Verdi: La Traviata

Robbert van Steijn will return to the Nationale Reisopera this season (2011 – 2012)  to conduct the revival of their critically acclaimed production of La Traviata. The premiere will take place on January 21  2012, and will tour for 13 performances throughout the Netherlands.  La Traviata will be directed by Monique Wagemakers with a set design by John Otto, costumes by Rien Bekkers and lightdesign by Reinier Tweebeeke. The soloists are: Petya Ivanova (Violetta Valéry); Karin Strobos (Flora Bervoix); Carol Rowlands (Annina); Peter Auty (Alfredo Germont); Roland Wood (Georgio Germont); Ashley Catling (Gastone); Peter Bording (Barone Douphol); Kris Belligh (Marchese d’Obigny); Dottore Grenvil (Gregorsz Stachowiak); The Chorus of the Nationale Reisopera will be prepared by Allistair Lilley and The North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra will accompany the performances.

For more information, see The Netherlands Opera website: www.reisopera.nl

Trohjan: Orest

On Thursday 8 December 2011 the World Premiere of Manfred Trohjan’s opera Orest has taken place in a production of The Netherlands Opera at the Muziektheater in Amsterdam. Robbert van Steijn is assistent conductor. Marc Albrecht conducts the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. Orest is directed by Katie Mitchell with a set design by Giles Cadle, costumes by Vicki Mortimer, lightdesign by Jon Clark, dramaturgy by Klaus Bertisch amd choreography by Benjamin Davis. Soloists are: Dietrich Henschel, Orest; Rosemary Joshua, Helena; Sarah Castle, Elektra; Romy Petrick, Hermione; Johannes Chum, Menelaos and Finnur Bjarnason, Apollo / Dyonisos. A vocal ensemble of The Chorus of The Netherlands Opera is prepared by Frank Hameleers. Upcoming performances are on 13, 16, 19, 22, 26 and 28 December 2011.

For more information, see The Netherlands Opera website: www.dno.nl

Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen / Siegfried and Götterdämmerung

In what has now become a legendary Ring Cycle for the Nationale Reisopera, Robbert van Steijn again returned to assist conductor Ed Spanjaard. After the success of Das Rheingold, Die Walküre and recently Siegfried, the last part of Wagner’s Bühnenfestspiel Der Ring des Nibelungen, Götterdämmerung will have its premiere at 30^th September 2012. Rehearsals will begin in late July 2012. The premiere of Siegfried took place on Sunday 25^th September 2011 at the Wilminktheater in Enschede, Netherlands.

For more information, see the website of the Nationale Reisopera: www.reisopera.nl

Bayreuth Festival: Tannhäuser

The prestigious Bayreuth Festival had invited Robbert van Steijn to assist Thomas Hengelbrock in a new production of Tannhäuser. As Studienleiter Robbert van Steijn was member of the music staff of that production. Tannhäuser was directed by Sebastian Baumgarten, with a new and original set design from the Rotterdam design studio of Joep van Lieshout. Costumes were designed by Nina von Mechow. The premiere of Tannhäuser took place on Monday 25^th July in the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth, with subsequent performances on 1, 7, 13, 19 and 25 August. Tannhäuser will be revived next year at the Bayreuth Festival 2012.

For more information, please see the Bayreuth Festival website: www.bayreuther-festspiele.de

English translation by Nicola Knox