Opera watch.

1. JESSYE NORMAN has chosen Canadian mezzo-soprano SUSAN PLATTS as her protege in the biennial ROLEX MENTOR AND PROTEGE ARTS INITIATIVE. Inaugurated in 2002, the program invites masters in the arts to provide individual guidance to younger artists for a year of creative collaboration. Platts, known primarily as a concert singer, made her New York debut in 2002, at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater.

2. Soprano ANNALISA RASPAGLIOSI sings Antonia in Les Contes d'Hoffmann this month at Arena Sferisterio di Macerata (July 17, 25, August 5, 8), then journeys to Frankfurt for Margherita in Mefistofele (September-October). November finds her taking on La Signora Fabien in Dallapiccola's Volo di Notte in Milan and Sita in Massenet's La Roi de Lahore at La Fenice. She will be Turin's Il Trovatore Leonora in February 2005.

3. On July 7, ZOE CALDWELL, who was Madame Armfeldt in A Little, Night Music at the 2002 Ravinia Festival, makes her LOS ANGELES OPERA debut in the same role, joining fellow LAO newcomers VICTOR GARBER and JUDITH IVEY in a twenty-three-performance run of Stephen Sondheim's musical. SCOTT ELLIS directs, SUSAN STROMAN choreographs and JOHN DE MAIN conducts the production, originally created for New York City Opera. For tickets, call 213-365-3500.

4. MUHAMMAD ALI attended the April 20 world premiere of the opera MUHAMMAD ALI: OUTSIDE THE RING, presented by KENTUCKY OPERA at ...