Opera Now

The opera lover's essential guide

Opera Now captures the drama, colour and vitality of one of the most powerful of all the performing arts. In our print and digital issues, we showcase the creative spirit of opera, both on stage and behind the scenes, with profiles of opera companies, singers, directors and designers. Our in-depth features reflect how diverse cultural elements have influenced opera, including travel, history, literature, art, architecture, politics and philosophy.

Our lively reviews and opinion pages are a platform for writers and critics drawn from all over the world. Our aim is to inspire our opera-loving readers to broaden their knowledge and deepen their passion for this fascinating and stimulating artform.

In the Autumn issue of Opera Now, we meet a husband-and-wife duo continuing to take the opera world by storm. As Sonya Yoncheva & Domingo Hindoyan celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary this year, they share their life as a musical couple, passion projects and how they balance time travelling and with family.

Two operas are previewed in the issue. A new opera in Seattle Jubilee has been created by Tazewell Thompson about the 19th century Fisk Jubilee Singers – an African American vocal ensemble from Nashville, Tennessee. Then to Philadelphia, where we meet composer Missy Mazzoli whose opera The Listeners sees its US premiere.

Elsewhere, a new feature is introduced. ‘On a Role’ interviews a singer in depth about a role they’re taking on. This month begins with soprano Angel Blue who is singing Tosca in July at the Royal Opera. Casting administrator at Glyndebourne Ann Rawdon Smith joins us for ‘Behind the Scenes’ and takes us through her role at the company, then at the back of the issue, new initiative is launched, looking into the experiences of opera singers dealing with mental health difficulties. Soprano Elly Broomfield tells her story of depression and finding healing through gardening.

Our live reviews look at the start to the summer opera season with Glyndebourne, the opera fringe roundup and productions in Germany, France and Japan. Our recording reviews coverage is more extensive than ever, as we assess new recordings by Golda Schultz, Nadine Sierra & Pretty Yende, Erin Morley and Covent Garden. New operas by John Adams, Louise Bertin and Paul Moravec are also surveyed. We also meet Oliver Leith for the recordings Q&A as his opera Last Days on Platoon receives five stars.