlds in an evening featuring Samuel Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915, 'A Letter From Sullivan Ballou' by John Kander, a selection of Broadway melodies, and indie rock from her 2010 release Dark Hope. Josh Groban and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra lend their brilliance to the concert. Friday, April 6 at 9:00 P.M. on PBS - check your local listings!"

PBS Features NY Philharmonic and Deborah Voigt For Opener

(Photo: Dario Acosta)

Deborah Voigt will appear with the New York Philharmonic on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 as part of the "Live From Lincoln Center" series on PBS which will broadcast the performance live. The program includes Samuel Barber's The School for Scandal Overture of 1931 and Andromache's Farewell, excerpts from Richard Strauss's Salome and Richard Wagner's Tannhäuser.

"Rigoletto" With Plàcido Domingo Available on PBS Website

"From Andrea Andermann comes a visually and musically spectacular production of Verdi’s Rigoletto, filmed last September on breathtaking locations in and around the Renaissance splendor of Mantua, Italy, in the places and hours specified in the libretto. Starring tenor Plàcido Domingo in the traditionally baritone role of 16th-century court jester Rigoletto, Julia Novikova as his innocent daughter Gilda, Vittorio Grigolo as the womanizing Duke and Ruggero Raimondi as the assassin Sparafucile, the production is directed by Marco Bellocchio, and the RAI National Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Zubin Mehta." [Source]

Watch the full opera by clicking here.

"James Levine: America's Maestro" Documentary Now Online

Watch the full episode. See more American Masters.