Critic's choice
Festival
Granada Festival: June 7 to July 14, 2024
The Granada International Music and Dance Festival is one of Spain's most iconic cultural events. It takes place between June and July in the palaces of the Alhambra, the main monuments of the city, and its province. Recognized not only for its extraordinary venues and the presence of great artists but also for its commitment to young talents.
The Granada Festival blends art, culture, and emotion with high-quality artistic programming in the heart of beautiful and unique locations, offering an unparalleled cultural tourism experience. It contributes to the economic and cultural vitality of the city by attracting artists, musicians, and visitors.
On the agenda for this 73rd edition: Martha Argerich with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Alexandre Kantorow, the Ballet Nacional de España, Rocio Molina, the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse with Tarmo Peltokoski, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Le Concert des Nations with Jordi Savall, and many more.
Festival
Ljubljana Festival: from June 20 to September 3, 2024
The 72nd Ljubljana Festival, opening on 20 June with the Summer Night gala concert, which will feature nostalgic melodies of Ditka Haberl, Alenka Pinterič and Neca Falk, will ensure that we can spend the summer in an abundance of cultural events. We will be able to enjoy two famous operas, Puccini's Tosca starring tenor Jonathan Tetelman, Verdi's Il Trovatore performed by the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and Aram Khachaturian's ballet Spartacus performed by The State Opera and Ballet Theatre Astana Opera. Many outstanding orchestras will perform with renowned soloists, such as Concerto Budapest Symphony Orchestra with pianist Mikhail Pletnev, Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, this year’s Grammy nominees ADDA Simfònica Alicante, Ningbo Symphony Orchestra, Filarmonica della Scala and London Symphony Orchestra with pianist Bruce Liu. We will witness performances by renowned conductors such as Sir Antonio Pappano, Riccardo Chailly, Zubin Mehta, Nanse Gum, András Keller, Alexei Kornienko and others. The extraordinary concerts by Rade Šerbedžija, Arturo O'Farill & Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and Margareth Menezes will also add a special note to the summer festival, along with musical The Bodyguard directed by Mykal Rand. The festival will close on 3 September with a concert by pianist Martha Argerich accompanied by the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductor Charles Dutoit.
Greek National Opera - season 2024-2025
The 2024/25 season of the Greek National Opera will open with a remarkable international co-production with the famous Aix-en-Provence Opera Festival and the Opéra national de Paris. The double bill will feature Iphigénie en Aulide and Iphigénie en Tauride, under the direction of the acclaimed Russian director Dmitri Tcherniakov.
The new productions of the season also include the opera by Rachmaninoff Aleko directed by the unique Fanny Ardant, Verdi’s La forza del destino directed by Rodoula Gaitanou, the unknown gem by Spyridon-Filiskos Samaras Flora mirabilis directed by Yannis Skourletis, and Puccini’s operatic swan song Turandot directed by Andrei Şerban, with sets and costumes designed by internationally acclaimed Greek designer Chloe Obolensky.
The GNO Ballet will present two new productions –Tchaikovsky, choreographed by Cayetano Soto, and the Golden Age, directed, choreographed and with sets designed by Konstantinos Rigos–, as well as a revival of the classical ballet Don Quixote, choreographed by Thiago Bordin.
The GNO is bringing back its outstanding co-production of Lucia di Lammermoor with the Royal Opera House in London directed by Katie Mitchell, La bohème in the staging by renowned Graham Vick, Bluebeard’s Castle under the direction of Themelis Glynatsis, and Rigoletto directed by Katerina Evangelatos.
Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival
The Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival is an annual celebration of Baroque music and opera, held in the picturesque town of Bayreuth, Germany. This festival focuses on the rich tradition of Baroque opera, featuring works from composers such as Nicola Antonia Porpora, Leonardo Vinci, Georg Friedrich Handel and Claudio Monteverdi.
Held in the Margravial Opera House, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its exquisite Rococo architecture, the festival offers a unique experience by showcasing performances in a historical setting that enhances the authenticity of the Baroque music experience. The opera house, with its opulent design and excellent acoustics, provides an ideal venue for these historically informed performances.
Since its inception only 4 years ago, the Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival has attracted an international array of artists, musicians, and audiences who appreciate the meticulous attention to historical accuracy in both musical performance and stage production. The festival not only revives forgotten masterpieces of the Baroque era but also explores lesser-known works, offering a platform for rare gems of the repertoire.
The Oper! Awards, a prestigious annual event recognizing excellence in the world of opera, recently honored the Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival with the title of "Best Festival 2024." This accolade is a testament to the festival's exceptional contributions to the opera world, particularly in its dedication to Baroque music and historically informed performances.