‘Is opera the most misogynistic art form?’ asked Charlotte Higgins in The Guardian back in 2016, noting that the genre itself seems to devour women. In Classical Music Magazine in 2020, Becca Marriott argued that ‘Sexism is preventing women from forging a career in opera’. Over the course of the next episodes, we are looking at how voices in opera are calling for change to make it better for the next generation of operatic talent. In this episode, we investigate misogyny in opera both on the stage and behind the scenes, and investigate the lived experience of artists who are striving to make the opera world a place where everyone feels welcome, respected and safe.   View the OperaVision website here Watch now on Opera Vision Oper Frankfurt From Studio to Stage Opera for Peace Masterclasses with Ailyn Perez & Brian Jagde Il Viaggio a Reims (Rossini), Rossini Opera Festival Accademia Rossiniana BBC Cardiff Singer of the World with Nombulelo Yende Dana Lynne Varga www.danavarga.com The Empowered Musician https://theempoweredmusician.com/ Mass Opera https://massopera.org/ Rosie Middleton https://rosiemiddleton.com/ Derri Joseph Lewis https://derrijosephlewis.com/   Music extracts Introduction and closing from Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart): Overture Bizet ‘L'amour est un oiseau rebelle’ (Habanera) from Carmen with mezzo-soprano Evgenia Asanova at the Staatsoper Hannover. Watch extract here   Massenet ‘Je marche sur tous les chemins’ from Manon with soprano Elsa Dreisig at the Hamburg State Opera. Watch extract here   Donizetti 'Regnava nel silenzio' from Lucia di Lammermoor with soprano Lisette Oropesa at the Teatro Real Madrid. Watch full extract here   

This month, OperaVision takes you from the Studio at Oper Frankfurt to backstage at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. Nombulelo Yende shares her hopes and fears about performing in front of experts and an international audience, while Clara Hyoyoung Kim is honest about the challenges of clashing schedules and saying ‘no’ when it is necessary. Meanwhile the visiting expert Matthias Rexroth sets the bar extremely high for young singers.   View the OperaVision website here Watch now on Opera Vision BBC Cardiff Singer of the World https://operavision.eu/de/performance/bbc-cardiff-singer-world-2023-final Frankfurt Opera Studio Soirée https://operavision.eu/performance/frankfurt-opera-studio-soiree Frankfurt Opera Studio Documentary https://operavision.eu/performance/frankfurt-opera-studio-soiree Opera for Peace Masterclasses with Ailyn Perez & Brian Jagde: https://operavision.eu/de/performance/ailyn-perez-brian-jagde-masterclass   Cendrillon (Viardot) from the Young Artists at the Palau de Les Arts Centre de Perfeccionament https://operavision.eu/performance/cendrillon-0   Music Extracts Introduction & closing: Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart): Overture. Bellini: Ah! Non credea mirarti! from La Sonnambula, Clara Hyoyoung Kim (Soprano) Felice Venanzoni (Piano) Moniuszko: Ha! Dzieciątko nam umiera...O mój maleńki from Halka, Nombulelo Yende (Soprano) live from the 11th Moniuszko Vocal Competition at Polish National Opera

On track to becoming a doctor in Mexico and finding opera as something ‘for old people’, Leonardo Sanchez made an unexpected career pivot and discovered that singing opera really could be a viable career choice. So how have the first steps in opera been for this emerging tenor? How has he squared reality and against his own high expectations? We hear from a number of people who are keeping a watchful eye on his development, namely Lawrence Brownlee, the American tenor and star of bel canto, and Julia Lagahuzère director of Opera for Peace, who is preparing her next academy for young singers in Paris; she explains how she asks the difficult questions in the opera business. View the OperaVision website here Find out more about the next Opera for Peace Academy in Paris here Watch now on Opera Vision Il Viaggio a Reims with the Accademia Rossiniana at the Rossini Opera Festival (only until 13.02.23) Lawrence Brownlee & Thomas Hampson’s Masterclasses with Opera for Peace (until 26.02.23) An evening of Operetta & Zarzeuela from the Centre de Perfeccionament del Palau de les Arts (until 16.03.23)   Music Extracts Introduction & closing: Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart): Overture. Gounod Ah lêve-toi soleil! from Romeo et Juliette Tenor Leonardo Sanchez, Pianist Kamal Khan Puccini’s O soave fanciulla from La Bohème Tenor Leonardo Sanchez, Soprano Ana Garotić, Pianist Kamal Khan

Charting the journeys of singers on four competitive young artist programmes across Europe. From masterclasses and performances, to rehearsal rooms and dressing rooms, we hear the motivations, desires and the challenges they face - along with insight from experts on how they are nurturing the next generation of opera talent.