He’s known as the 'king of the keyboard': Hervé Salters from the electro-jazzy General Elektriks is in the studio to talk about his new album. Also have you heard the one about the Jewish comedian in Germany? We meet Oliver Polak who's testing the extent of German humour and we end with ‘Opera for dummies.’
Russia's Bolshoi Theatre, originally erected in the 1820s, re-opened Friday after a six-year, $700 million overhaul. The new building was presented at an invitation-only gala featuring some of Russia's top opera and ballet performers.
Renowned pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim has been appointed musical director of world-famous La Scala opera house in Milan. He is the first to hold the post since Riccardo Muti's 20-year tenure came to an abrupt end six years ago.
Italian tenor Salvatore Licitra died in a hospital in Catania on Monday, a week after a scooter accident in Sicily rendered him brain dead. Licitra gained international recognition from the New York Metropolitan Opera's 2002 production of Tosca.
Winner of the French X Factor, Matthew Raymond-Barker joins us in the studio to talk about his triumphant win after facing rejection on the British version of the talent show. But first: French soprano Natalie Dessay takes on the challenging role of Violetta in Verdi's "La Traviata". And we catch up with Beirut's leader singer Zach Condon to discuss the group's evolving sound.
British band Metronomy join us in the studio today. Band members Joseph Mount and Oscar Cash tell us about their catchy new album, "The English Riviera". Also, we discover an opera with Italian fire in the south of France - Verdi's "Aida" is an explosive hit at the Orange Opera Festival. Finally, six decades of photographs by Elliott Erwitt go on display in New York.
In the studio we talk crime thrillers with award-winning Swedish novelist Johan Theorin and his latest novel "The Quarry". Plus, the Indonesian musical director Rahayu Supanggah and choreographer Eko Supriyanto from “Opera Java” join us with a contemporary re-imagining of the ancient Ramayana stories performed at the musée du quai Branly.
Mezzo Soprano, Anna Wall, is in our studios today to talk about her role in Bob Wilson's production of Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly'. Currently at the Opéra National de Paris.
In today’s culture show the world's youngest tenor, Amaury Vassili sings live for Eve Jackson. Plus, tributes to Blake Edwards: the legendery director of the Pink Panther films dies at the age of 88.
He's said to be one of the most elegant and musical lyric tenors to have emerged for a decade. He's sung a variety of roles from different periods including Mozart, Handel and Benjamin Britten. Topi Lehtipuu tells Eve Jackson about dubbing Sesame Street, discovering new Vivaldi music and how opera is HOT.
