The Salzburg Festival has announced its 2018 summer festival. This season the festival will showcase eight operas in concert and staged performances. Rossini’s “L’Italiana in Algeri” will make an appearance as well with Cecilia Bartoli in the title role and Ildar Abdrazakov as Mustafa. Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier direct the production which is slated to premiere at the Whitsun Festival in May.  Plácido Domingo will also headline a concert performance of Georges Bizet’s “Les Pêcheurs de Perles.” The performances will also feature Aida Garifullina and Javier Camarena. Patrick Fournillier conducts.  In recital, the festival will showcase Jonas Kaufmann alongside Helmut Deutsch and Rolando Villazón in a program of Songs from the Old and New Worlds. Christiane Karg,  Florian Boesch, Matthias Goerne and Philippe Jaroussky will also be featured in recitals.  (via)]]>