The Lullaby Project pairs pregnant women and new mothers with professional artists to write and sing personal lullabies for their babies, supporting maternal health, aiding child development, and strengthening the bond between parent and child. In New York City, the project reaches mothers in hospitals, homeless shelters, schools, and at Rikers Island Correctional Facility. Extending across the country and through several international pilot programs, the Lullaby Project enables partner organizations to support families in their own communities.
On April 20, 2018, Decca Gold (Universal Music Group) releases an album of original lullabies written by Lullaby Project participants and performed by leading artists, including Pretty Yende, Joyce DiDonato, Fiona Apple, the Brentano String Quartet, Lawrence Brownlee, Rosanne Cash, Janice Freeman, Rhiannon Giddens, Angélique Kidjo, Patti LuPone, Natalie Merchant, Dianne Reeves, Gilberto Santa Rosa and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The recording was produced by Glen Roven, Ira Yuspeh, and Mitch Yuspeh.
After receiving praise from both the critics and the audience for her portrayal of Adina at the Metropolitan Opera, Pretty Yende travels to Paris, where she sings Teresa in Berlioz’s Benvenuto Cellini from March 20 until April 14. She shares the stage with John Osborn in the title role and Maurizio Muraro as Giacomo Balducci. Philippe Jordan conducts.
Bel canto stars Pretty Yende and Javier Camarena team up next season at the Metropolitan Opera for a feast of vocal fireworks in Donizetti’s La Fille du Regiment and the much awaited return of Bizet’s Les Pêcheurs de Perles.
Donizetti’s iconic comedy also features Maurizio Muraro as Sergeant Sulplice, with Stephanie Blythe as the outlandish Marquise of Berkenfield. Enrique Mazzola conducts the performances from February 7 until March 2. The last performance is scheduled for a LIVE in HD broadcast in cinemas around the world.
Penny Woolcock’s breathtaking production of Bizet’s sensual score stars Pretty Yende as the beautiful priestess Leïla, with tenor Javier Camarena and baritone Mariusz Kwiecień as rivals for her forbidden love. Emmanuel Villaume conducts the performances, which take place from November 14 until December 1.
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Pretty Yende’s 2nd Album, “Dreams”, has been nominated for this year’s International Opera Awards in the Readers Award category. Winners will be announced on April 9 at London’s Coliseum, at a Gala Event featuring soloists with a live orchestra.
Opera’s answer to the Oscars, this annual red-carpet ceremony honours outstanding achievement on stage, backstage and in the pit, with awards including Singer of the Year, Opera Company of the Year and the annual Lifetime Achievement Award. Awards for Young Singer and Newcomer recognised emerging talent.
Directed by Ella Marchment, the evening will also feature performances by some of opera’s greatest names, accompanied by a live orchestra. Performers will be announced soon.
2018 sees over 100 candidates in the running for twenty different awards. Shortlists have been whittled down by an expert jury, chaired by OperaMagazine editor John Allison, from thousands of nominations submitted by opera audiences and professionals worldwide
Founded by opera lover and philanthropist Harry Hyman, the Awards exist not only to celebrate established stars, but to support the next generation of talent. The Awards raise money for the Opera Awards Foundation, a charity which awards bursaries to aspiring operatic talent around the world.
Dress Code: Glamorous
Tickets £10-£150. Bookings open Friday 2nd February via the London Coliseum.
Limited VIP packages are also available. Contact us to learn more.
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The January 16 and February 10 performances of Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore at the Metropolitan Opera, with Pretty Yende starring as Adina alongside Matthew Polenzani as Nemorino are scheduled for broadcast on Met Opera Radio.
The performance on February 10 is also to be broadcast LIVE in HD in cinemas all over the world.
Pretty Yende will be making her first appearance as Adina at the Metropolitan Opera after having debuted the role at Covent Garden when she made her house debut and subsequently singing it at the Berlin Staatsoper, to great critical acclaim. Bachtrack said of her Royal Opera House debut: “Her sunny personality is matched by a sunny voice, a bright tone with pinpoint accuracy in the fioritura (literally “flowering”) of her vocal lines.”
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The Metropolitan Opera has announced the release of its 50th Anniversary Gala on a 3-CD set featuring the artists that performed on May 7, 2017, when the Met celebrated its golden anniversary in Lincoln Center.
The artists featured on the historic night include Piotr Beczała, Ben Bliss, Stephanie Blythe, Joseph Calleja, Javier Camarena, Dwayne Croft, Diana Damrau, David Daniels, Joyce DiDonato, Plácido Domingo, Yusif Eyvazov, Michael Fabiano, Renée Fleming, Elīna Garanča, Susan Graham, Vittorio Grigolo, Gunther Groissböck, Christopher Job, Mariusz Kwiecien, Isabel Leonard, Željko Lučić, Angela Meade, Latonia Moore, James Morris, Anna Netrebko, Kristine Opolais, Eric Owens, René Pape, Matthew Polenzani Sava Vemic, Michael Volle, Yunpeng Wang, Pretty Yende, Sonya Yoncheva and Dolora Zajick. Dmitri Hvorostovsky, who recently passed away, made an unscheduled appearance that surprised and delighted the audience.
For more information and to purchase a copy of this CD set, click here.
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The last performances of the year for Pretty Yende take her to Seville’s Teatro de la Maestranza, where she’ll star as Marie in Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment. The popular Laurent Pelly production makes this opera an audience favourite all around the world.
She sings opposite John Osborn as Tonio, Carlos Daza as Sulpice and Marina Pinchuk as the Marquise de Berkenfield. Santiago Serrate conducts on November 26 and 29, and December 2 and 5.
