Daniela Barcellona

Though her name indicates her half-Ukrainian heritage, Natalya Romaniw was born and brought up in Wales, where she cultivated her dark, soulful soprano, heard to heart-wrenching effect in roles such as Tatyana and Jenufa. She talks to Hannah Nepil about the process of thorough preparation that leads to complete immersion in roles that she sings

Daniela Barcellona has won huge admiration for her portrayals of men on the operatic stage. Michael White meets a mezzo who looks the part in trousers, but is firmly in touch with her feminine side too

Ravenna’s Piazza del Popolo at the heart of the old town

After a successful inaugural year as artistic director of The Grange Festival, Michael Chance has laid to rest any doubts about his ability to step out of his comfort zone as a singer and take charge of his own festival. As he prepares for his second season, he explains his artistic ethos to George Hall, inspired by the Hellenic atmosphere of The Grange’s idyllic setting

The Dorset Opera Festival has grown over the years into a significant event in the British summer calendar, producing ambitious, high-quality productions in the West Country. George Hall discovers that the company remains true to its roots as an important training ground for young talent

The big players don’t necessarily get all the best tunes: Opera Now introduces some operatic events that may not have the clout of a Glyndbourne, Aix or Verona, but nevertheless offer summer visitors some unforgettable operatic experiences in unique settings

Michael Williams isn’t just switching jobs: he’s changing hemispheres as he takes on the post of CEO of Buxton Festival in Derbyshire after almost 30 years with Cape Town Opera, where he has helped to develop a diverse and internationally acclaimed ensemble of talented singers. Jessica Duchen met him as he was preparing to bid farewell to sunny South Africa

Ireland is producing an unprecedented number of superb singers in spite of its limited resources and an opera scene that has, until recently, moved forward in fits and starts. Michael Quinn meets a group of talented Irish singers who are being showcased in this year’s Ludlow English Song Weekend.

Janácek’s final opera was given its first Covent Garden staging by Polish director Krzysztof Warlikowski, whose sprawling, cluttered production was theatrically alienating, yet succeeded musically thanks to some brilliant individual performances and a committed reading of the score by conductor Mark Wigglesworth