A towering figure on the international music scene, Dudamel made a name for himself from the very start. In 1999, at just 18 years old, he became the conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar of Venezuela and of El Sistema, the acclaimed music education program that garnered worldwide praise. Global recognition soon followed. At the age of 23, he recorded his first album, dedicated to Beethoven’s Symphonies No. 5 and No. 7. Today, his discography boasts over 65 recordings and around 14 full albums.

Since the early 2000s, he has held the role of Music Director with leading institutions such as the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Opéra National de Paris (where he served as Music Director for two years), and, since 2023, the New York Philharmonic. Gustavo Dudamel also conducts orchestras across the globe, such as in Barcelona with the LSO.

Two vibrant and eclectic evenings are planned: on May 10, works by Ravel and Richard Strauss, featuring the sublime Marina Rebeka singing Shéhérazade; and on May 11, a program of Mozart and Mahler.

These two concerts promise to be standout moments of the Catalan musical season.

To attend those performances of Gustavo Dudamel, click here!

Gustavo Dudamel – c – Unison Media la Phil – Georgios Tsichlis

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However, on January 31, in the “News” section of the renowned Italian opera house’s website, the following message can be found: “Si avvisa il gentile pubblico che Jonas Kaufmann è costretto ad annullare la sua partecipazione nel ruolo di Cavaradossi nell’opera Tosca per sopravvenuto cambio di date, risultando un’incompatibilità irrisolvibile di calendario.” In short, this means that Jonas Kaufmann will not be able to sing the role of Cavaradossi in Tosca due to a scheduling conflict.

But what happened for Jonas Kaufmann, the superstar tenor, to cancel in January a performance that had been announced since June 2024 and scheduled for September 2025? A more lucrative offer? The desire to lighten his schedule with fewer stage appearances? No one knows—not even the opera enthusiasts who already have their tickets, many of whom have not been informed of the change.

The tenor announced to replace Jonas Kaufmann is Francesco Meli. At the Teatro San Carlo, the other series of performances will feature Vittorio Grigolo and Yusif Eyvazov, alongside a third Tosca, Carmen Giannattasio. Jonas Kaufmann’s next stage appearances are scheduled at the Nationaltheater in Munich in May, June, and July 2025, where he will perform the role of Canio in Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci.

Kaufmann is also expected to embark on a European recital tour with soprano Diana Damrau and accompanist Helmut Deutsch. The program, featuring Lieder by Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss, will likely remain the same in Barcelona, Aix-en-Provence, Paris, and Berlin—unless he cancels!

To see Tosca at the Teatro San Carlo, click here!

Jonas Kaufmann – c – Gregor Hohenberg

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However, she is putting her career on hold and will be replaced in Vienna by Simone Schneider (Die Walküre) and Krassimira Stoyanova (Der Rosenkavalier), in London by Natalya Romaniw (Die Walküre), and at Barcelona’s Liceu by Asmik Grigorian in a Wagner concert alongside Matthias Goerne.

To see Die Walküre in Vienna, Click here!

c – Lise Davidsen

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He left an indelible mark on the world of opera with his remarkable productions, which have been performed across the global opera stage. The Met Opera in New York fondly remembers his grand Wagner productions, just as the Wiener Staatsoper continues to preserve his legacy.

This season, in addition to the recordings made freely available on the Austrian opera’s website, audiences can experience his stagings of Fidelio by Beethoven in February 2025 (featuring Michael Spyres and Bryn Terfel), L’elisir d’amore by Donizetti in March (with Nadine Sierra and Xabier Anduaga), Andrea Chénier by Giordano in April (starring Michael Fabiano, Sonya Yoncheva, and Luca Salsi), and finally, arguably his greatest masterpiece, Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss in June (with Lise Davidsen, Emily D’Angelo, and Sabine Devieilhe). Another iconic production, J. Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus, has returned annually every December since 1979.

To see Otto Schenk’s productions at the Wierner Staatsoper, click here!

Der Rosenkavalier – c – Wiener Staatsoper / Michael Poehn

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Her accompanist has just been announced: the renowned pianist and long-time partner Jean-Yves Thibaudet. The program includes Fauré’s melodies set to Verlaine’s poetry, the demanding Poèmes pour Mi by Messiaen, as well as works by Reynaldo Hahn, Richard Strauss, and Alan Fletcher.

You can buy your tickets on our website !

Renée Felming – c – Dewynters London

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The artist is not ready, but the production has been saved thanks to Lise Davidsen, another superstar soprano, who will replace her. Indeed, Anna Netrebko explained that she is “sad that [she] will not be interpreting this incredible new role but, because of the time unexpectedly lost, [she is] unable to prepare it to the standard [she] demand of [herself]”.

Fans of the diva need not worry: “Bogdan Roščić (editor’s note: the director of the Vienna Opera) and [she] are working to find a new period as soon as possible for [her] to sing it in Vienna.”

One’s misfortune is another’s good fortune, as Lise Davidsen, an artist highly renowned in the Wagnerian and Straussian repertoire, will take on the performances alongside Michael Spyres as Bacchus, Kate Lindsey as the Komponist, and Sara Blanch as Zerbinetta.

To be part of the public of Anna Netrebko’s other performances, go to our website!

Netrebko Anna © Rubio Dalmau Olga

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See all the performances at the Wiener Staatsoper here

 Christian Thielemann © Matthias Creutziger

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