(Photo: Glodow Nead press) Festival Napa Valley celebrates its 20th anniversary July 4–19, 2026, featuring the world premiere of composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer’s new opera, “The Judgement of Paris.” This opera is commissioned by the festival and includes conductor Kent Nagano and director Jean-Romain Vesperini, alongside a stellar cast including soprano Danielle De Niese, baritone Quinn Kelsey, {…}
Conductor Kent Nagano has been appointed as the new Principal Artistic Partner of the Parma-based Filarmonica Toscanini. Nagano will step into the role for the 2025-26 season, with the initial agreement covering three years. In a statement, Nagano said, “Although the orchestra and I have only met once, it was quite a strong partnership, I would say, from the very {…}
(Photo: Monika Ritterhaus / Courtesy of Staatsoper Hamburg) Dmitri Tcherniakov‘s new production of “Ariadne auf Naxos” at Staatsoper Hamburg rounds out his visual and thematic arc from “Elektra” and “Salome,” ending the Strauss trilogy. Once again, Tcherniakov sets the drama within the same apartment building. The apartment now is simply refinished in a lavish Prussian blue with golden accents, and {…}
(Photo: Lucerne Festival, Patrick Hürlimann) Jan Vogler was appointed as artistic director of The Dresdner Musikfestspiele in 2009, since when, according to the company’s website, it “has expanded its global reach and has broken new ground offering a wide range of programmatic concepts.” Its current project endeavors to open a “new chapter in Wagner interpretation history with its ‘The Wagner {…}
American conductor Kent Nagano has been awarded the Grand Cross of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. In a statement, Hamburg’s Senator for Culture Carsten Brosda said “Kent Nagano stands for classical music at the highest level and conveys musical enthusiasm far into society.” Brosda also praised Nagano for his many music education initiatives {…}
Kent Nagano has been named the Music Director of the Orquesta Nacional de España (ONE) and the Artistic Director of the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España. He will begin his new position in September 2026 for an initial five seasons. The Instituto Nacional de las Artes Escénicas y la Música (INAEM) del Ministerio de Cultura announced the news. Nagano {…}
(Photo: Monika Rittershaus) To mark the 700th anniversary of Dante Aligheri’s death in September 1321, the Aix-en-Provence festival staged the world premier of French composer Pascal Dusapin’s opera “Il Viaggio, Dante,” based upon the poet’s iconic narrative poem “The Divine Comedy.” To say that this is an ambitious undertaking is an understatement, especially as the work has been compressed into {…}
With the pandemic came innovation, particularly in using video to present works. Renowned conductor Kent Nagano and the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra explored the medium to create Micro concerts—bite-size, half-hour audiovisual performances that take their cue more from pop music visuals than from staid, traditional concert films. The videos are available for viewing for free until October 22, 2022. Five {…}
This November, Concerto Köln alongside conductor Kent Nagano will present historically-informed performances of Wagner’s “Das Rheingold.” The performances come as part of their “Wagner Readings” project, which was started in 2017 and began to develop this artistic/scientific approach to the tetralogy, bringing together scholars of multiple disciplines. The first concert will be held on Nov. 18 at the Kölner Philharmonie, {…}
(Credit: Henry Fair) Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal has announced the appointment of Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare its new Music Director. Payare will start his five-year tenure during the 2022-23 season. The Venezuelan conductor will replace the famed conductor Kent Nagano, who has held the position since 2006. Payare graduated from the famous musical education program “El Sistema.” He won the {…}
(Credit: Harald Hoffmann / Felix Broede) The Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg has announced a special Christmas concert, which will spotlight the famed soprano Dorothea Röschmann. Röschmann will perform Johan Sebastian Bach’s “Laudamus te” from the Mass in B minor. Kent Nagano will conduct the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg in a program that will also include Schäfer’s “Yamaga” for Violin and String Orchestra, {…}