COC debut in world premiere of Rufus Wainwright’s ‘Hadrian’

Thomas Hampson makes his highly anticipated debut with the Canadian Opera Company in the world premiere of Rufus Wainwright’s Hadrian. Hampson sings the title role in this epic love story, based on the life of the Roman emperor Hadrian, with libretto by Daniel MacIvor. Led by Johannes Debus, the monumental production by Peter Hinton will open the COC’s 68^th season beginning October 13 through October 27.

Bernstein Centennial Concert and more at the Tanglewood Festival

Thomas Hampson travels to the Tanglewood Festival this month to celebrate the centennial of his late mentor, Leonard Bernstein, and to perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

“Song of America: Beyond Liberty” Premiere at the Glimmerglass Festival

“At this pivotal time in history, Americas art song literature provides a means of communicating, in the simple beauty of word and music, the truths of a nation born of an ideology whose language celebrates the individual. This language of heart and mind says everything about the culture that created it. And when we sing our own songs, those who hear us will have experienced the best of what freedom of thought and purpose can achieve in the creation of great art.” -Thomas Hampson

“No Tenors Allowed” Concerts in Grafenegg and Ravinia

Thomas Hampson and Luca Pisaroni head to Austria and the United States for their successful “No Tenors Allowed” concerts this August.

‘Concert for Peace 1918-2018’ at the Stephansdom

Thomas Hampson travels to Vienna for a special jubilee concert honoring the 100th year since the end of World War I.

On August 2 at the Stephansdom, Hampson will sing with the European Youth Orchestra and the Czech Philharmonic Choir under the baton of Manfred Honeck. Additional soloists include bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni, soprano Maria Nazarova, soprano Cornelia Horak, mezzo-soprano Iris Vermillion, and speaker Christoph Wagner-Trenkwitz.

The program will include music by Holst, Górecki, Respighi, Schubert, Haydn, Mahler, Bruckner, Boulanger, and Mahler. Artistic director and conductor Manfred Honeck asked at the beginning of rehearsals with the European Youth Orchestra, “More than 70 years of peace – do we and our youth in Europe know what that means?” With this concert, the ensemble hopes to commemorate the lives that were lost in this life-changing war and the peace that has continued through Europe for the past 100 years.

‘Tosca’ in Munich and a recital in Toblach

This month, Thomas Hampson will make appearances at the Munich Opera Festival in Puccini’s Tosca, and he will perform a recital with his longtime colleague, pianist Wolfram Rieger, in Toblach.