Two new productions lead Welsh National Opera’s Spring Season

Welsh National Opera’s Spring Season opens with two new productions; an operatic favourite from Mozart, and a rare chance to see Britten’s final opera.

Così fan tutte

First up is a new production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte under the baton of WNO Music Director Tomáš Hanus. Max Hoehn returns to direct this coming-of-age tale which takes audiences back to school where four young students discover the highs and lows of falling in love. The production is designed by Jemima Robinson.
The production design takes its visual inspiration from the seventies with a familiar classroom, canteen and locker room school set-up and vintage textbook illustrations.

Soprano Sophie Bevan returns to WNO to sing the role of Fiordiligi, and Welsh soprano Rebecca Evans also returns as Despina who in this production is depicted as a canteen/dinner lady. Making their role debuts in this new production are Kayleigh Decker (Dorabella), Egor Zhuravskii (Ferrando) and James Atkinson (Guglielmo) who alongside Sophie Bevan make up the foursome of young lovers.  Also joining the cast is José Fardilha as Don Alfonso.

Così fan tutte director Max Hoehn said:

‘Mozart and da Ponte’s School for Lovers is a transformative, but dangerous place. It would not get past a school inspection, nor would it be judged appropriate for one of Netflix’s light teenage drama series. The opera is a unique and surprising coming-of-age story and I look forward to bringing it to life with WNO’s Music Director Tomáš Hanus and an exciting cast of role debuts and veteran Mozartians.’

Così fan tutte opens at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff on 24 February before touring to Llandudno (14 & 16 March), Southampton (21 & 23 March), Oxford (27 March), Bristol (24 & 26 April), and Birmingham (10 May).

Death in Venice

WNO will also stage a new production of Britten’s Death in Venice during the Spring Season, which will be the first time the Company has staged this opera. Olivia Fuchs returns to WNO to direct Death in Venice, with Circus Design and Direction from NoFit State and Firenza Guidi. Based on the novella of the same name by Thomas Mann, the story follows writer Gustav von Aschenbach as he journeys to Venice to rid himself of his writer’s block. While there, he becomes infatuated with the youthful and beautiful Tadzio.  NoFit State will bring a mixture of acrobatics that will incorporate silks, straps and slackropes and other circus elements, which interweave throughout the opera, exploring an edgy quirkiness and adding to the lyricism of the piece.

British Conductor Leo Hussain will make his WNO debut conducting this new production.  Mark Le Brocq returns to WNO to make his role debut as Aschenbach, with Roderick Williams as the Traveller guiding him towards his fate.  Alexander Chance will sing the countertenor role of the Voice of Apollo. Also joining the cast and making his Company debut in the role of Tadzio is Antony César. Antony is a variety and circus performer who won the Golden Buzzer on France’s version of Britain’s Got Talent, La France Incroyable Talent.

The Season also provides another opportunity for WNO's current Associate Artists, to participate in the opera productions, with two of the singers, Emily Christina Loftus and Beca Davies joining the Death in Venice cast.

Nicola Turner also returns to WNO to design this new production which contain images of ravishing beauty and will see the early 20^th century acting as a mirror to our times, as well as exploring of the grotesque hidden beneath the search for the sublime. The creative team is completed by Lighting Designer Robbie Butler and Video Designer Sam Sharples.

Director of Death in Venice Olivia Fuchs said:
‘How exciting to be directing Death in Venice and to be working with the same creative team – Nicola Turner, Robbie Butler and Sam Sharples - as on The Makropulos Affair! I am delighted to be returning to WNO. And what a treat to collaborate with NoFit State Circus, conductor Leo Hussain and artists Mark Le Brocq and Roderick Williams, two such intelligent and consummate performers. They will be joined by young aerial artist Antony César playing Tadzio and a strong ensemble of circus artists and singers, giving the wonderful WNO chorus an opportunity to shine. I can’t wait to start rehearsals.’

Death in Venice opens at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff on 7 March before touring to Llandudno (13 March), Southampton (20), Oxford (26 March), Bristol (27 April), and Birmingham (11 May).

Opera Favourites

In addition to the operas on tour, the Company will perform an Opera Favourites concert in Cardiff, Llandudno, Southampton, Bristol, and Plymouth, offering audiences the chance to hear and enjoy some of the best-known pieces in the operatic world. The concert will bring together WNO Orchestra, WNO Chorus, WNO Associate Artists as well as former WNO Associate Artist Adam Gilbert and guest artist James Cleverton. Frederick Brown and Edmund Whitehead will conduct the concert that will feature well know arias, choral and orchestral numbers including music by Mozart, Verdi, Britten and Puccini amongst others.

WNO Orchestra

Ahead of the Spring Season of operas, in January 2024 WNO Orchestra will embark on a new year Viennese Celebration concert tour. Led by Concertmaster David Adams, the Orchestra will be joined by current WNO Associate Artists Emily Christina Loftus and Beca Davies. The tour will take them through Wales and the Southwest of England, opening at The Great Hall in Swansea and ending at St David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire. The concert will feature music by Dvořák, Brahms, Stoltz, Richard and Johann Strauss and Schubert.

WNO Orchestra & Chorus under the baton of WNO Music Director Tomáš Hanus will perform a concert on 21 April 2024 as part of the Cardiff Classical Series. Due to the closure of St David’s Hall this concert will be moved to a new venue which is to be confirmed. The programme will feature Mozart’s timeless choral masterpiece, Requiem, preceded by a first half, featuring Schumann’s (final) Fourth Symphony, written in 1841 and revised a decade later, and Fauré’s youthful Cantique de Jean Racine.

As part of the WNO Associate Artists programme the three Associate Artist will also have their own recital which will take place on 7 April in BBC Hoddinott Hall and they will be accompanied by Malcolm Martineau.

Programmes and Engagement
During the Spring Season, WNO will also take admission-free schools’ concerts to Cardiff, Llandudno, Southampton and Plymouth alongside the main tour.  These interactive concerts are an opportunity to introduce children and young people to opera and classical music, featuring short pieces of music from the worlds of opera, TV and film, some familiar music and repertoire which they may not have heard before.  Accompanied by WNO Orchestra, these concerts allow students to interact with the music through a mass sing along as well as enjoy the experience of hearing the full force of an orchestra perform live.

WNO will also continue with a varied programme of community and engagement activity, including the continuation of ongoing projects such as Wellness with WNO which supports those living with Long-COVID through breathing workshops, and Cradle Choir which supports those people living with dementia, their carers and families.