Nicky Spence & Lotte Betts-Dean Named Royal Philharmonic Society Awards Recipients

The Royal Philharmonic Society Awards winners were announced at the Royal Northern College of Music on March 5. For the purposes of this article only opera related winners are included. Taking home the Conductor Prize is François-Xavier Roth. Meanwhile the Ensemble Award went to the BBC Singers. Kaija Saariaho‘s “Innocence” took home the Large-Scale Composition award while Contemporary Music Festival’s {…}

Royal Philharmonic Society Awards Announces Shortlist

A shortlist of this year’s Royal Philharmonic Society Award recipients has been released. For the purposes of this article only opera related nominees are included. The full list can be found here.  Chamber-Scale Composition Nilufar Habibian – “Az nahāyate tāriki” (“From the deep end of darkness”) Conductor Alice Farnham; Alpesh Chauhan; François-Xavier Roth Ensemble BBC Singers; Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective Impact {…}

SWR Symphonieorchester Announces New Principal Conductor & Artistic Director

Stuttgart’s SWR Symphonieorchester has announced François-Xavier Roth as its Principal Conductor and Artistic Director. The conductor will take over the position during the 2025-26 season and will succeed Teodor Currentzis, who has held the position since 2018. Regarding his appointment, Roth said, “I feel very honored to accept the position of Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the SWR Symphonieorchester {…}

Rihab Chaieb, Erwin Schrott & Anna Smirnova Highlight Oper Köln’s 2019-20 Season

Oper Köln has announced its 2019-20 season. Premieres General Music Director François-Xavier Roth will lead the Gürzenich-Orchester Köln during performances of Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde,” directed by Patrick Kinmonth. The cast will feature KS Peter Seiffert/Heiko Börner as Tristan, Karl-Heinz Lehner as König Marke, Ingela Brimberg as Isolde, Samuel Youn/Kostas Smorginas as Kurwenal, John Huezenroeder as Melot, Claudia Mahnke as {…}

Lisette Oropesa, Sabine Devielhe & Dorothea Röschmann Headline L’Orchestre de Paris’ 2019-20 Season

L’Orchestre de Paris has announced its 2019-20 season! For the purposes of this article, we will focus primarily on vocal performances. The season will kick off with a concert led by Karina Canellakis, newly appointed Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Dorothea Röschmann will be featured vocally, performing alongside the orchestra and chorus. The program is set to include {…}

Oper Köln 2017-18 Review – Tannhäuser: Pomeroy Shines in Production Memorable For Creative Use of Converted Space

Opinions on regietheater can be quite divided although anyone with a negative one should have a level of understanding for what Oper Köln is currently undergoing. The company’s opera house, located in the center of the city in the square named for native son Jacques Offenbach, is currently being renovated. That has required Oper Köln to shift to several locations {…}