News & Reviews

By Sarah Kingsley To close the season, Virginia Opera premieres a brand new traditional staging of La Traviata, directed by Lilian Groag. A classic Italian opera composed by one of the masters of the art form – Giuseppe Verdi – La Traviata is the most performed opera...

By B. J. Atkinson - The Virginian-Pilot When an opera production's a hit, especially one in which the plot hinges on antiquated mores, there's more going on than pretty music. The director must bring the tale into the 21st century, involve us and make us care. Lillian...

By Craig Shapiro - The Virginian-Pilot NO OTHER OPERA in the world was staged more often the last five seasons. It figures prominently in the Julia Roberts movie "Pretty Woman." And Virginia Opera is putting it on for the seventh time, capping the company's 40th...

By David Adam Beloff - The Virginian-Pilot Time to go to the opera! "La Traviata" opens on Friday night. Dust off your best tux/dress and enjoy this classic opera at the Harrison Opera House. Purchase tickets here. From the promoter:  Virginia Opera...

By Montague Gammon III What can you say about a beautiful young courtesan who dies? : The exceptional party scene from La Traviata. Photo courtesy of Des Moines Metro Opera in a co-production with Virginia Opera Well, oodles of folks have been saying – and singing and...

By Grace Jean - Washington Post   Virginia Opera's cinematic production of Richard Strauss's "Salome" was a passionate tour de force that etched love and death in vivid bas-relief Saturday evening at George Mason University's Center for the Arts. Setting the...

By Roy Proctor Special correspondent In 100 riveting minutes, Virginia Opera is serving up Richard Strauss’ biblically inspired kinkfest “Salome” with all the efficiency its bloodied executioner brings to serving up John the Baptist’s severed head to the willful...

By Rich Griset - Style Weekly Few operas have generated as much controversy as “Salome.” London banned all performances until 1910. Gustav Mahler’s attempt to conduct it in Vienna was thwarted after the Catholic archbishop deemed it immoral. The Metropolitan Opera’s...

The Virginian-Pilot January 29, 2015 Art: In classical painting, Salome has been presented both as a naive, innocent teenager and as a seductress by such masters as Titian, Caravaggio and Gustave Moreau. Book: Oscar Wilde's 1891 play, which is the origin of the...

By Mal Vincent Virginian-Pilot correspondent January 29, 2015 She was a bad, bad girl. Even by biblical standards, Salome was a seductress of the first rank. After all, Delilah only gave Samson a haircut. Salome got the entire head of John the Baptist, served on a...