Latest news with #BerlinPhilharmonic
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Plucked from the airport check-in queue to sing with major European orchestra
In late January 2015, Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg was in Berlin preparing to board a flight to Zurich for an audition when her agent called. 'Do you know the Brahms German Requiem?' he asked. 'And could you start singing it today with the Berlin Philharmonic?' Stagg immediately said 'yes' to both questions, gathered her luggage, and grabbed a cab to the Philharmonie concert hall, where the singer who had been due to perform had been taken ill. 'And, suddenly, I was rehearsing with the Berlin Phil and Christian Thielemann,' she says. 'What I didn't know, though, is at the end, after I sang he [Thielemann] looked over his shoulder slowly, and at the back of the hall, there were several figures in suits who I think were the executive team of the Phil. And he just gave them a very slow nod, like, 'Yes, she'll do'.' Later that week, Stagg gave three performances to packed houses that included legendary tenor Placido Domingo and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. 'It was so fast that I almost didn't have time to get nervous,' she says. 'I didn't have any time for that. There was a task to be done, and I did it.' Stagg's Sliding Doors moment at Berlin airport helped catapult her to the top of the European circuit and engagements at major concert halls and opera houses there. It's been a long journey for Stagg from rural Victoria where she grew up the middle child of three to teacher parents, singing along to the pop songs of the day into an ice-cream cone 'microphone'. 'Music was always something I loved, but I was led to believe it was a hobby,' she says. 'I still can't really believe that I do it as my profession now.' An early key moment in her career came when Stagg was just 11 years old. 'My grandfather had passed away in East Gippsland and all the extended family went there for the funeral,' she says. 'I led the congregation, just totally untrained, in singing Amazing Grace. At the end of the wake a distant cousin slipped a hundred dollar note into my hand with a card that read, 'This is for your first singing lessons, and please invite me when you sing at the Sydney Opera House'.' Stagg took those singing lessons and thrived, going on to Melbourne University to study music, singing in the Trinity College Choir, which proved invaluable training. 'The repertoire changes every week,' she says. 'So you have to get very fit at reading and singing what's on the page.' It was also in Melbourne that Stagg first saw an orchestra play live. Loading 'It was the university student orchestra, and it was the first time I'd heard these instruments: a clarinet, a flute, a trumpet,' she says. 'I probably would've heard them without realising in film scores, but I'd never seen them and identified that that's the colour that I'm hearing. I was just blown away and I was like, 'Wow, I've got a lot to catch up on'!' After Melbourne, Stagg was selected for the Salzburg Festival Young Singers program and appointed a soloist at the Deutsche Oper Berlin where, she says, she 'learned her craft'. 'I was six years as a principal soloist in Berlin,' she says. 'My training up until then had been music, but not really any of the stagecraft that opera requires. In German houses you go through a huge volume of repertoire in a year. I was able to learn in a 12-month season probably 12 or 15 productions - small roles, medium roles, some big roles.' Next week, Stagg will finally get to perform for the first time on the Joan Sutherland Theatre stage at the Sydney Opera House with Opera Australia. Stagg will sing the role the servant Susanna in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, widely regarded as one of the most demanding in the soprano repertoire. 'Susanna is a role that I love,' she says. 'I love playing her. She is a very relatable character, funny and sincere at the same time.' 'I love playing Susanna. She is a very relatable character, funny and sincere at the same time.' Siobhan Stagg And while this will be her first appearance on the Joan Sutherland Stage it is not her first time performing at the Sydney Opera House itself. She sang in the Concert Hall there in 2016 alongside tenor Roberto Alagna. And it was then she was able to fulfil her part of the bargain to the distant relative who set her on the path to stardom all those years ago in East Gippsland. 'I was able to invite that cousin and thank her for changing my life,' says Stagg. 'It was a beautiful full circle.'
The Age
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Plucked from the airport check-in queue to sing with major European orchestra
In late January 2015, Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg was in Berlin preparing to board a flight to Zurich for an audition when her agent called. 'Do you know the Brahms German Requiem?' he asked. 'And could you start singing it today with the Berlin Philharmonic?' Stagg immediately said 'yes' to both questions, gathered her luggage, and grabbed a cab to the Philharmonie concert hall, where the singer who had been due to perform had been taken ill. 'And, suddenly, I was rehearsing with the Berlin Phil and Christian Thielemann,' she says. 'What I didn't know, though, is at the end, after I sang he [Thielemann] looked over his shoulder slowly, and at the back of the hall, there were several figures in suits who I think were the executive team of the Phil. And he just gave them a very slow nod, like, 'Yes, she'll do'.' Later that week, Stagg gave three performances to packed houses that included legendary tenor Placido Domingo and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. 'It was so fast that I almost didn't have time to get nervous,' she says. 'I didn't have any time for that. There was a task to be done, and I did it.' Stagg's Sliding Doors moment at Berlin airport helped catapult her to the top of the European circuit and engagements at major concert halls and opera houses there. It's been a long journey for Stagg from rural Victoria where she grew up the middle child of three to teacher parents, singing along to the pop songs of the day into an ice-cream cone 'microphone'. 'Music was always something I loved, but I was led to believe it was a hobby,' she says. 'I still can't really believe that I do it as my profession now.' An early key moment in her career came when Stagg was just 11 years old. 'My grandfather had passed away in East Gippsland and all the extended family went there for the funeral,' she says. 'I led the congregation, just totally untrained, in singing Amazing Grace. At the end of the wake a distant cousin slipped a hundred dollar note into my hand with a card that read, 'This is for your first singing lessons, and please invite me when you sing at the Sydney Opera House'.' Stagg took those singing lessons and thrived, going on to Melbourne University to study music, singing in the Trinity College Choir, which proved invaluable training. 'The repertoire changes every week,' she says. 'So you have to get very fit at reading and singing what's on the page.' It was also in Melbourne that Stagg first saw an orchestra play live. Loading 'It was the university student orchestra, and it was the first time I'd heard these instruments: a clarinet, a flute, a trumpet,' she says. 'I probably would've heard them without realising in film scores, but I'd never seen them and identified that that's the colour that I'm hearing. I was just blown away and I was like, 'Wow, I've got a lot to catch up on'!' After Melbourne, Stagg was selected for the Salzburg Festival Young Singers program and appointed a soloist at the Deutsche Oper Berlin where, she says, she 'learned her craft'. 'I was six years as a principal soloist in Berlin,' she says. 'My training up until then had been music, but not really any of the stagecraft that opera requires. In German houses you go through a huge volume of repertoire in a year. I was able to learn in a 12-month season probably 12 or 15 productions - small roles, medium roles, some big roles.' Next week, Stagg will finally get to perform for the first time on the Joan Sutherland Theatre stage at the Sydney Opera House with Opera Australia. Stagg will sing the role the servant Susanna in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, widely regarded as one of the most demanding in the soprano repertoire. 'Susanna is a role that I love,' she says. 'I love playing her. She is a very relatable character, funny and sincere at the same time.' 'I love playing Susanna. She is a very relatable character, funny and sincere at the same time.' Siobhan Stagg And while this will be her first appearance on the Joan Sutherland Stage it is not her first time performing at the Sydney Opera House itself. She sang in the Concert Hall there in 2016 alongside tenor Roberto Alagna. And it was then she was able to fulfil her part of the bargain to the distant relative who set her on the path to stardom all those years ago in East Gippsland. 'I was able to invite that cousin and thank her for changing my life,' says Stagg. 'It was a beautiful full circle.'
Asahi Shimbun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Asahi Shimbun
Yamada ‘played it by ear' as he conducted Berlin Philharmonic
Japanese conductor Kazuki Yamada's improvisational skills guided him through one of the most high-profile guest performances of his conducting career. 'I played it by ear, just as I always do,' he said. 'I was excited by the way the orchestra transfigured.' In June, Yamada appeared on stage with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time and drew applause from the audience. Yamada, 46, shared his impressions of the fulfilling time he spent with one of the leading classical music orchestras in the world. CONDUCTING IS ABOUT 'CARRYING' 'The orchestra organizes 100 top-notch soloists, who are performing in the way they each prefer,' Yamada said. 'A swell arises, however, when they unite. They become mutually linked, both in music and in appearance. The better that things work out, the more wildly, and incredibly, the swell begins to grow.' He added: 'I was thinking about how I could add air into the harmony. Nobody there, apparently, had ever experienced an approach like that. They were, like, 'Oh, this guy is going to try something novel with us. OK, why don't we take him on?' They likely decided to deal with me in that way.' The Berlin Philharmonic was founded in 1882 by young musicians as a self-governing body. It went on to be a time-honored, prestigious orchestra, where famed composers Johannes Brahms and Antonin Dvorak conducted their own pieces and Herbert von Karajan built a golden age. Yamada is the 15th Japanese to have wielded the baton on the illustrious stage, where every aspiring conductor fancies taking a turn. Yamada took the rostrum during the Berlin Philharmonic's regular concert held from June 12 through 14. He told about the experience in a casual manner, as opposed to the way that Yutaka Sado talked passionately, and excitedly, about how he conducted the Berlin Philharmonic in 2011. Yamada chose to perform, instead of pieces of the German school, works by an Italian composer (Ottorino Respighi's 'Fontane di Roma'), a Japanese (Toru Takemitsu's 'I Hear the Water Dreaming') and a French artist (Camille Saint-Saens' Symphony No. 3, 'Organ Symphony'). In selecting these pieces, Yamada sought advice from Daishin Kashimoto, a close friend, who has served as first concertmaster with the Berlin Philharmonic since 2010. 'He encouraged me by saying, 'Why don't you try a French piece?'' Yamada said. 'I found that reassuring. After all, he is the only person that fully knows both me and the orchestra.' For reasons of scheduling, Kashimoto was unable to appear on stage with Yamada, who, however, said he didn't mind. 'I think it worked out all right in the end,' Yamada said. 'I am afraid I would have been reliant on him if he had been there. And that could also have been counterproductive if that were to make the others believe that he and I, fellow Japanese, were helping each other. Well, to tell the truth, however, I would have wanted him to be in the audience.' Yamada said that while he was performing on stage, he recalled an episode he had been told about by the late Hiroyuki Iwaki (1932-2006), who also previously served as music director of the Philharmonic Chorus of Tokyo and conducted the Berlin Philharmonic himself. In Yamada's words, Iwaki quoted Karajan as often saying, when the native of Austria was artistic director with the Berlin Philharmonic, that conducting is not about 'driving,' but is about 'carrying.' Yamada said he understood for the first time what that description meant. 'I realized that I am not there to control,' he said. 'Perhaps, in a sense, an orchestra is not so much like a car as it is like a horse. The horse has a strong willpower itself. I have to respect that when I am astride it. I am there to show where we should be going, but I am not there to force it.' Yamada continued: 'We are on totally equal terms, so I am always face to face with all the 100. I realized that this sense, which says this orchestra would be all right even without the conductor's cues, represents, more than anything else, the tradition that Karajan nurtured.'
Scoop
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Unleashing Aotearoa's Monster: NZ Opera's Groundbreaking Premiere Of The Monster In The Maze
New Zealand Opera is proud to announce details around the highly anticipated Australasian premiere of the powerful community opera, The Monster in the Maze. Written by acclaimed British composer Jonathan Dove (Mansfield Park, Flight, Marx in London) with libretto by Alasdair Middleton, The Monster in the Maze is a unique community opera that earned a British Composer Award in 2016. Celebrated as one of the most successful contemporary operas of its kind globally, it was originally commissioned by prestigious institutions the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Festival d'Art Lyrique d'Aix-en-Provence. Since its premiere in 2015, the opera has garnered widespread acclaim and has been performed to great success around the world, in multiple languages. Led by the creative powerhouse duo of Director Anapela Polata'ivao ONZM (Tīnā, Red White and Brass, Wild Dogs Under My Skirt) and Creative Producer Stacey Leilua (The Savage Coloniser Show, Wild Dogs Under My Skirt, Young Rock), NZ Opera's The Monster in the Maze will be performed in English across Aotearoa New Zealand this September, offering a profound exploration of identity and cultural resonance. The production brings together professional singers, the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia and the Freemasons Foundation NZ Opera Chorus with large numbers of amateur, youth, and children's choirs and musicians, in a groundbreaking operatic collaboration with communities in each location. The production marks the significant NZ Opera directorial debut for Anapela Polata'ivao. Reflecting on what drew her to The Monster in the Maze she explains: 'What attracted me was the community aspect. This is an incredible opportunity for our local choirs and community members to participate in a high-level, professional performance. This collaborative involvement not only enriches the storytelling but also fosters a sense of connection to the production's cultural themes and to each other, making it an inclusive and empowering experience for all participants and audiences.' The Monster in the Maze opera reimagines the ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, exploring themes such as resistance, justice, and the power of collectivism in a dramatic, Hunger Games-style, one-hour opera. The narrative follows the aftermath of King Minos's victory over the Athenians, as he demands their youth as tribute to be fed to the terrifying Minotaur beast at the heart of his maze. Despite this, the tyrannical king soon discovers these youth are far from passive. Crucially, this new production pays homage to the rich Pasifika heritage that profoundly shapes New Zealand's cultural tapestry, highlighting themes of displacement and resilience. The Athenian youth's journey from a warmer homeland to the cold, unforgiving land of Crete powerfully echoes the migration experiences of many Pacific peoples. In this Aotearoa-specific interpretation, Athens symbolises the warmth and familiarity of the islands, while Crete metaphorically becomes contemporary urban New Zealand, embodying the challenges and opportunities of arriving in a new land. An exceptional, all-New Zealand cast star in the principal roles. Acclaimed UK-based mezzo-soprano Sarah Castle (Andrea Chénier, Semele, La Cenerentola) brings her powerful presence to the role of Mother. Popular baritone and 2018 Lexus Song Quest winner Joel Amosa (La Traviata, Mansfield Park, Rigoletto) steps into the role of maze architect Daedalus. Rising operatic talent Ipu Laga'aia, recently named NZ Opera Freemasons Foundation Company Artist for 2025, makes his professional operatic role debut as the hero Theseus. Completing the principal cast, versatile entertainer and actor Maaka Pohatu (Ngai Tāmanihiri, Tūwharetoa), known for The Modern Māori Quartet and screen roles in Happiness, Far North, and Wellington Paranormal, makes his NZ Opera debut as the vindictive King Minos. Joining Anapela Polata'ivao and Stacey Leilua in the creative team, conductor Brad Cohen leads the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra in Ōtautahi, Christchurch, and Brent Stewart conducts the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington and Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland respectively. The Freemasons Foundation NZ Opera Chorus, child, youth and adult community performers join the production in each city. A highly innovative set, costume, and lighting design by Filament Eleven 11 (Rachel Marlow and Brad Gledhill) vividly transforms the worlds of Athens and Crete into a compelling contemporary setting. The design skillfully weaves local narratives into the production elements, showcasing Aotearoa's unique identity and its ongoing dialogue between traditional heritage and contemporary realities. The Monster in the Maze begins its national tour in Christchurch at the start of September, before travelling to Wellington and Auckland for strictly limited seasons.
Scoop
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Unleashing Aotearoa's Monster: NZ Opera's Groundbreaking Premiere Of The Monster In The Maze
New Zealand Opera is proud to announce details around the highly anticipated Australasian premiere of the powerful community opera, The Monster in the Maze. Written by acclaimed British composer Jonathan Dove (Mansfield Park, Flight, Marx in London) with libretto by Alasdair Middleton, The Monster in the Maze is a unique community opera that earned a British Composer Award in 2016. Celebrated as one of the most successful contemporary operas of its kind globally, it was originally commissioned by prestigious institutions the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Festival d'Art Lyrique d'Aix-en-Provence. Since its premiere in 2015, the opera has garnered widespread acclaim and has been performed to great success around the world, in multiple languages. Led by the creative powerhouse duo of Director Anapela Polata'ivao ONZM (Tīnā, Red White and Brass, Wild Dogs Under My Skirt) and Creative Producer Stacey Leilua (The Savage Coloniser Show, Wild Dogs Under My Skirt, Young Rock), NZ Opera's The Monster in the Maze will be performed in English across Aotearoa New Zealand this September, offering a profound exploration of identity and cultural resonance. The production brings together professional singers, the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia and the Freemasons Foundation NZ Opera Chorus with large numbers of amateur, youth, and children's choirs and musicians, in a groundbreaking operatic collaboration with communities in each location. The production marks the significant NZ Opera directorial debut for Anapela Polata'ivao. Reflecting on what drew her to The Monster in the Maze she explains: 'What attracted me was the community aspect. This is an incredible opportunity for our local choirs and community members to participate in a high-level, professional performance. This collaborative involvement not only enriches the storytelling but also fosters a sense of connection to the production's cultural themes and to each other, making it an inclusive and empowering experience for all participants and audiences.' The Monster in the Maze opera reimagines the ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, exploring themes such as resistance, justice, and the power of collectivism in a dramatic, Hunger Games-style, one-hour opera. The narrative follows the aftermath of King Minos's victory over the Athenians, as he demands their youth as tribute to be fed to the terrifying Minotaur beast at the heart of his maze. Despite this, the tyrannical king soon discovers these youth are far from passive. Crucially, this new production pays homage to the rich Pasifika heritage that profoundly shapes New Zealand's cultural tapestry, highlighting themes of displacement and resilience. The Athenian youth's journey from a warmer homeland to the cold, unforgiving land of Crete powerfully echoes the migration experiences of many Pacific peoples. In this Aotearoa-specific interpretation, Athens symbolises the warmth and familiarity of the islands, while Crete metaphorically becomes contemporary urban New Zealand, embodying the challenges and opportunities of arriving in a new land. An exceptional, all-New Zealand cast star in the principal roles. Acclaimed UK-based mezzo-soprano Sarah Castle (Andrea Chénier, Semele, La Cenerentola) brings her powerful presence to the role of Mother. Popular baritone and 2018 Lexus Song Quest winner Joel Amosa (La Traviata, Mansfield Park, Rigoletto) steps into the role of maze architect Daedalus. Rising operatic talent Ipu Laga'aia, recently named NZ Opera Freemasons Foundation Company Artist for 2025, makes his professional operatic role debut as the hero Theseus. Completing the principal cast, versatile entertainer and actor Maaka Pohatu (Ngai Tāmanihiri, Tūwharetoa), known for The Modern Māori Quartet and screen roles in Happiness, Far North, and Wellington Paranormal, makes his NZ Opera debut as the vindictive King Minos. Joining Anapela Polata'ivao and Stacey Leilua in the creative team, conductor Brad Cohen leads the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra in Ōtautahi, Christchurch, and Brent Stewart conducts the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington and Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland respectively. The Freemasons Foundation NZ Opera Chorus, child, youth and adult community performers join the production in each city. A highly innovative set, costume, and lighting design by Filament Eleven 11 (Rachel Marlow and Brad Gledhill) vividly transforms the worlds of Athens and Crete into a compelling contemporary setting. The design skillfully weaves local narratives into the production elements, showcasing Aotearoa's unique identity and its ongoing dialogue between traditional heritage and contemporary realities. The Monster in the Maze begins its national tour in Christchurch at the start of September, before travelling to Wellington and Auckland for strictly limited seasons.
