The Chorus of the Dutch National Opera will be presenting Brahms’ “Ein deutsches Requiem” on April 22, 2021. The stream, which will be presented in collaboration with the Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam, will be farewell showcased aimed at honoring Ching-Lien Wu, the chorus master of the Dutch National Opera. Wu will be headed to Paris where she has been appointed “Chef {…}
The Dutch National Opera has canceled the remainder of its 2020-21 season. The company announced that due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, it would be canceling its upcoming production of “Anna Bolena scheduled for May and “La damnation de Faust” scheduled for June. “Anna Bolena” was set to star Marina Rebeka and J’Nai Bridges while “Le damnation de Faust” was {…}
The Dutch National Opera has revamped its fall season. The company announced that due to the current crisis, the planned season opener “Mefistofele” will be replaced by “Faust [Working Title],” a pastiche based on Goethe’s “Faust.” The program will include a large-scale performance with choir, orchestra, soloists, and a wealth of music, from classical to lesser-known repertoire. Performance Dates: Sept. {…}
The Bergen National Opera will present “This Evening’s Performance Has Not Been Canceled” on June 12, 2020. The showcase, conceived by Sound Artist Zoë Irvine, will give audiences an opportunity to call in and speak to a singer, director, costume designer, make-up person, and other participants of an opera production across Europe that has been canceled or postponed due to {…}
The Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has announced that no concerts or sporting events will be allowed until September. In his address to the to the nation, the Prime Minister announced new guidelines to reopening nation. With no mass gathering, Netherlands will become the latest European nation to cancel all summer music festivals. The Dutch National Opera already canceled the {…}
The Dutch National Opera has launched an online streaming platform showcasing some of the company’s recent productions. The streaming service will include opera and ballet and will also showcase arias, excerpts, and behind the scenes videos. It will also include a full dress rehearsal performance of “Ritratto,” which was filmed before the Dutch National Opera was forced to cancel the {…}
It was the afternoon following the Metropolitan Opera’s premiere of “Der Fliegende Holländer,” that I met a glowing Huda I. Alkhamis-Kanoo, the founder of the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and the Abu Dhabi Festival. The Abu Dhabi Festival was one of four organizations co-producing the Met’s “Dutchman,” the other three being the Metropolitan Opera, L’Opéra de Québec, {…}
The Dutch National Opera has announced its 2020-21 season featuring new productions and a number of world premieres. Boito’s “Mefistofele” opens the season with a new production by Tatjana Gürbaca. Marco Armiliato conducts the production with Christian Van Horn in the title role, Charles Castronovo, Olga Busuioc, and Guanqun Yu. Performance Dates: Sept. 5-24, 2020 Paula Murrihy, Sandrine Piau, Tuomas {…}
(Credit: Hans Hijmering) Famed Dutch composer, pianist and conductor Reinbert de Leeuw died in Amsterdam at the age of 81 on Feb. 14, 2020. De Leeuw studied music theory and piano at the Amsterdam Conservatoire and composition with Kees van Baaren at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. He was the founder of the “Dutch Charles Ives Society” and became {…}
(Credit: © BAUS) Canadian director Robert Carsen is one of the most solicited directors in every major opera house nowadays and he proved why in his new production of the famous double bill of “I Paglliacci” and “Cavalleria Rusticana,” which opened the opera season at the Dutch National Opera. It is a production where he plays with theatre-within-theatre concept, making {…}
Lorenzo Viotti has been named the next chief conductor of the Netherlands Philharmonic Opera and Dutch National Opera. The 29-year-old Swiss maestro, who is the son of the late conductor Marcello Viotti, will take over the position currently occupied by Marc Albrecht; Albrecht is set to step down in after the 2019-20 season. Viotti has performed all around the world {…}