Claire Rutter, singing for life

Nearly 300 opera professionals from more than 40 countries made their way to Madrid’s Teatro Real in mid-May for the inaugural World Opera Forum, an unprecedented joint meeting of Opera America, Opera Europa and Ópera Latinoamérica – with a smattering of representatives from Africa, Asia and Australia – to discuss the future of the art form.

Last year marked a challenging turning-point in the life of the British soprano Claire Rutter as she battled cancer and negotiated a difficult divorce. In a frank discussion with Amanda Holloway, the singer describes how illness and adversity have informed her artistry and led her to discover a new sense of self-esteem and a determination to succeed

The plethora of culture in Parma belies its small size.

A process of painstaking research and reconstruction have led to the recovery of one of Donizetti’s operas written for Paris, L’ange de Nisida. Opera Rara will give the world premiere of a work that helps to complete our understanding and assessment of Donizetti’s operatic legacy in the latter part of his career.

When Julie Fuchs was dismissed from a contract with Hamburg Opera as a result of her pregnancy, she decided to make her plight public. Benjamin Ivry highlights some of the many instances in the opera world where a singer’s physical circumstances have tested the status quo

Opera lies at the heart of the New Generation Festival in Florence, featuring a dynamic young creative team who are redefining the experience of music for their peers while having a whole load of fun at the same time.

A new opera by George Benjamin is always a major event in the cultural calendar. During preparations for the world premiere of Lessons in Love and Violence at London’s Royal Opera House, Opera Now dropped in on a conversation between the composer and soprano Barbara Hannigan who sings the role of Queen Isabel

Conductor Fergus Sheil has taken the helm of Ireland’s first national opera company and has ambitious plans for the future. Robert Thicknesse assesses INO’s prospects for making a lasting impact on Ireland’s cultural life

Visiting some little-known towns in former East Germany, Professor Anthony Ogus is delighted to encounter an enterprising cultural scene, including some rare and unusual opera and music theatre

Allan Clayton shot to the top rank of British tenors when he created the role of Hamlet in Brett Dean’s new opera for Glyndebourne last year. Though his approach to singing remains refreshingly practical and grounded, his voice is far from conventional, possessing a power to move audiences that won him the 2018 Royal Philharmonic Society Award for best Singer