12 Opera Interview The foundation of a new opera season, according to director Sophie de Lint? Shared artistic curiosity and many conversations with creators. “Together we search for something that is more than the sum of its parts.” Anyone reading through this new season brochure may notice it: alongside international artists, there are many creators from the Netherlands. Is that coincidence or a deliberate choice? “Both. We don’t work with artists because of where they come from, but because of their artistry”, says Sophie de Lint. “There are such extraordinary artists in the Netherlands. We try to follow as closely as possible what is happening here, from the work of emerging talents to that of established creators, including those from other disciplines. We begin conversations with makers we would like to collaborate with, and that becomes the starting point of a creative exchange. That exchange takes time. It often takes years before audiences see the result.” Cross-pollination The seeds of the production Cherry Town were planted in the early days of De Lint’s tenure at Dutch National Opera, when she met Swedish-Dutch theatre maker Jakop Ahlbom. “A colleague took me to one of his performances. It felt as though I was drawn into a surreal world: mysterious, poetic, with subtle humour. I was fascinated by Jakop’s virtuoso deployment of all the elements theatre has to offer, and I was curious how he might bring his craftsmanship and imagination into opera. It took some time to find the right opera, one that would allow him to fully unleash his artistic magic on stage. But when we began talking about Shostakovich’s operetta Cherry Town, everything fell into place: Jakop’s background in visual theatre and mime, the collaboration with ISH Dance Collective, the music. You can feel it when the moment is right.” What appeals to her in this new production is the cross-disciplinary exchange. “At Dutch National Opera, we don’t want to confine disciplines to separate boxes. It becomes exciting when different artistic languages strengthen one another. But that only works if everyone is given the time to truly understand each other’s world.” Artistic dialogues Such an exchange between artistic worlds also forms the basis of the new collaboration with choreographer and director Nanine Linning. “She had long expressed the wish to work in opera. When we invited her to direct Sophie de Lint on the new opera season “ In opera, what is deeply human takes on grand significance”
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