VIDEO AND PHOTOS FROM TEATRO LA FENICE
PH: ©MARCO BORRELLI
PH: ©MARCO BORRELLI
PH: ©MARCO BORRELLI
NEWS
JONATHAN SANTAGADA RETURNS TO TEATRO LA FENICE AND
SALZBURG FESTIVAL
Jonathan Santagada returns to TEATRO LA FENICE to conduct the Mascarade showcase.
The gala “Giovani voci alla Fenice” presents the artists of the Mascarade Opera programme, among the most exciting young voices in Europe. The Mascarade Opera Foundation, in addition to intensive training of the highest level, offers a gateway to the operatic profession at the highest level. “Giovani voci alla Fenice” offers you the opportunity to listen to the stars of tomorrow in an unforgettable show, directed by the French director Jean-Romain Vesperini, with scenes from four of the most beloved works of the opera repertoire of all time: La scala di seta by Gioachino Rossini, L’elisir d’amore by Gaetano Donizetti, Die Zauberflöte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, La Cenerentola by Gioachino Rossini.
The Orchestra of the Teatro La Fenice will be conducted by Maestro Jonathan Santagada.
Jonathan Santagada will also return to SALZBURG FESTIVAL to assist once again the internationally acclaimed Maestro Marco Armiliato in I Capuleti e i Montecchi.
Vincenzo Bellini had already made a name for himself far beyond Italy’s borders when the Teatro La Fenice engaged him in January 1830 to produce a new opera for the current carnival season — within just a few weeks. With I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Bellini entered into his artistic prime, demonstrating that he had now found his true personal style — a style which pursued the vision of music ‘that expresses the words scrupulously’, and gave birth to melodies of exquisite beauty and great dramatic expressiveness. The degree to which the vocal lines capture precisely each nuance of the text can be heard particularly in the final scene — Romeo’s suicide beside Giulietta, whom he believes to be dead but who then slowly reawakens. Departing from the convention of an aria finale, Bellini relied on the effect of an extended accompagnato recitative in which are embedded arioso passages, an arietta and an equally brief duet.
MOZART @ PADOVA 2023
In the wake of the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of Mozart's visit to Padua, which began in 2021, for the third consecutive year OPV is promoting a new program dedicated to the musical genius of the great Austrian composer. From Wednesday 1 March to Sunday 12 March , Mozart @ Padova 2023 will embrace a rich program of events.
The ribbon cutting of the festival is scheduled for Wednesday 1 March at 8.45 pm at the Teatro Verdi in Padua with a concert entirely dedicated to Mozart's music performed by the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto under the direction of Jonathan Santagada, a young Italian musician whose career is on the rise on the international scene. In addition to the Symphonies No. 10 and 51, the program will welcome the Overture taken from La Betulia liberata , a sacred oratorio commissioned from the young Mozart during his visit to Padua, and some opera arias interpreted by the soprano Giulia Bolcato, among the most interesting Italian voices. The event will also see the presence on stage of the musicologist Sandro Cappelletto, Mozart expert and historical voice of Radio 3 RAI. The proceeds will be donated to the Service Lions A supportive meal, a suspended meal .
ARENA DI VERONA OPERA FESTIVAL 2022
Jonathan Santagada was the assistant conductor to the music director of the festival, Maestro Marco Armiliato.
Four productions: AIDA, TURANDOT, LA TRAVIATA and CARMEN with more than 100 singers involved including Anna Netrebko, Lisette Oropesa, Ildar Abdrazako, Vittorio Grigolo, Yusif Eyvazov, Aleksandra Kurzak, Roberto Alagna, Jonas Kaufmann, Maria Josè Siri, Amrtuvshin Enkhbat, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Luca Salsi, Olesya Petrova, Michele Pertusi, Clémentine Margaine, Brian Jagde…
Finally back to full capacity in the majestic staging symbol of the Arena: the 46 evenings, with 5 opera productions and 3 special events, recorded a total of 342,187 spectators.
ANNA NETREBKO
young pARK, aNNA NETREBKO, yusif eyvazov, m° mARCO ARMILIATO
GIANNI SCHICCHI - THE MOVIE
The challenge was massive, to make a film-opera in which the singers sang live on set for the first time. It was an exciting month that saw the singers adapting to sing everywhere, in every temperature and for many takes. Stefano Montanari and I were jumping behind the cameras to conduct, making sure we didn't get in the way of the shots. A group of extraordinary sound engineers made it possible to record 15 opera singers in different settings. Damiano Michieletto's wonderful and innovative direction, his fantastic team and the producers (Albedo and Genoma films) supported us from the very start. All this in the marvellous locations of Puccini's Tuscany.
Coming soon…
THE WONDERFUL CAST of “GIANNI SCHICCHI - IL FILM”, DIRECTED BY DAMIANO MICHIELETTO
with director DAMIANO MICHIELETTO and conductor Stefano montanari
Jonathan Santagada conducts the orchestra of I pomeriggi musicali
©CLIVE BARDA/ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, LONDON
First concert after lockdown
Italy, and especially the region of Lombardy, have been severely affected by Covid-19. The Italian government authorised the reopening of theatres on the 15th of June and Jonathan Santagada is very proud to start up again in Milan conducting the Orchestra of I Pomeriggi musicali for the first time.
The programme includes Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony and the world premiere of Elegia by Andrea Melis. Seeing as there are still strict measures in place due to Covid-19, seats will be limited and will only be available to purchase online on the website www.ticketone.it.
After a few strings-only concerts, this concert will be the first full orchestra concert of I pomeriggi musicali.
Jonathan Santagada will conduct the Orchestra de I Pomeriggi musicali at the Teatro dal Verme and at the Fondazione Stelline, Chiostro della Magnolia in Milan.
Mascarade Opera Studio
The Mascarade Opera Studio programme is a nine-month fully funded high-ability training programme in opera designed to support singers and répétiteurs of exceptional talent at the initial stages of their career. It includes extensive career management, enhanced performance skills training for opera provided by expert coaches, vocal consultants, performance specialists and invited master teachers, alongside orchestral showcases and a variety of carefully chosen performance opportunities. Our location in Florence, the capital of Tuscany, symbolises a return to the birthplace of opera whose Renaissance humanism also lies at the heart of MOS.
Conductor Jonathan Santagada is proudly a part of the Artistic Advisory Board of MOS and will be conducting a showcase as well as giving masterclasses throughout the year for singers and repetiteurs.
Watch Jonathan Santagada talk to MOS Chief Executive Max Fane about how he became a conductor, the MOS programme and the training offered in particular to répétiteurs.
Live auditions for our programme take place in London, Berlin, New York , Florence and Glasgow on the dates specified in the application section. Application deadline for auditions is 21 October 2019.
Apply via our website: https://mascaradeoperastudio.it/apply/
Reviews of LE NOZZE DI FIGARO with The New Generation Festival
©Guy Bell, GBPhotos.com
“Die fulminanten Gesangsleistungen werden getragen und befördert durch Jonathan Santagada. Der Assistent von Sir Antonio Pappano am Opernhaus von Covent Garden sorgt am Pult des seinerseits jung besetzten Orchestra Senzaspine für den idealen Mozart-Puls, in dem sich die klare Artikulation der Klangrede wunderbar in den emotional empfundenen Phrasierungssog einbettet”
“Applausi scroscianti per Le nozze di Figaro. L’opera di Mozart, diretta dal maestro Jonathan Santagada con l’Orchestra Senzaspine, ha infiammato il pubblico internazionale che stasera ha partecipato alla prima serata della terza edizione del The New Generation Festival”
“Jonathan Santagada, pregevole direttore allievo di sir Antony Pappano, ha agito con un’orchestra dal nome promettente: “Senzaspine”. Hanno suonato bene, pulitamente, come le grandi orchestre “serie”.”
©Guy Bell, GBPhotos.com
“The Mozart ensemble was very well cast. Jonathan Santagada kept the Orchestra Senzaspine in motion with young musicians from Bologna, set, appropriate to the open air, rather on romantic fullness of sound”
“La parte musicale riserva vere e proprie sorprese a partire dalla direzione briosa e scattante del giovane Jonathan Santagada, alla guida dell’Orchestra Senzaspine, da cui ottiene un suono compatto e levigato. I tempi serrati non fanno passare in secondo piano un discreto approfondimento della partitura, e sono sempre ben calibrati per non mettere in difficoltà gli interpreti. Il direttore sa anche distillare con cura le oasi liriche, contribuendo a creare una lettura di notevole passo teatrale, che valorizza appropriatamente l’opera mozartiana ”
©Guy Bell, GBPhotos.com
“ Der Instrumentalnachwuchs des hauseigenen Orchestra Senzaspine unter dem tempohurtigen, aber nie verhetzten Pappano-Assistenten Jonathan Santagada klingt wirklich dornenlos und fein, freiluftgemäß freilich auch wenig füllig. Doch mit ein wenig elektroakustischer Unterstützung balanciert sich das gut aus.”
“Under the quick tempi of Jonathan Santagada, assistant to Pappano, this Figaro whilst sounding under-powered, was nevertheless light and fine und thus perfect for a cheerful open air event.”
“The youthful Orchestra Senzaspine, under its conductor Jonathan Santagada, struck up an ouverture that sounded particulary crisp and urgent”
“An evidently talented young conductor, Jonathan Santagada, directed a well-paced account of the score, drawing stylish, rhythmically buoyant playing from a fine orchestra of equally young players, rather more of them than usual for Mozart”
Opéra National de Paris, Teatro Real in Madrid, La Monnaie in Brussels and Royal Opera House Covent Garden, London
This season, Jonathan Santagada is going to be assistant conductor in three very prestigious European opera houses, Opéra National de Paris, Teatro Real in Madrid and La Monnaie in Brussels. In all three houses, he will be assisting internationally acclaimed Italian maestros: Nicola Luisotti, Maurizio Benini and Evelino Pidò. Jonathan has worked with Luisotti at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on Madama Butterfly and Il Trittico, as well as Pagliacci at “Teatro Regio” in Turin. With Benini, Santagada has worked on Rigoletto and Les vêpres siciliennes, both at the Royal Opera House and with Pidò on Il Turco in Italia at the Royal Opera House.
At Opéra National de Paris Jonathan will be assisting on La forza del destino, with a cast including Carlo Cigni, Anja Harteros, Željko Luči and Gabriele Viviani. The production will be directed by Jean-Claude Auvray.
At Teatro Real in Madrid Jonathan will be assisting on another Verdi opera: Il Trovatore, with a cast including Ludovic Tézier, Maria Agresta, Ekaterina Semenchuk and Francesco Meli. The production will be directed by Francisco Negrín.
Jonathan Santagada will be working for the first time at La Monnaie, Brussels, as assistant conductor for the rarely performed Robert le Diable by Meyerbeer, with a casting including Dmitry Korchak, Nicolas Courjal and Lisette Oropesa.
As well as his debut in these three new houses, Santagada will be returning to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for his fifth consecutive season for Così fan tutte, conducted by Maestro Stefano Montanari. Jan Philipp Gloger will be directing an international cast including Paolo Fanale, Gyula Orendt, Thomas Allen, Salome Jicia, Serena Malfi and Serena Gamberoni.
Additional information can be found
Jonathan Santagada returns to The New Generation Festival to conduct Le nozze di Figaro
PHOTO CREDIT: © GUY BELL, GBPHOTOS.COM.
“It will be hard for others to match the broad scope and cinematic charm of the Corsini event.”
“Christopher Palmer’s arrangement of Walton’s [Henry V] film treatment was the one used here...and with the orchestra under Jonathan Santagada’s direction it worked a treat. ★★★★ ”
After the success of William Shakespeare's Henry V by William Walton, Jonathan Santagada returns to The New Generation Festival to conduct Mozart’s masterpiece with a young and talented cast including Daniel Mirosław, Anna El-Khashem, Faik Mansuroğlu, Nela Šarić, Sara Rocchi, Alexandra Lowe, Beth Margaret Taylor and Domenico Pellicola.
Reviews of Tosca with Opera North
Photo by © Richard H Smith
“Conductor Jonathan Santagada did full justice to the ebb and flow of Puccini’s lavish score”
“The music, under the baton of Jonathan Santagada, was authentic in style and paired perfectly with the interpretations of the singers on stage while also colouring the emotions of the various scenes effectively”
“On the musical side the orchestral playing under Jonathan Santagada was quite outstanding. His tempi and modulation of the orchestral forces, and support for his singers, could hardly be better”
“The orchestra of Opera North, under the baton of Jonathan Santagada, provides wonderful support for the singers and, when the ten-strong brass section comes thundering in, the audience experiences more than a frisson!”
Photo by © Richard H Smith
Photo credit: © Guy Bell, GBPhotos.com.
Santagada debuts TOSCA at Opera North
Jonathan debuts as a conductor at Opera North with Puccini's masterpiece in a new production directed by Edward Dick.
With a stellar cast including Giselle Allen (Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana), Mexican tenor Rafael Rojas (Calaf in Turandot) and British baritone Robert Hayward (Wotan in the Ring cycle), Opera North’s new Tosca promises to be a compelling experience.
Jonathan Santagada will be conducting at two summer festivals in Italy this season
WALTON'S HENRY V aT FLORENCE'S NEW GENERATION FESTIVAL
An important debut at The New Generation Festival. Jonathan will conduct on Friday 31th August Shakespeare's HENRY V set to the live orchestral score by Sir William Walton.
MADAMA BUTTERFLY AND L'ELISIR D'AMORE AT MEDITERRANEAN OPERA FESTIVAL IN SICILY
After conducting La bohème and Il barbiere di Siviglia, Jonathan comes back to the Mediterranean Opera Studio and Festival to conduct Madama Butterfly and L'elisir d'amore. He will share the performances with Maestro Leonardo Catalanotto.