Opera Rara has announced that Carlo Rizzi will be Opera Rara’s Artistic Director succeeding Sir Mark Elder, who will step down in September 2019.

Rizzi first collaborated with Opera Rara in 2017 on two discs of bel canto arias with Joyce El-Khoury and Michael Spyres titled Écho and Espoir and set to conduct numerous future projects with the company.

Elder finishes his tenure conducting Puccini’s first staged work “Le Willis,” which is to be released in September.

In a press release, Carlo Rizzi noted, “Opera is my passion and I strongly believe in its future. Just as it is important to present known masterpieces afresh and to commission new works, I believe that finding and bringing back to life the hidden jewels of this endlessly enriching art form is equally vital to excite modern audiences. Throughout my career I have conducted many ‘opera(s) rara(s)’ and the journey that I am starting here with this unique organization will allow me to go even further in exploring many strands of less known repertoire. I am looking forward to it!”

Elder also noted, “My years as Artistic Director of Opera Rara have been enormously rewarding and I have now decided that it is time to hand on the baton. Bringing so many unknown operas to life has been challenging, but there is certainly an appetite for discovery among artists as much as the public. Opera Rara has an important role to play in that discovery, and I am so happy that my distinguished colleague, Carlo Rizzi, will continue the work of this remarkable organization.”