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September 28 — On This Day in Opera

This page lists notable events in opera history that happened on September 28, including world premieres, composer births, deaths, and important milestones.

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Premieres & milestones

1968
Plácido Domingo made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Maurizio in Cilea's "Adriana Lecouvreur", stepping in for Franco Corelli opposite Renata Tebaldi.
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Anthony Davis's opera "X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X", with a libretto by Thulani Davis and a story by Christopher Davis, received its New York City Opera premiere.
1986 Premiere
Anthony Davis's opera "X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X", with a libretto by Thulani Davis and a story by Christopher Davis, received its New York City Opera premiere.
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2018 Premiere
Laurent Petitgirard's three-act opera "Guru", with a libretto by Xavier Maurel, received its world premiere at the Opera at the Castle in Szczecin, Poland.
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2024 Premiere
Michael Hersch's two-act opera "and we, each", with a libretto by Hersch after texts by poet Shane McCrae, received its world premiere in Baltimore.
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2025 Premiere
Silvia Colasanti's opera "Anna A.", with a libretto by Paolo Nori in collaboration with Fabrizio Sinisi and centered on poet Anna Akhmatova, received its world premiere at Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
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Births & deaths

1882 Died
Death of Norwegian opera singer Amunda Kolderup, who made her operatic debut as Leonora in Verdi’s *Il trovatore*.
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1949 Born
Hans Peter Blochwitz, German lyric tenor known internationally for Mozart roles and for appearances at La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, and other major houses, was born in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
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Rosa Raisa, the dramatic soprano who created the title role in Puccini's "Turandot" and was a major star of the Chicago opera scene, died in California.
1963 Died
Rosa Raisa, the dramatic soprano who created the title role in Puccini's "Turandot" and was a major star of the Chicago opera scene, died in California.
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Huang Ruo, Chinese-born composer whose operas include "M. Butterfly" and "The Monkey King", was born in Qionghai on Hainan Island, China.
1976 Born
Huang Ruo, Chinese-born composer whose operas include "M. Butterfly" and "The Monkey King", was born in Qionghai on Hainan Island, China.
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2010 Died
Death of American coloratura soprano Dolores Wilson, known for creating the title role in Douglas Moore’s *The Ballad of Baby Doe*.
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2021 Died
Karan Armstrong, American soprano and singing actress closely associated with the Deutsche Oper Berlin and noted for roles in "Salome", "Wozzeck", "Lulu", and "Die Walküre", died.
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