Articles & Interviews

The master list of news, features and interviews

Opera North announces season of magic and mystery for 2024-2025

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Opera North announces its new season for 2024-2025, featuring a raft of shows full of magic, mystery and magnificent music.

For more information click here

The Leeds-based opera company is also finding more ways than ever to make the extraordinary experiences of great opera and music accessible for everyone, including 6pm start times for some performances, more matinee performances, English subtitles at all performances, and sign-interpretation, audio description and touch tours on selected dates.

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Semperoper Dresden in 2024-25

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The 2024/25 programme of the Semperoper Dresden

On 14 March 2024, the designated Artistic Director of the Saxon State Opera, Nora Schmid, presented her programme for the upcoming opera and ballet season in Dresden. Audiences can look forward to no fewer than 317 performances, including ten new opera productions and four new ballet productions, 27 revivals and numerous special events, covering all artistic periods from the Baroque age to the present day. The aim is to celebrate Dresden’s unique history in music and dance while creating space for imagination and fresh creative ideas.

For more about the Semperoper Dresden click here

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KVN Dance Company’s UK tour of Coppelia

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KVN Dance Company reimagines Coppelia

KVN Dance Company is thrilled to announce the full cast for Kevan Allen’s magical reimagined version of the classical ballet Coppelia which tours to 16 venues across the UK from 10 April – 30 JunThe eclectic cast of 12 dancers come from a variety of training and professional backgrounds, echoing the production’s use of different dance styles to make the story relevant to audiences today.

Read a review here about the performance at Basildon’s Towngate Theatre 

For more information click here

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The Three Choirs Festival from 27 July to 3 August 2024 in Worcester

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Three Choirs Festival celebrates nature in Worchester with a thrilling programme

The Three Choirs Festival has announced a thrilling new programme for its 2024 edition, with a celebration of nature and its enduring influence on composers and musicians at its heart. Taking place in and around Worcester from 27 July to 3 August, the festival features a superb selection of works old and new by composers including Edward Elgar, Gustav Holst, Bob Chilcott and Judith Weir.

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Five Singers win top prizes at the Metropolitan Opera’s 2024 Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition

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Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition: Metropolitan Opera, New York, 17.3.2024. (RP)

2024 Laffont Competition Grand Final Winners – [l-r] Daniel Espinal (tenor), Meridian Prall (mezzo-soprano), Emily Richter (soprano), Lydia Grindatto (soprano) and Navasard Hakobyan (baritone) © Karen Almond/Met Opera.

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You needed to be there: a (p)review of NT Live’s The Motive and the Cue as Gielgud and Burton clash in 1964

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom NT Live – Jack Thorne’s The Motive and the Cue: Currently on at London’s Noel Coward Theatre until 23.3.2024. It was filmed live in 2023 (directed by Matthew Amos) at London’s Lyttleton Theatre and it will be available in cinemas from 21.3.2024. (JPr)

The Motive and the Cue © Mark Douet

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SF Symphony in 2024-25 and news about Esa-Pekka Salonen

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Esa-Pekka Salonen and San Francisco Symphony to part ways after one final season

Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen © Drew Altizer

Esa-Pekka Salonen surprised almost everyone in 2018 by signing a five-year contract to be San Francisco Symphony’s music director after he had told the world that he did not want to have that role again. His tenure began in 2020 – unfortunately coinciding with the onset of COVID-19 – and now there will not be another term. He will leave the post when his five-year contract ends in June 2025. The organization has just over a year to decide who might be next to lead the orchestra.

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