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Jens F. Laurson

Jens F. Laurson is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the International Affairs Forum, translator, and a free-lance journalist. His work has been published in Forbes, the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Baltimore Sun, et al. He has written on classical music for the Washington Post, Chamber Music America, Crescendo [Germany], Listen Magazine, Musical America, Opera [UK], American Record Guide, Fanfare, Opera Canada, WGMS.com, and for the Washington culture-blog ionarts.org. From 2007 until 2011 he was the Critic-at-Large for Washington Classical WETA 90.9 FM. Jens grew up in a musical household, with a love especially for Bach instilled from an early age. That he could read notes before he could read letters lent (eventually disappointed) hope to the family that he might step into the footsteps of his harpsichordist uncle whose vinyls of Scarlatti he grew up on. He joined the Regensburger Domspatzen, despite a distinct lack of Catholicism, but did not pursue an active role in music thereafter. He is a musical omnivore and listens with equal zeal to anything from Renaissance to contemporary music, to opera, chamber, instrumental and orchestral music. A music library of some 10000 discs speaks to his general obsession; a more particular love focuses on Bach, the addiction of Mahler, and 'twice forgotten' 20th century composers who had their work seen overtaken by neglect first for biographical, the stylistic reasons. Franz Mittler, Eric(h) Zeisl, Joseph Marx, Walter Braunfels, Erwin Schulhoff, and the like among them.

Boring Barbiere in Valenica

16/03/201310/03/2013 by Jens F. Laurson

SpainSpain G. Rossini, Il barbiere di Siviglia: Soloists, Orchestra Comunitat Valenciana, Chorus Generalitat Valenciana, Omer Meir Wellber (conductor), Palau de Les Arts, Valencia, 6.3.2013 (JMI)

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Categories International Opera, Previously Published Tags JM Irurzun, Valencia

The Edita Gruberová Show in Madrid: Roberto Devereux

16/03/201308/03/2013 by Jens F. Laurson

SpainSpain G.Donizetti, Roberto Devereux: Soloists, Orchestra and Chorus Teatro Real, Andriy Yurkevych (conductor), Teatro Real, Madrid, 3.3.2013 (JMI)

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Categories International Opera, Previously Published Tags JM Irurzun, Madrid

Madrid Così: That’s how Haneke Does It

16/03/201308/03/2013 by Jens F. Laurson

SpainSpain W.A.Mozart, Così Fan Tutte: Soloists, Orchestra and Chorus Teatro Real, Sylvain Cambreling (conductor), Madrid Teatro Real, 4.3.2013 (JMI)

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Categories International Opera, Previously Published Tags JM Irurzun, Madrid

Street Scenes of Madrid

16/03/201308/03/2013 by Jens F. Laurson

SpainSpain Kurt Weill, Street Scene: Soloists, Liceu Orchestra and Chorus, Tim Murray (conductor), Liceu, Barcelona 5.3.2013 (JMI)

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Categories International Opera, Previously Published Tags Barcelona, JM Irurzun

Munich’s Godunov: A Bullet to the Head

05/03/201305/03/2013 by Jens F. Laurson

GermanyGermany M. Musorgsky, Boris Godunov: Soloists, Bavarian State Orchestra, Kent Nagano (conductor), Bavarian State Orchestra, 20.2.2012 (JFL)

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Categories International Opera, Previously Published Tags Jens F. Laurson, Munich

It Flew not, on Wings of Gold: La Scala’s Nabucco

05/03/201328/02/2013 by Jens F. Laurson

ItalyItaly G. Verdi, Nabucco: Soloists, Orchestra and Chorus Teatro alla Scala, Nicola Luisotti (conductor), Teatro alla Scala, Milan 7.2.2013 (JMI)

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Categories International Opera, Previously Published Tags JM Irurzun, Milan

Tales of the Sole Splendid Robot

26/02/201323/02/2013 by Jens F. Laurson

GermanyGermany Offenbach, Les contes d’Hoffmann: Soloists, Symphony Orchestra & Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Stéphane Denève (conductor), Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, 17 & 19.2.2013 (JMI)

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Categories International Opera, Previously Published Tags Barcelona, JM Irurzun

Zubin Mehta, Angel Blue, and Gustav Mahler

26/02/201322/02/2013 by Jens F. Laurson

GermanyGermany Mahler: Mihoko Fujimura (mezzo), Angel Blue (soprano), Zubin Mehta (conductor), Munich Philharmonic, Philharmonic Hall Gasteig, Munich, 20.2.2013 (JFL)

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Categories International Concerts, Previously Published Tags Jens F. Laurson, Munich
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  • Ben Grosvenor and the BBC NOW fill the Royal Albert Hall with a collage of sounds (17/08/2025)
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