A Season to Remember

June usually means the start of summer, longer days, beach trips, Gay Pride month, and the end of New York City’s main cultural season. This year, the excitement is even higher with the 2026 World Cup coming up, but there are still plenty of ways to celebrate Pride. The month also features final performances at The Metropolitan Opera, The New York Philharmonic, the American Ballet Theater’s short season at the MET, and events at Carnegie Hall, and The TONY Awards in early June mark the end of the 2025-2026 Broadway season.

Beginning in January 2026, New York City has offered an incredible range of cultural events. In the next few posts, I’ll share some of my favorite moments from the performing arts.

I’ll begin with the National Symphony Orchestra’s concert at Carnegie Hall on Sunday, May 3. The orchestra has faced a lot of turmoil lately because of the situation at the Kennedy Center, so it was surprising that this challenging program came together at all. They also lost one of their star performers, tenor Jonathan Tetelman. Still, Maestro Gianandrea Noseda, the artistic director and conductor, was determined to push through the difficulties and present this supremely challenging musical event in Washington, D.C. and in New York City.

Puccini’s Il Trittico is a set of three one-act operas: Il Tabarro (The Cloak), Suor Angelica (Sister Angelica), and Gianni Schicchi. Performing all three in one night is a huge challenge for opera companies, since it usually requires three different casts, sets, and costumes, plus extensive rehearsal. Noseda and the National Symphony not only focused on the music but also took it a step further by using basic concert staging that did away with the traditional stand-and-sing approach behind music stands, which had mostly disappeared. This approach made them more accessible to people who might not be familiar with these lesser-performed Puccini pieces.

Il Tabarro is a dark drama about an affair that ends in murder. Suor Angelica tells the story of a nun sent to a convent after having a child out of wedlock. When she learns her child has died, she takes her own life, which is considered a mortal sin in the Catholic faith. In the end, she is forgiven and sees a vision of the Virgin Mary, who reunites her with her child in heaven. Gianni Schicchi, the comedy of the evening, is about a clever man who tricks a greedy family trying to change the will of a wealthy relative who disinherited them.

For this performance, I have to say the National Symphony, led by Noseda, played the music beautifully. Noseda highlighted the unique style of each opera: the impressionistic feel in Tabarro, the rich religious emotion in Angelica, and the lively humor in Schicchi.

The singers, however, didn’t quite match the orchestra’s level. Erika Grimaldi took on all three lead soprano roles: Suor Angelica, Giorgetta in Il Tabarro, and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi. Only a few singers, like Renata Scotto, Renata Tebaldi (on recording), Patricia Racette, and recently Asmik Gregorian, have truly succeeded in these demanding parts. Maestro Noseda changed the order of the operas, starting with Suor Angelica, then Il Tabarro, and ending with Gianni Schicchi, to help manage the vocal challenges for Ms. Grimaldi. He likely knew Puccini would not have approved, since Puccini never wanted the pieces performed separately. Still, Ms. Grimaldi struggled with Angelica’s role, especially in the second half, which is almost a dramatic soprano part and requires both power and lyricism for the famous aria “Senza Mama” and the dramatic finale. She did a bit better in Il Tabarro, playing the unhappy wife longing for a better life with her younger lover, sung with strength by tenor Gregory Kunde, who stepped in for Tetelman. Finally, as Lauretta, Ms. Grimaldi delivered a lovely “O mio babbino caro,” probably the most familiar piece of the night.

Mezzo-soprano Agnieska Rehlis did an excellent job in the main mezzo roles for each opera, making each character stand out through her singing and stage presence.

Russian baritone Roman Burdenko was the standout singer of the night. His strong, warm voice fit Michele, the betrayed husband in Il Tabarro, and he completely changed character to play the clever Gianni Schicchi.

Young tenor Hakeem Kenderson struggled as Rinuccio, the young lover in Gianni Schicchi.

Overall, I thought the afternoon was mixed, but it was still a real treat to hear this music performed by such a great orchestra. The National Symphony will be back in early 2027 with a four-night concert version of Wagner’s Ring Cycle.