(Credit: Oper Köln official website) Two major German opera houses, Nationaltheater Mannheim and Oper Köln have extended their closures until at least May 1, 2021. Both opera houses stated that the decision comes on the heels of a rapidly worsening epidemiological situation. The German federal government and Prime Ministers of German federal states have agreed to extend the lockdown in {…}
(Credit: Opera Online website) Oper Köln has announced that it will remain closed until at least March 31, 2021. The opera house stated that such a decision after broad consultations with the authorities of the City of Köln, and based on the joint decision of the German government and federal states. The German government has extended the national lockdown until {…}
(Credit: Athole Still Artists official website) Conductor Andrew Greenwood has died. Greenwood was born in Yorkshire. He graduated from Clare College, Cambridge. He went on to join the music staff at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden from 1977 until 1984. He then became a Chorus Master at the Welsh Opera until 1990. He served as Artistic Director of the {…}
(Credit: Kirsten Nijhof / Opera Online website / Staatstheater Hannover official website) Oper Leipzig has announced that it will shut down until at least the end of February 2021. The company has joined a growing number of German opera houses and concert halls that have closed until February or March 2021. In the meantime, Oper Köln and Staatstheater Hannover have {…}
Oper Köln has announced it will not extend the contract of Artistic Director Birgit Meyer, with it set to expire by the end of 2022. The decision comes as the company’s renovation of its opera house reaches over 1 billion Euros, a figure which is over four times the initial estimate when the project was approved in 2012. Meyer has {…}
(Credit: Simon Pauly) “The music is giving me what I need. Music has always given me what I needed in my life.” When the COVID-19 hurricane struck humanity in full force in March, tenor Martin Muehle was about to begin rehearsals for the supernatural opera “The Queen of Spades” at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. At that moment it was obvious {…}
(Credit: Sarah Wijzenbeek) Phion, Orchestra of Gelderland & Overijssel has announced the appointment of Otto Tausk as the ensemble’s new Chief Conductor. Tausk initially engaged in violin studies with Viktor Liberman, and then orchestral conducting with Jonas Aleksa, Kenneth Montgomery and Jurjen Hempel. He started his career as an assistant with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra under Valery Gergiev as the {…}
The Oper Köln has announced its 2020-21 season featuring nine new productions and several revivals. Premieres The first new production of the season will be Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte“ with Michael Hampe directing. Christoph Gedschold, Alfred Eschwé, and Rainer Mühlbach alternate at the pit with Julien Behr as Tamino, Antonina Vesenina, and Emily Hindrichs as the Queen of the Night, Kathrin Zukowski {…}
Recognized baritone Claudio Nicolai has died at the age of 91. The baritone died on May 11 in his home in the Canary Islands in La Palma. Born March 7, 1929 in Kiel, Germany, Claudio was baptized Claus Hennecke. His father was in the Navy and became an admiral staff officer during World War II. The baritone started his career {…}
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 {…}
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 {…}