Den Jyske Opera
Opera At All Heights
DJO’s “Operatorium” enables children of all ages to explore and challenge opera, looking at singing, music, drama, lightning, costumes and props. Partner schools can participate annually, while newcomers sign up via a digital platform.
“Opera in the Classroom” is an education programme for teachers, enabling them to discover creative and engaging methods to explore opera with their students before visiting an performance as part of DJO’s national tour.
In August 2018, over 700 young people will discover the opera The Passenger by Mieczyslaw Weinberg, which explores the persecution of jews and the implications of the Holocaust. As part of TalentU, DJO’s talent program for 15-22 years olds, young people will also perform as part of the cast.
More about The Passenger here.
Glyndebourne
Agreed, a new large-scale community opera, will premiere on the main stage at Glyndebourne on 1, 2 and 3 March 2019.
The newly commissioned work will be the fifth opera by British composer and conductor Howard Moody, with a libretto written by Anna Moody.
Agreed draws inspiration from ancient Māori myths and contemporary political borderlines to tell a story of love and divided lands. Torn by violence and unrest, conscience rises and the people and their leader are forced to accountability. The multi-genre score includes elements of classical, world and jazz music.
The production will be directed by Simon Iorio. An intergenerational chorus of performers, including members of Glyndebourne Youth Opera, is being recruited to perform in the piece alongside five professional singers.
Young instrumentalists will be recruited to play in the pit alongside members of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
Agreed is made possible with the support of MariaMarina Foundation, as well as Glyndebourne’s New Generation Programme.
Holland Opera
Zwanenmeer | Swanlake (6+)
Based on the famous ballet by Tchaikovsky and The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen.
For 3 singers, violin, bass clarinet, cello and harp and a choir of young singers.
A mix of Swan Lake, Cinderella and The Wild Swans by author Jurrian van Dongen.
An opera about jealousy, self-sacrifice, family ties and love.
Performances
22 December 2018 until 6 January 2019 in Amersfoort at theatre De Veerensmederij
Meermeisje | The Little Mermaid (6+)
The Little Mermaid (6+) based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, with music by Oene van Geel.
A jazzy youth opera in association with Opera Zuid and the Ragazze Quartet.
For 5 singers, 1 dancer and string quartet
In this Faust-like narrative, the little mermaid sells her voice instead of her soul to the Sea Witch, in exchange for a pair of beautiful dancing legs.
Tour
3 February until 31 March 2019 in the Netherlands (Maastricht, Tilburg, Nijmegen, Groningen etc.)
King Lear
Site-specific opera at the Fortress of Rijnauwen (Utrecht), based on Shakespeare’s King Lear.
Music by Fons Merkies
For 7 singers, choir and wind ensemble
The aged King Lear fears the loss of power. He no longer laughs, cries or sleeps. He then decides to divide his country: The daughter who loves him most gets the largest part.
A dramatic opera about loss, fear of death, greed and the mystery of life.
Performances
June/July 2019
Eendje buitenbeentje | Ugly ducky
An opera for toddlers, based on Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling, with music by Saint-Saёns.
For 2 singers, 1 dancer and cello
An opera about identity. What am I? And where am I? It’s about setting off into the great wide world and the surprises of the unknown.
Performances
Autumn 2018 and spring 2019, Theatre De Veerensmederij in Amersfoort
Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona
Two new shows for El Petit Liceu!
El Petit Liceu is an initiative of the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona for youngest family members. In 2018/19, the Theatre will present two new productions: Mans a l’Òpera!and Acròbata i Arlequí.
Mans a l’Òpera! is a new production by Xavi Mateu and Anna Llopart that takes a look at how an opera is put together, not only artistically, but also when it comes to technical aspects, set design, costume design, character creation, etc. Aimed at children over 6, Mans a l’Òpera!provides a glimpse into the mayhem that happens both backstage and on stage.
Acròbata i Arlequí by La Maquiné is an original creation for children over 4 where everything is possible. The project is inspired by Pablo Picasso and the music of the first avant-garde composers such as Erik Satie and Francis Poulenc.
Orchestre national d’Île-de-France
Major 2018/2019 Family Events at the Orchestre national d’Île-de-France
L’Iliade et l’Odyssée : a one-hour adaptation for orchestra, three actors and projection of the photo-novel L’Iliade et l’Odyssée.
For children aged 8 and up
Text adapted by Edouard Signolet.
Dramatic proposal by Edouard Signolet (Director-in-residence at the Orchestre for the 2nd season)
Directed by Léo Margue
Actors: Clarice Plasteig, Catérina Barone, Nicolas Gaudart
Photo-novel: Anne-Lou Buzot
Musical programming will include works from the symphonic repertoire:
Mendelssohn: The Hebrides, overture
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, fourth movement
Debussy: Petite Suite, first and second movement
Prokofiev: The Classical Symphony
Symphonie pour une plume: show for orchestra, actor and percussionist with video projection
Libretto and stage direction by Florence Lavaud
Composed by Benoît Menut
Directed by Aurélien Azan-Zielinski
Actor: Jérémy Barbier
Percussionist: Georgi Varbanov
An Imaginary Journey Through the Orchestra
Zerballodu
Creation of a musical fable as part of the annual participatory project “Chantons et Jouons” with the National Orchestra of Île-de-France for choirs of high school students, baritone, soprano, orchestra (students of conservatories of Île-de-France and musicians of the Orchestra) and electroacoustic device. In partnership with La Muse en Circuit.
For children aged 10 and up
Libretto by Gérard Poli
Composed by Alexandre Lévy
Dramatic proposal by Edouard Signolet
Directed by Léo Warynski
Baritone: Julien Clément
Soprano: Nn
Opus Fantastique
Commented concert around Berlioz’s Fantastical Symphony. Co-produced with the Philharmonie de Paris
For children aged 8 and up
A dive into the heart of a great work with a narrator, image projection and interpretation of excerpts enabling spectators to understand the style, time and history of the score.
Directed by Eugène Tzigane
Libretto and spatial installation by Mirabelle Ordinaire
Audiovisual direction by Laurent Sarazin
Le Loup
A introductory chamber music concert featuring two major works from the repertoire arranged for wind quintet (Pierre et le Loup, Ma Mère l’Oye)
For children aged 6 and up
Wind Quintet composed of musicians of the Orchestre
Soloist: Claude Nadeau
Île de Créations Competition
An international competition inviting young composers to write an orchestra piece. The winner will see their work performed in a series of the season of the Orchestra in the theatres of the Île-de-France region and at the Philharmonie de Paris.
Alongside these various projects, the Orchestre will be in residency in the Greater Paris Sud-Est Avenir area, offering artistic practice workshops for various audiences. The Orchestre will continue to offer activities for high schools such as commented rehearsals, concerts taking place at schools themselves, and arts education circuits with creative workshops.
On Sundays, “musical playtime” will enable parents to attend concerts while their children are in safe hands and participating in arts activities. Keys for listening will be provided before performances, allowing audiences to appreciate the concert all the more.
Opera Mint
Opera Mint will continue their unique exploration of vocal sound this summer in Cardiff, at the WIAV centre at the end of July, with an intensive three days of study with Ingrid Surgenor, MBE, Anthony Negus and Prof. Andrew Kirkman, with classes in theatre and drama from Carmen Jakobi and Dafydd Hall Williams and Alexander Technique from Tim Kjeldsen and Zoe Challenor. As always, this will be a celebration of community and collaboration as well as a way of developing individual talent to an impressive level.
Their film of Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortlilèges (in English) is about to be released, and will be the subject of a presentation at the international Symposium of song in Newfoundland this June. The reduced orchestration is beautifully played by a group led and directed by Andrew Wilson Dickson. And Opera Mint singers are augmented, where necessary, with local professional singers.
We continue throughout the year with groups in Birmingham and Cardiff, with masterclasses as appropriate and necessary.
Contact sara.clethero@operamint.co.uk
Philharmonie de Paris
Saturday 22 December 2018, 5pm, Studio, Philharmonie de Paris
A Participatory Family Event
Alongside the audience, Sylvain Groud revisits the great musical theater standards for a jubilant and offbeat reappropriation. The choreographer captures the rhythms and popular melodies of Mary Poppins, West Side Story, Grease, Hair, and LaLa Land alongside associated artists and around sixy amateurs for a unique festive experience that takes the spectators along for the ride.
Junge Oper Stuttgart
New name, new place: from 2018/19, the Junge Oper will have a permanent new venue in the “Nord” and a new name: JOiN (Junge Oper im Nord) – a place to meet, to experience and to create contemporary and inspiring music theatre.
In December, the new location will be opened with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Singspiel Der Schauspieldirektor in a musical adaption by Henrik Albrecht, followed by our very popular opera for children from age 6 Gold, staged by Jörg Behr.
The highpoint of the season is, as usual, a world premiere: Composer Leo Dick and director and stage designer Blanka Rádóczy dedicate themselves to Slavoj Žižeks The Triple Life of Antigone and will – together with musicians, singers and a specifically for the production cast “citizen chorus” – ask questions about the preservation, changing, dissolution and recreation of political order.
In early summer the premiere series continues with Georges Aperghis’ instrumental theatre piece Little Red Riding Hood. The season will close with two more premieres: Lollo, interactive music theatre by Elisabeth Naske, and Control CTRL, a digital music theatre installation by, with and for teenagers.
This will be in addition to our “Pillow-Concerts” and general participation and education programme. Alongside workshops, guided tours through the opera house and “action days”, school classes will have the chance to take part in an urban gardening project in which they can cultivate their own patch…
JOiN us!
Walpurgis
Walpurgis Inspired By A Japanese Tale And A Danish Novel
Muscles are the pride and joy of famous wrestler ‘Eternal Mountain’, until Kimiko, her mother and her grandmother teach him that real strength lies not only in muscles, but even more in focus and balance.
Based on an old Japanese tale, soprano/writer Judith Vindevogel creates the music theatre performance Three Strong Women in collaboration with Japanese composer/taiko drummer Tsubasa Hori and illustrator/performer Sarah Yu Zeebroek. The performance, suitable for children from six years old, interweaves Asian and Western elements, and challenges gender stereotypes in a playful and humorous way.
Three Strong Women will premiere on the 30th of September and tour throughout Flanders in the autumn of 2018.
Meantime WALPURGIS is also working on We, The Drowned, a maritime opera based on the novel by Danish author Carsten Jensen, for twelve solo voices (actors/musicians/ opera singers), a semi-professional choir, music machines, soundscape and video. The questions that this adventurous music theatre project brings forward revolve around diversity: How do we live together, in all our differences? What binds us? In a globalizing world, how do we keep a necessary sense of community, without sliding into a nationalistic discourse? How do we work together while maintaining our own strengths?
We, The Drowned will tour in the summer of 2019 in Belgium, Holland and Denmark.
Tito Gobbi
The education project Magia dell’Opera® goes European
A new international collaborative venture, which will take the Associazione Musicale Tito Gobbi education project Magia dell’Opera® beyond Italian borders for the first time, was launched in London in June 2018.
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Rossini’s death, Magia dell’Opera® will propose Il Turco in Italia in a new production combined with the participative education programme aimed at primary school children of Italy as well as of UK, Estonia and the Czech Republic.
The production will premiere in the UK, with public and school performances taking place in early December 2018. It will then move to Italy in April and May 2019 and later on to Estonia and the Czech Republic. The production will involve an international cast of young artists who will perfect their work in a shared Opera Studio, an advanced model that aims to create a multi-cultural environment in which young European artists can grow artistically and have debut, visibility and networking opportunities.
The education programme will include interactive workshops in which the children will have the opportunity to learn about the opera, as well as to sing some of the key numbers of Il Turco in Italia. They will then attend and actively participate in the performances of the opera by singing along with the interpreters some parts of the opera.
The collaborative venture benefits of the management coordination provided by Ambra Sorrentino of Opera Co-Pro; the project of the Associazione Tito Gobbi will be carried out in partnership with Proper Opera, led by Janet Fischer in UK, the Silesian Opera Opava managed by Golat Ludek in the Czech Republic and the Eesti Kontsert supervised by Heili Vaus-Tamm in Estonia.
Main photo © Gran Teatre del Liceu