Articles & Interviews

The master list of news, features and interviews

The San Diego Symphony invests $210 Million to improve the concert experience

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Jeers to Cheers in San Diego

Copley Symphony Hall

When my wife and I moved to San Diego from Michigan more than 25 years ago, we were disappointed in the city’s symphony orchestra and its performance venues. We had been spoiled by conductor Neeme Järvi and his admired and often recorded Detroit Symphony. Had I reacted like a sports fan, I would have jeered the first time I heard the San Diego Symphony. Instead, I cringed in discomfort at botched notes, ragged entries and poor acoustics at both indoor and outdoor concerts.

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Geoffrey Newman in conversation with conductor Leonard Slatkin

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Distinguished American conductor Leonard Slatkin talks to Geoffrey Newman

Leonard Slatkin © Nico Rodamel

Leonard Slatkin has been a force in the American classical music scene for almost fifty years and will celebrate his eightieth birthday in 2024. Born into a distinguished musical family and trained at Aspen and Juilliard, Slatkin has been Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony (1979-1996), the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington (1996-2008), the BBC Symphony (2000-2004), the Detroit Symphony (2008-2018) and Orchestre National de Lyon (2011-2017).

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Berlin’s Staatsoper Unter den Linden in 2024-25

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Elisabeth Sobotka and Christian Thielemann, the new artistic director and new general music director at Staatsoper Unter den Linden in 2024/25, present their first season at the opera house.

Elisabeth Sobotka and Christian Thielemann

The future artistic director at Staatsoper Unter den Linden Elisabeth Sobotka and the future general music director Christian Thielemann presented their programme for their first joint season 2024/25 and look forward to working together.

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Saffron Opera Group’s 10th anniversary Die Meistersinger at Saffron Hall on 15 September 2024

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SAFFRON OPERA GROUP PRESENTS DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG
INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED CAST PERFORMS WAGNER’S RIOTOUS COMEDY
SUNDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2024, 2pm, at Saffron Hall

READ OUR REVIEW OF THIS PERFORMANCE HERE

‘Intense and shattering… Who would want to go to Bayreuth when they can go to Saffron Hall?’ The Spectator

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Stadttheater Bremerhaven in 2024-25

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Diversity, imaginative classics and continuing courage for engaging with new formats are the key components of the Bremerhaven 2024/25 season

[l-r] Peter Hilton Fliegel (Head of Theatre), Marc Niemann (General Music Director), Michael Frost (City Councillor in charge of cultural affairs), Franziska Grevesmühl-von Macard (Head of Administration), Lars Tietje (Artistic Director), Markus Tatzig (Head of Music Theatre), Bianca Sue Henne (Head of Youth Theatre), and Alfonso Paencia (Head of Ballet). © Heiko Sandelmann

For more information click here

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London’s Royal Opera House (now the Royal Ballet & Opera) in 2024-25

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The Royal Ballet and Opera in 2024/25

  • World Premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s opera Festen  
  • Eight new opera productions across two stages including: Eugene Onegin, The Tales of Hoffmann, Die Walküre, Semele, The Sound Voice Project and a Bernstein double bill 
  • European Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s MaddAddam  
  • Eight works new to The Royal Ballet by choreographers including Christopher Wheeldon, Joseph Toonga and Pam Tanowitz 
  • 40 years of breaking down barriers with our pioneering learning programmes 
  • 11 productions shown in 1,500 cinemas across the globe 
  • Tickets available from £3 – on sale from Wednesday 10 July 

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