It’s always great to welcome back friends who’ve sung with us before, and that’s certainly true of tenor Carl Tanner. Last with us as Calaf in Puccini’s Turandot, he now sings the role of Radames in Verdi’s Aida, a role with few parallels in the ‘big’ tenor repertoire! He reflects on his first-ever Radames which he sung with Mobile Opera in Alabama, a production story that includes an elephant, a horse and a python…not an especially good combination! Enjoy!

Check out our latest SDO Podcast as Nic Reveles interviews our Amneris in Verdi’s Aida, Russian mezzo-soprano Olesya Petrova. Born in St. Petersburg, her love for her native city is palpable as she talks about the artistic atmosphere that surrounded her during her vocal studies. She has some wonderfully insightful things to say about the character of Amneris, one of the most challenging roles in the Verdi repertoire for mezzo. Enjoy!