ARIA SERIOUS?

We're still cleaning house from the long weekend and the 2011 season but the big news over the weekend is that radiation fears caused a game of musical chairs with the Met's tour of Japan . More once we get through this pile of emails and papers...

Folks, our offices will be closing at 3 PM today and will remain closed until Tuesday May 31, 2011 to allow us a chance to stretch our legs before diving into the 2012 season. As always, our website will remain open for your subscription needs. Thank you for making the 2011 season such a success.

You can now relive our 2011 season from your favorite comfy chair and even sing along if you'd like because our four operas from the 2011 season will start airing on KPBS radio this Saturday, May 28, 2011 at 7 PM PST with Turandot . A new opera airs each Saturday after that. You can find KPBS radio at 89.5 FM San Diego, 89.7 La Jolla and http://www.kpbs.org/ The full schedule can be found here .

Over the weekend: - We closed our 2011 season with the final performance of Carmen on Sunday. It's a bittersweet day also know as bagels vs. donuts in the kitchen (donuts are winning). What was your highlight of the 2011 season? Around the world: - NYCO announced it is leaving Lincoln Center over the weekend . - The New York Times on the future of James Levine at the Metropolitan Opera. - Probably one of the best articles we've ever read on what it takes to make it as a singer. With incredible photos as well. Read this one, please . - Everything old is new again - the year is 1892 and even then you could "download" music from your phone .

What are you listening to this weekend? We'll be taking in the final performances of Carmen , and in doing so, the final two performances of the season. T here are still a very few seats left for tonight's performance , so if you were thinking about catching an opera this season, tonight is the night to do it. Have a great weekend and share your listening plans down below.

We're sorry for the delay - Blogger has been giving us a hard time this week. Without further delay (we hope) OperaSpotlight Carmen .

The wonderful San Diego City Beat sat down with Talise Trevigne yesterday to discuss Carmen , Moby -Dick , yoga and chocolate bacon(!?) You can download the delicious podcast here.

On this week's podcast, Dr. Nic explores the 2012 season. This will actually be our last podcast Monday for a few weeks as Dr. Nic will be taking a much needed vacation. You can hear our podcast here . Enjoy!

Over the weekend: - We announced our 2012 season. Salome , Moby -Dick , Don Pasquale , The Barber of Seville and a special concert with the lovely Renee Fleming. You can read about here and here . We'll have more detailed posts about the season in a few weeks. - We opened our Carmen on Saturday. Reviews have been coming and we expect a few more today. You can find them online here as they arrive (at the time of posting they were not quite up yet but we're working on it). Operawarhorses said "A Sultry, Voluptuous “Carmen” Concludes San Diego Opera’s Best Season Ever" whereas the Union Tribune didn't care for it as much but said of our Carmen, Nino Surguladze "she has warmth, power, consistency and expressivity ." In other news: - Those attending the Met HD Broadcast of Die Walkure on Saturday experienced a 40 minute delay as the "Valhalla Machine" had technical difficulties. - Closer to home Sacramento Opera's 2011-2012 was saved by l...

For 5 months a year we eat, breathe and sleep opera. We become so deeply involved in the process of making opera we have a hard time looking at our operas on the stage as anything other than work and a matter of professional pride. Privy to every detail behind the scenes, it is hard to take what we see on our stage for what it truly is; which is why it is incredibly refreshing to invite the talented Eric Shanower into our theatre. Below you will find sketches Eric took last night at the final Carmen rehearsal. It is always wonderful when these sketches arrive. The staff gathers in the Aria Serious tower to look at each image. These drawings give us a new perspective and it allows us to see our operas with new eyes..We need this from time to time as it is important to watch opera as opera, and not just work. So it's with great pleasure to present Carmen by Eric Shanower and to say thank you for these incredible glimpses into our world that we managed to miss in all the hustle and...

Friday, and therefore time to ask - what are you listening to this weekend? The Aria Serious crew will spend Saturday listening to Carmen . There's a reason why this opera is so popular - and while we personally have other favorite operas there is no denying the music, the singing, the story makes for one of the most satisfying nights of live theatre ever. We have a few tickets for Saturday, a few more for Tuesday and Friday, but Sunday is sold-out. You can check real-time availability and select your own seats here . Sunday we'll spend at the North Park Festival of the Arts listening to bands on the many stages dotting the neighborhood. And then there is the beer block. The sweet glorious refreshing beer block. So why not come to Carmen on Saturday. Heck, we'll even buy you a beer on Sunday. Share your listening plans in the comment section below. And please, make it a good one.

Our Stars in Salon round table discussion with the cast of CARMEN. Enjoy!

We're so happy that Talise Trevigne is making her Company and role debut with us this season as Micaela in CARMEN. We were able to catch up with her and take a few minutes from her busy schedule for our weekly podcast series where she talks about her career, and her rehearsal for San Diego Opera. You can hear it here .

Over the weekend: - A look at sets and costumes and how they help make opera a complete art form in the San Diego Union Tribune's continuing series of Opera Basics. - A look at the "other" whale opera - an Antarctic Marine Biology Under Water Opera . - America's record stash. - Washington National Opera says goodbye to Placido Domingo as General Director. With lasers . - Terry Gilliam's Damnation of Faust opened this weekend at ENO . It sounds awesome.

What are you listening to this weekend? The Aria Serious crew will be taking a weekend off from listening to opera. It's been an incredibly busy few weeks and nothing strikes our fancy at the moment. Sometimes silence is indeed golden. Is there anything we should be listening to this weekend? If so, share it in the comment section below. And please, make it a good one. And call mom.

This week's podcast sees Dr. Nic sitting down with the wonderful mezzo soprano Nino Surguladze to talk about the role of Carmen. You can find the podcast here. Enjoy!

Over the weekend: - The NEA released a study that said Americans spend more on attending the arts than on attending the movies. But less than they spend on attending sporting events. - Florida Grand Opera has launched a new QR code campaign . Since, Dear Readers, you are all savvy enough to read blogs on the internet , what do you think about QR codes? - The second and final part of Opera Warhorse's interview with tenor Stephen Costello ran over the weekend and you can read it here.