Vilma Jää never expected to play a major role in one of the 21st century’s most acclaimed operas when she enrolled at the Sibelius Academy to study folk music.

Miles Mykkanen has come a long way since his musical theater dreams shifted to opera at Juilliard.

The Metropolitan Opera will double cast a portion of Verdi and Puccini revivals and shift some contemporary compositions away from Saturdays at the recommendation of a consultant trying to boost the company’s finances.

Yevgeny Prigozhin rose from an ex-con hot dog vendor to winning lucrative Kremlin contracts and heading a formidable mercenary army.