Anna Netrebko Dances Her Ass Off Watching Adam Lambert

Anna Netrebko attended the Life Ball in Vienna on May 25, 2013, draped in €7 million worth of Chopard jewels. The highlight of her evening, however, may have been the Adam Lambert performance. Watch a brief clip of the opera singer dancing to the pop star's song "Love Wins Over Glamour" by clicking here.

Angela Gheorghiu Sings Romanian National Anthem In Celebration

Romania celebrates a Guiness Book of World Records victory as it drapes the largest flag out over
Clinceni Airfield just south of Bucharest. Read the story here and check out two more photos of
the soprano after the jump.

Erwin Schrott Entertains With Lifetango At Life Ball In Vienna

The star baritone sings at the Life Ball 2013 in Vienna. Other guests included Adam Lambert, Roberto Cavalli,
Hilary Swank, Barbara Eden, Greg Louganis, Azealia Banks, Fergie, and Bill Clinton. Find more information
and photos click here (Photo: Facebook).

Mario Andretti Takes Puccini For A Spin Around The Track

Watch as racing legend Mario Andretti promotes two perspectives, driver and passenger, as he tops out high speeds with "O Mio Babbino Caro" as the soundtrack.

Edda Moser Recorded Legacy Unearthed By EMI Classics

EMI Classics recently released a 9-CD compilation of many previously unavailable recordings of the German soprano Edda Moser. Following suit of other classical labels, the box-set (Edda Moser - Electrola-Recitals: Oper & Lied) will feature original LP artwork for each disc. A sampling of photos, as well as a review of the deluxe package contents, is after the jump. The item can be found on Amazon.com for an outrageously affordable price of $35.55. Order your copy by clicking here.

Bizet Meets Bank of America in New TV Commercial

Harolyn Blackwell To Be Part of Kennedy Center Honors Committee

"Under the revised process, the Kennedy Center will begin seeking recommendations from the public for the first time in the award's 35-year history. Recommendations can be submitted online beginning Thursday. The center will also seek more recommendations from a committee of artists. To narrow the roster of potential honorees, the center is forming a new Special Honors Committee. Former honorees Chita Rivera and Yo-Yo Ma will serve on the panel, along with opera singer Harolyn Blackwell, dancer Damian Woetzel and two center board members, Elaine Wynn and Cappy McGarr. From there, the Kennedy Center chairman, president and award producers will create slates of potential honorees to balance the selections across artistic disciplines, and the executive committee of the center's board of trustees will make the final decision." [Source]

The Art of Christiane Eda-Pierre Finally Gets Its Day on Decca

Nearly 2 years ago, a post was developed in the "From the Vault" series on Opera Fresh complaining about the lack of releases from soprano Christiane Eda-Pierre's discography. Well, at long last the public will be able to savor this wonderful artist's catalog drawn from Philips Classics recordings that will be issued now on the Decca label for a launch date of May 27, 2013. Pre-order by clicking here.

Happy Operatic Mother's Day Brought To You By Coloratura Fan

Renée Fleming in Conversation with Leon Botstein and André Previn

Last night was the finale of Renée Fleming's Perspectives series at Carnegie Hall called "Vienna: Window to Modernity," a thoughtful tribute to the time and place where the European musical tradition, under the influence of literary and visual arts, gave way to the 20th century. Here, Ms. Fleming, composer and conductor André Previn, and conductor and music historian Leon Botstein discuss how several of the major Viennese composers of the period—Korngold, Schoenberg, and Zeisl—spent a lot of time in Los Angeles and how their experiences there differed widely. More information about Renée Fleming's Perspectives at Carnegie Hall is available: http://www.carnegiehall.org/fleming/ and http://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2013/5/4/0730/PM/Vienna-Window-to-Modernity/. Watch the video clip, along with two previous others, after the jump.

First Public Performance of Anna Netrebko Singing Lady Macbeth

As part of the opening night gala for the new Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, soprano Anna Netrebko sang selections from Macbeth (Verdi), Don Giovanni (Mozart), and Iolanta (Tchaikovsky), extraordinarily back-to-back. Many more pictures, and a video of the entire gala, are after the jump.

One (Namesake) Table That Manon Would Not Be Wishing Adieu

"From the people that brought you Brasserie Pushkin comes Manon, a bi-level Meatpacking fun house opening on May Day. This place has everything: crystal chandeliers, overstuffed leather couches, Corinthian columns, cocktails by Aaron Polsky, a bar made of glowing blue glass, a food menu by Public veteran Tae Strain, clay cherubs, pastries by a former EMP staffer, Amish chicken, Chatham cod, Denver lamb loin, Long Island duck breast, Jerusalem artichoke soup, Berkshire pork chops, and we're just getting started here." [Source]

Sumi Jo and Cecilia Bartoli: A 25-year Working Relationship

A video from circa 1987 shows Sumi Jo and Cecilia Bartoli working together with Herbert von Karajan in an excerpt of "Et in unum dominum" from Bach's Mass in B minor. Now more than 25 years later, they team up again for a recording of Bellini's Norma on Decca. 

Bass-Baritone Donovan Singletary Gives German TV Interview

A native of Crestview, Florida, Mr. Singletary received his Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Stetson University in Deland, Florida, and pursued additional music studies at the Mannes College of Music in New York City. He is a Metropolitan Opera National Council Grand Finals Winner, where he was the youngest competitor, and won the Met's then-General Director, Joseph Volpe Award. He was the 2011 Sullivan Foundation Major Grand Winnter and was awarded the 2011 Vienna Prize by the George London Foundation. He is also a top prize winner in several other competitions, including First Prize in the 2010 George London Foundation Competition, Second Prize in the 2010 Loren L. Zachary International Vocal Competition, First Prize in the 2009 Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, First Prize in the 2009 Giulio Gari International Vocal Competition, Second Prize in the 2009 Mario Lanza Vocal Competition, Second Prize in the Licia Albanese-Puccini Competition, First Prize in the Mt. Dora Festival Competition, First Prize in the Heinz Rehfuss Singing Actors Competition, and he was awarded the Betty Allen Award from the Sullivan Foundation. He was also named the 2010 World Premiere Artist for the Negro Spiritual Foundation. For more information, visit his official website here.

Kathleen Battle Makes Waffles and Grits with B. Smith in 1997

From the television show B. Smith With Style in 1997, Miss Kathleen Battle joins in to make a brunch of waffles and grits. Watch the clip after the jump.

Bryn Terfel Talks About Getting Golf Time in Down Under

Terfel at the 2010 at the Ryder Cup golf tournament.

"The booming bass-baritone - an operatic superstar - seizes every opportunity to play courses around the world. And this week in Melbourne has been no exception with Terfel shuttling between Hamer Hall and Royal Melbourne Golf Club. 'Oh, it's the best, just beautiful,' the barrel-chested Welshman says of Royal Melbourne. 'I'm not a very good golfer. I'm a calm golfer and it doesn't faze me that I can't par every hole but if I have a couple of good shots, that always brings me back to the course.' But how does this powerhouse singer motivate himself?