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Kaleidoscope: the London Festival of Baroque Music – 12 to 20 May 2023

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Introducing the London Festival of Baroque Music 2023
Friday 12th – Saturday 20th May 2023
St John’s Smith Square, London SW1P 3HA

Drawing from the title Kaleidoscope, the 2023 London Festival of Baroque Music (LFBM), explores the beauty of the baroque in all shapes and sizes, featuring artistic talent from Spain, France and the UK. Taking place at St John’s Smith Square from Friday 12th to Saturday 20th May 2023, the Festival will be a week of mesmerising baroque colour, largely performed in the round.

The Festival includes everything from Baroque Cabaret to intimate solo performances, a harpsichord masterclass with Steven Devine to the contrasting programming of Le Concert de L’Hostel Dieu and the timbres of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

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Berlin’s Staatsoper Unter den Linden in 2023-24

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Highlights in the 2023/24 Season at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden

  • A world premiere and four additional premieres in the main hall (see PREMIERES section).
  • LINDEN 21 format with two world premieres and one revival (see section LINDEN 21).
  • BAROCKTAGE (17 to 26 November 2023), with no less than three different works revolving around the subject of »Medea« In addition to the premiere of Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s late 17th-century French tragédie en musique MÉDÉE (music director: Simon Rattle, stage director: Peter Sellars, stage design: Frank O. Gehry), there will be a reencounter with Luigi Cherubini’s MEDEA directed by Andrea Breth (performed for the first time by an »early music« ensemble), as well as a melodrama by Mozart contemporary Georg Anton Benda. Accompanying Mozart’s MITRIDATE, RE DI PONTO as well as numerous concerts can be experienced.
  • The FESTTAGE (18 March to 1 April 2024) with the revival of Wagner’s RING tetralogy directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov, conducted for the first time by Philippe Jordan at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, complemented by concerts with the Staatskapelle Berlin and the Opera Children’s Orchestra.
  • 28 opera revivals – including Peter Eötvösʼs SLEEPLESS and Beat Furrer’s VIOLETTER SCHNEE, which together with the premiere of Marc-André Dalbavie’s MELANCHOLIE DES WIDERSTANDS form a »trilogy of world premieres« of recent years.
  • In addition, there will be around 100 concerts in Berlin, including 16 symphony concerts (with eight programs) and other special concerts by the Staatskapelle Berlin. Furthermore, a Canada and USA tour of the Staatskapelle Berlin under the baton of Daniel Barenboim (25 November to 6 December 2023) will take the orchestra to five major music centres.
  • The concert program for the 2023/24 season will focus on the composer Antonín Dvořák in both the symphony and chamber concerts. But several works by Anton Bruckner, whose 200th birthday will be celebrated in 2024, are also represented in the Staatskapelle’s symphony concerts, as are Gustav Mahler’s Symphonies Nos. 1, 5 and 7. Works by the South Korean composer Unsuk Chin, who lives in Berlin, will be heard in two subscription concerts, as will the two violin concertos by Béla Bartók.
  • In total, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden will present more than 320 events in 2023/24, STAATSOPER FÜR ALLE in July 2024 with an open-air concert by the Staatskapelle Berlin, conducted by Christian Thielemann, as well as numerous projects by the Junge Staatsoper, including performances by the Opera Children’s Orchestra and the Children’s Opera House Unter den Linden.
  • We also devote special attention to the topic of sustainability with a special concert project by the Orchester des Wandels (Orchestra of Change) of the Staatskapelle Berlin at Kraftwerk Mitte and the SUSTAINABLE LISTENING series.
  • Conductors who can be experienced for the first time at the Staatsoper and with the Staatskapelle Berlin: Elim Chan, Pierre Dumoussand, Iván Fischer, Marie Jacquot, Nicola Luisotti, Joana Mallwitz, Rafael Payare, Giedré Šlekytė (debut concert), Robin Ticciati, Jaap van Zweden.
  • Directed new productions: Calixto Bieito, Silvia Costa (house debut), Claus Guth, Julia Lwowski (house debut), David Marton (house debut), Kornél Mundruczó, Peter Sellars (house debut).
  • Dani Juris will be the new chorus director of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden from the 2023/24 season.
  • The new season will kick off with an opening celebration on 9 September 2023.

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The 17th Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition – LSO St Luke’s (21 – 23 March 2023)

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TWENTY FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 17th DONATELLA FLICK LSO CONDUCTING COMPETITION – LSO St Luke’s, London, Tuesday 21 – Thursday 23 March 2023

Twenty competitors from across Europe have been announced for the 17th Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition. Internationally recognized as one of the world’s leading conducting competitions, the Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition will see twenty competitors compete for the £15,000 prize awarded by Donatella Flick and opportunity to become Assistant Conductor with the London Symphony Orchestra for up to one year.

For more information CLICK HERE

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The Mousetrap continues its 2023 UK tour

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MAJOR NEW TOUR LAUNCHED THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OF THE MOUSETRAP – THE WORLD’S LONGEST RUNNING PLAY

From the East End to Monkswell Manor, The Mousetrap 70th Anniversary tour will star John Altman, Todd Carty and Gwyneth Strong whilst Agatha Christie’s iconic thriller continues its record-breaking run at London’s St Martin’s Theatre.

Having held its world premiere at Theatre Royal Nottingham in 1952, this 70th Anniversary tour opened there in September 2022 before visiting over 70 theatres throughout the UK and Ireland, including all cities to which it originally played 70 years ago, plus many more.

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Ukrainian National Opera is touring the UK until 5 April 2023

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Ukrainian National Opera presents three classic operas: Aida, Madama Butterfly, and Carmen

Ukrainian National Opera’s Madama Butterfly

We are thrilled to announce that for the first time ever the Ukrainian National Opera is touring the UK now until 5 April 2023. Coming all the way from Dnipro, Ukraine, this opera company, featuring an impressive cast and accompanied by a large live orchestra comprising over thirty musicians, will premiere three of the most iconic opera titles this season.

For more information about them now touring again in 2024 CLICK HERE.

FOR A REVIEW OF MADAMA BUTTERFLY CLICK HERE.

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