13 Samy Moussa’s Antigone in 2024, we saw, among other things, how skilfully she worked with our chorus.” That called for a continuation. “The new production of Berlioz’s La damnation de Faust brings many elements together: a large chorus, soloists, Nanine’s dancers from Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conductor and Berlioz specialist Stéphane Denève, and visual artist Levi van Veluw, with whom Nanine was eager to collaborate.” The collaboration with stage director Nina Spijkers also grew out of an ongoing artistic dialogue. “Nina is a daring director who excels at working with performers, and she loves to engage with classical titles. She also has an instinctive feel for music. When you meet an artist like that, something begins to stir. What could opera be for her, and she for opera?” That search resulted in Hedda Gabler, a new chamber opera by composer Vasco Mendonça. “We had been in conversation with Vasco for some time about adapting a literary work into opera. Nina has a deep affinity for Henrik Ibsen’s work. We realised that his play Hedda Gabler lends itself perfectly to operatic adaptation. It has an exceptionally strong structure and a protagonist who is as powerful as she is unsettling.” Matchmaking between artists This shows how several long-running conversations with different artists con- verge in a single project. “By bringing together the right personalities, something new can emerge. That kind of matchmaking between artists is one of the most inspiring aspects of my work.” The artists’ history with the company also plays a role. “Opera director Lotte de Beer is a wonderful example. She began here as a young talent, founded her own company, created some major productions for Dutch National Opera, works internationally, and now returns for Der fliegende Holländer. She approaches the title Photo: Bernd Uhlig Scene from Johannes-Passion directed by Sasha Waltz “We don’t want to confine disciplines to separate boxes”
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