tue 14/01/2025

Opera Interviews

theartsdesk Q&A: Conductor Antonio Pappano

james Woodall

Antonio Pappano (b. 1959) enjoys the best of two opulent worlds. At the Royal Opera House in London (now his home city), he's well stuck in to his seventh season as music director, basking in popularity and plaudits previous incumbents could only have dreamt of. In Rome, he's director of the Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, a post he took up in 2005.

Read more...

theartsdesk Q&A: Opera Singer Rolando Villazón

Jasper Rees

In the next few weeks the wider public will be introduced to the charms of Rolando Villazón (b. 1972). Anointed as a star of opera houses around the world in the last decade, the Mexican tenor is about to participate in ITV1's Popstar to Opera Star. As singing celebs from the world of pop music take on the big arias, Villazón has been cast as mentor, panellist and figleaf. It is all a very long way from Covent Garden.

Read more...

theartsdesk Q&A: Sir Charles Mackerras

Igor Toronyi-Lalic

At 84 years of age, Sir Charles Mackerras is one of the best-respected and best-loved operatic conductors working in the world today. He conducts Benjamin Britten's The Turn of the Screw for the English National Opera tonight and, despite bouts of ill health, found time to talk about his friendship - and falling out - with Britten, his time conducting the opera under Britten's watchful eye, his experiences in Prague...

Read more...

Pages

latest in today

Help to give theartsdesk a future!

It all started on 09/09/09. That memorable date, September 9 2009, marked the debut of theartsdesk.com.

It followed some...

Leif Ove Andsnes, Wigmore Hall review - colour and courage,...

Forthright and upright, powerful and lucid, the frank and bold pianism of Leif Ove Andsnes took his Wigmore Hall audience from Norway to Poland (...

American Primeval, Netflix review - nightmare on the Wild Fr...

It seems The Osmonds may not have been the worst outrage perpetrated on an unsuspecting public by the Mormons. American Primeval is set...

Chamayou, BBC Philharmonic, Wigglesworth, Bridgewater Hall,...

Top Brownie points for the BBC Philharmonic for being one of the first (maybe the first?) to celebrate the birth centenary of Pierre Boulez this...

The Maids, Jermyn Street Theatre review - new broom sweeps c...

There are two main reasons to revive classics. The first is that they are really good; the second is that they have something to...

Gala Preview Show, De Montfort Hall review - Leicester Comed...

Europe's biggest comedy festival, which showcases established stars,...

Album: Moonchild Sanelly - Full Moon

Rooted in South African electronic styles such as...

The Second Act review - absurdist meta comedy about stardom

Can any line from The Second Act be taken at face value? Not really. “I should never have made this film,” confides Florence (the starry...

Music Reissues Weekly: Celebrate Yourself! The Sonic Cathedr...

Yeti Lane’s second album The Echo Show was released in March 2012. The Paris-based duo’s LP was stunning: holding together overall, as...