what‘s on
The golden dragon awakes and the knights raise from their sleep when we return to the depth of our hearts, listening to the most human rhythm of all rhythms: our heartbeat. And not two beats are the same, and not to humans are.

Storytelling is one of the oldest traits of humanity and it will prevail and outlive all AI, chatGPT and smart glasses.

I am pursuing the ultimate art of storytelling in music theater — inspired by magic realism and what connects us all as humans: pure love.

2024

Edgar - version de 4 actes

Giacomo Puccini

  • Conductor Daniele Callegari
  • Set George Souglides
  • Lighting David Debrinay
  • Cast
  • 9 November 2024 Co-production with Teatro Regio Torino et Carlo Felice di Genoa
  • Opera de Nice

Opera de Nice Côte d'Azur

2024

Ulysses

Reinhard Keiser

  • Dirigent Clemens Flick
  • Ausstattung Madeleine Boyd
  • Licht Andreas Rehfeld
  • Dramaturgie Thomas Böckstiegel
  • Texte Ulrike Schumann
  • Cast
    • Henryk Böhm
    • Jutta Böhnert
    • Dora Pavlikovà
    • Klaus Brantzen
    • NN
    • NN
    • NN
  • 22 March 2024
  • Stadttheater Solothurn

Solothurn/Biel

Ulysses

© NR

2022

Ulysses

Reinhard Keiser

  • Dirigent Clemens Flick
  • Ausstattung Madeleine Boyd
  • Licht Andreas Rehfeld
  • Dramaturgie Thomas Böckstiegel
  • Texte Ulrike Schumann
  • Cast
    • Henryk Böhm
    • Jutta Böhnert
    • Dora Pavlíková
    • Andrew Nolen
    • Theresa Immerz
    • João Terleira
    • Manuela Sonntag
    • Elena Trobisch
    • Klaus Brantzen
  • 3 December 2022

Theater Heidelberg/Schlosstheater Schwetzingen

Ulysses

© Susanne Reichardt

2022

Le Amazzone nell'isole fortunate

C. Pallavicino

  • Conductor Christophe Rousset - Les Talens
  • Lyriques
  • Video Marc de Pierrefeu
  • Lighting Leo Göbl
  • Cast
    • Axelle Fanyo
    • Marco Angioloni
    • Clara Guillon
    • Irina Kyshliaruk
    • Anara Khassenova
    • Eleonore Gagey
    • Olivier Cesarini
  • 25 June 2022 im Rahmen der Musikfestspiele Postdam Sanssouci
  • Schlosstheater Neues Palais Potsdam

a young singers project with Les Talens Lyriques

Le Amazzone nell'isole fortunate

stefan gloede

2022

Turandot

G. Puccini

  • Conductor Chin-Chao Lin
  • Stage Mirella Weingarten
  • Costumes Raphaela Rose
  • Video Martin Andersson
  • Lighting Leo Göbl
  • Cast
    • Camila Ribero-Souza
    • Jeffrey Hartman/Deniz Yilmaz
    • Anna Pisareva/Theodora Varga
    • Young Kwon/Oliver Weidinger
    • Frederic Mörth
    • Brent L. Damkier
    • Jason Lee
    • Seymur Karimov
    • Christian Schossig
  • 20 May 2022

Stadttheater Regensburg - NEUER TERMIN/NEW DATE

Turandot

© Jochen Quast

2022

Die Fledermaus

J. Strauss

  • Conductor Lucie Leguay
  • Choreography Bruno Bouché
  • Set Cleo Laigret
  • Costumes Lauriane Demissy
  • Lights David Debrinay
  • Cast
    • Benoit Rameau
    • Parveen Savart
    • Clémence Danvy/Marie Lombard
    • Floriane Hasler
    • Yeongtaek Seo
    • Matthieu Walendzik
    • Aymeric Biesemans
    • Lancelot Lamotte
    • Thais Rai-Westphal
    • Sébastien Dutrieux
  • 2 March 2022

CNSMDP/Philharmonie de Paris

Die Fledermaus

Ferrante Ferranti

2021

Macbeth

G. Verdi

  • Conductor Sebastiano Rolli
  • Design Ashley Martin Davies
  • Light Andrew May
  • Video Pierre Martin/
  • Jerome Huguenin-Virchaux
  • Cast
    • Stephen Gaertner
    • Alexandra Zabala
    • Dario Russo
    • Elodie Hache
    • Carlo Allemano
    • Yoann LeLan
    • Jonas Yajure
  • 2 November 2021

Opera de Dijon/Auditorium - NEUER TERMIN/NEW DATE

Macbeth

Mirco Magliocca

2021

Rusalka

Antonin Dvorak

  • Conductor Pavel Baleff
  • Set Julia Müer
  • Costumes Raffaela Rose
  • Lights Bernd Purkrabek/Rick Martin
  • Video Martin Andersson
  • Cast
    • Ruzan Mantashyan
    • Adam Smith
    • Marie Adeline Henry
    • Marion Lebegue
    • Rafal Pawnuk
    • Marc Scoffoni
    • Yete Queiroz
  • 29 January 2021 Co-production with Opera du Rhin Strasbourg

Opera de Limoges - NO PUBLIC PERFORMANCE/FILMED FOR FRENCH TV

Rusalka

2020

Stiffelio

Giuseppe Verdi

  • Conductor Michael Balke
  • Set Boris Kudlicka
  • Costumes Julia Müer
  • Light Felice Ross
  • Cast
    • Dimitris Paksoglou / Mickael Spadaccini
    • Annemarie Kremer / Jessica Rose Cambio
    • Damiano Salerno / Alexey Bogdanchikov
    • Nik Kevin Koch
    • Samuli Taskinen / Bozidar Bozhikilov
    • Christel Loetzsch
  • 26 June 2020

Klosterhof St. Galler Festspiele - CANCELLED- ANNULÉ

2020

Macbeth

Giuseppe Verdi

  • Conductor Sebastiano Rolli
  • Design Ashley Martin Davis
  • Light Andrew May
  • Video Pierre Martin
  • Cast
    • Stephen Gaertner
    • Alexandra Zabala
    • Dario Russo
    • Stephanie Marshall
    • Carlo Allemano
    • Yoann Le Lan
    • Jonas Yajure
  • 22 March 2020

Opera de Dijon/Auditorium - CANCELLED/RESCHEDULED - ANNULÉ/REPORTÉ

2019

La Traviata

Giuseppe Verdi

  • Conductor Ainars Rubikis/ Jordan de Souza
  • Set Madeleine Boyd
  • Costumes Annemarie Woods
  • Lighting design Linus Fellbom
  • Soundscape Sebastian Lipski
  • Video Benjamin Weiß/ Jake Witlen
  • Dramaturgy Simon Berger
  • Choreography Oren Laszowski
  • Cast
    • Natalya Pavlova/Vera-Lotte Boecker
    • Ivan Magrí/Alexey Neklyudov
    • Günter Papendell/Giuseppe Altomare
    • Maria Fiselier/Marta Mika
    • Marta Mika/Caren van Oiyen
    • Philip Mayrhöfer
    • Ivan Turšić
    • Carsten Sabrowski
    • Dániel Foki
  • 1 December 2019

Komische Oper Berlin

La Traviata

Iko Freese / drama-berlin.de

2019

Rusalka

Antonin Dvorak

  • Conductor Antony Hermus
  • Set Julia Müer
  • Costumes Raffaela Rose
  • Video Martin Andersson
  • Lighting design Bernd Purkrabek
  • Cast
    • Pumeza Matzikisha
    • Brian Register
    • Rebecca von Lipinski
    • Patricia Bardon
    • Attila Jun
    • Clairen Péron
    • Jacob Scharfman
  • 18 October 2019 Co-production with Opera de Limoge

Reviews

  • »«

Opera National du Rhin Strasbourg

Rusalka

Klara Beck

2019

Ariodante

G.F. Händel

  • Conductor Ian Page
  • Set & Lighting Linus Fellbom
  • Costumes Gesine Völlm
  • Choreography Caroline Finn
  • Cast
    • Ann Hallenberg
    • Christophe Dumaux
    • Roberta Mameli
    • Francesca Aspromonte
    • Martin Vanberg
    • Johannes Weisser
    • Olof Lilja
  • 3 August 2019

Drottningholm Slottstheater

Ariodante

Mats Bäcker

2019

La Wally

Alfredo Catalani

  • Dirigent Arvo Volmer
  • Bühnenbild Mirella Weingarten
  • Kostüme Julia Müer
  • Licht Clifton Taylor
  • Cast
    • Charlotte Ann Shipley
    • Ferdinand von Bothmer
    • Ashley Martin Prewitt
    • Francesca Sorteni
    • Francesca Sartorato
    • Alessandro Guerzoni
    • Enrico Marchesini
  • 21 March 2019

Stadttheater Bozen/ Fondazione Haydn OPER.A 20.21

La Wally

2018

Jenufa

Leos Janacek

  • Conductor Loukas Karytinos
  • Design Georges Souglides
  • Licht David Debrinay
  • Choreographie Fotis Nicolaou
  • Cast
    • Sarah Jane Brandon/Maria Mitsopoulou
    • Sabine Hogrefe/Julia Souglakou
    • Ines Zikou
    • Frank van Aken
    • Dimitris Paksoglou
    • Artemis Bogri
    • Margarita Syngeniotou
    • Yannis Yannisis
    • Dimitris Kassioumis
    • Varvara Biza
    • Barunka Preisinger
    • Miranta Makrynioti
  • 14 October 2018
  • Greek National Opera

Greek National Opera

Jenufa

2018

Il corsaro

Giuseppe Verdi

  • Conductor Fabio Biondi
  • Design George Souglides
  • Lightdesign David Debrinay
  • Cast
    • Michael Fabiano
    • Kristina Mkhitaryan
    • Oksana Dyka
    • Vito Priante
  • 28 March 2018

Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia

Il corsaro

2018

Semiramide

Gioacchino Rossini

  • Conductor Giuseppe Grazioli
  • Set Madeleine Boyd
  • Costumes Julia Müer
  • Lightdesign Bernd Purkrabek/Andrew May
  • Cast
    • Karine Deshayes
    • Aude Extremo
    • Daniele Antonangeli
    • Manuel Nunez-Camelino
    • Thomas Dear
  • 2 March 2018

l'Opera de Saint Etienne

Semiramide

2018

Elektra

Richard Strauss

  • Conductor Leo Hussein
  • Design Luis F. Carvalho
  • lightingdesign Nuno Meira
  • Cast
    • Nadja Michael
    • Lioba Braun
    • Allison Oakes
    • James Rutherford
    • Marco Alves dos Santos
  • 1 February 2018
  • Cultural Center Belem

National Theatre of São Carlos Lisbon

Elektra

© Bruno Simao

2017

Francesca da Rimini

Riccardo Zandonai

  • Conductor Giuliano Carella
  • Design Ashley Martin Davis
  • Lightdesign James Farncombe
  • Cast
    • Saioa Hernandez
    • Josy Santos
    • Marco Vratogna
    • Marcelo Puente
    • Tom Randle
    • Francesca Sorteni
    • Marta Bauzà
    • Claire Péron
    • Fanny Lustaud
    • Idunnu Münch
    • Stefan Sbonnik
    • Dionysios Tsaousidis
  • 8 December 2017

Opera National du Rhin

Francesca da Rimini

© Klara Beck

2017

Lakme

Leo Délibes

  • Conductor Philippe Auguin
  • Set Design Annemarie Legenstein
  • Costumes Gesine Völlm
  • Lighting Zerlina Hughes
  • Video Martin Eidenberger
  • Cast
    • Svetlana Moskalenko/Beate Ritter
    • Leonardo Ferrando
    • Taras Shtonda
    • Matilda Poulsen
    • Julie Mathevet
    • Laine Quist
    • Jakob Högström
    • Maria Streijffert
    • Eric Lavoipierre
  • 7 October 2017

Malmö Opera

Lakme

© Mats Bäcker

2017

Semiramide

Gioachino Rossini

  • Conductor Domingo Hindoyan
  • Set design Madeleine Boyd
  • Costumes Julia Müer
  • Lighting Bernd Purkrabek
  • Cast
    • Salome Jicia
    • Franco Fagioli
    • Matthew Grills
    • Nahuel Di Pierro
    • Fabrizio Beggi
    • Inna Jeskova
    • Ju In Yoon
  • 2 May 2017

Opera National Lorraine

Semiramide

© Opera National Lorraine/c2images

2017

Der Zwerg

Alexander von Zemlinsky

  • Conductor Martin André
  • Set José Capela
  • Costumes Mariana Sa Nogueira
  • Lightdesign Rui Monteiro
  • Staffproducer Carlos Antunes
  • Cast
    • Peter Bronder
    • Sarah-Jane Brandon
    • Dora Rodriguez
    • Nuno Pereira
    • Carla Caramujo
    • Filipa van Eck
    • Carolina Figueiredo
  • 31 March 2017 — Portuguese premiere
  • Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos

National Theatre of São Carlos Lisbon

Der Zwerg

© Teatro Sao Carlos

2016

I Capuleti e i Montecchi

Vincenzo Bellini

  • Conductor Fabio Biondi
  • Design Ashley Martin Davis
  • Lighting Linus Fellbom
  • Choreography Benito Marcellino
  • Cast
    • Nino Surguladze
    • Kristina Mkhitaryan
    • Christopher Tiesi
    • Igor Gnidii
    • Alexander Robin Baker
  • 5 November 2016
  • — Grieghallen

Bergen National Opera

I Capuleti e i Montecchi

© Magnus Skrede

2016

Written on Skin

George Benjamin

  • Conductor Rossen Gergov
  • Design Mirella Weingarten
  • Lighting Andreas Volk
  • Cast
    • Vera-Lotte Böcker
    • Bernhard Landauer
    • Andrew Schroeder
    • Anna Werle
    • Daniel Ralphsson
  • 7 October 2016 — Italian premiere Premio Franco Abbiati 2017 Miglior Regia

Stadttheater Bozen

Written on Skin

© Mirella Weingarten

2016

Jesu Hochzeit

Gottfried von Einem

  • Conductor Jonathan Stockhammer
  • Design Annemarie Legenstein
  • Lighting Hari Michlits
  • Cast
    • Boris Grappe
    • Frederika Brillembourg
    • Ursula Hesse von den Steinen
    • Julia Koci
    • Annette Schoenmüller
    • Marcel Beekman
    • Dan Paul Dumitrescu
  • 6 August 2016
  • Stiftshof Ossiach

Carinthischer Sommer

Jesu Hochzeit

© Ferdinand Neumüller

2016

A Flowering Tree

John Adams

  • Conductor Joana Carneiro
  • Design George Souglides
  • Lighting Aaron Black
  • Choreography Renato Zanella
  • Cast
    • Jessica Rivera
    • Luís Rodrigues
    • Shawn Mathey
  • 6 April 2016
  • Cultural Center Belem

National Theatre of São Carlos Lisbon

A Flowering Tree

@ Carlos Antunes

2016

Lohengrin

Richard Wagner

  • Conductor Alexander Vedernikov
  • Set design George Souglides
  • Costumes Julia Müer
  • Lighting Aaron Black
  • Fights Ran Arthur Braun
  • Associate director Natascha Metherell
  • Cast
    • Steven Humes
    • Burkhard Fritz
    • Anne Margrethe Dahl
    • Yukka Rasilainen/
    • Thomas Jesatko
    • Tuiija Knihtilä
    • Peter Felix Bauer
  • 22 January 2016

Video

Play Video

Copenhagen New Opera House

Lohengrin

© Mats Bäcker

2015

Boris Godunov

Modest Mussorgski

  • Conductor Leif Segerstam
  • Set Georges Souglides
  • Costumes Julia Müer
  • Lightdesign Linus Fellbom
  • Cast
    • Matti Salminen
    • Anna Immonen
    • Artem Grutko
    • Mika Pohjonen
    • Taras Shtonda/Jyrki Korhonen
    • Christian Juslin
    • Heikki Kilpeläinen
    • Giorgi Kirof/Johann Tilli
    • Lasse Penttinen
    • Vuokko Kekäläinen
    • Dan Karlström
    • Hilke Andersen
    • Heikki Aalto
  • 11 July 2015 — Version 1869

Savonlinna Opera Festival

Boris Godunov

© Linus Fellbom

2015

Written on Skin

George Benjamin

  • Libretto Martin Crimp
  • Conductor Otto Tausk
  • Design Mirella Weingarten
  • Lighting Andreas Volk
  • Dramaturgy Alexandra Jud
  • Cast
    • Evelyn Pollock
    • Jordan Shanahan
    • Benno Schachtner
    • Theresa Holzhauser
    • Nik Kevin Koch
  • 2 May 2015 — Swiss Premiere

Theater St. Gallen

Written on Skin

© Hans Jörg Michel

2015

A Flowering Tree

John Adams

  • Conductor Joana Carneiro
  • Design George Souglides
  • Lightdesign Aaron Black
  • Choreography Renato Zanella
  • Cast
    • Julia Sporsén
    • Eric Fennell
    • Omar Ebrahim
  • 7 February 2015 — A take-over from Chicago Opera Theater as Scandinavian premiere Gothenburg

Video

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Göteborgs Operan

A Flowering Tree

© Mats Bäcker

2014

Das Leben am Rande der Milchstrasse

Bernhard Gander

  • Text Christa Salchner
  • Johannes Heide
  • Conductor Simeon Pironkoff
  • Design Alix Burgstaller
  • Lightdesign Thomas Jelinek
  • Cast
    • Benjamin Appl
    • Nicolas Isherwood
    • Theresa Dlouhy
    • Anna Hauf
    • Bernhard Landauer
    • Bibiana Nwobilo
  • 1 August 2014 — A Sitcom Opera – World Premiere
  • Werkstattbühne Bregenz/Konzerthaus Wien

Bregenzer Festspiele/Wien Modern

Das Leben am Rande der Milchstrasse

© Anja Köhler

2014

Thaïs

Jules Massenet

  • Conductor Patrick Fournillier
  • Design Johan Engels
  • Lighting design Linus Felbom
  • Cast
    • Nino Machaidze
    • Plácido Domingo
    • Paul Groves
  • 17 May 2014
  • Los Angeles

Los Angeles Opera

Thaïs

2014

Das schlaue Füchslein

Leoš Janáček/Jonathan Dove

  • Conductor Attilio Tomasello
  • Design Alix Burgstaller
  • Lightdesign Rolf Irmer
  • Dramaturgy Alexandra Jud
  • Cast
    • Wade Kernot
    • Theresa Holzhauser
    • Riccardo Botta
    • Matt Boehler
    • Jordan Shanahan
    • Simone Riksman
    • Evelyn Pollock
    • Nik Kevin Koch
    • Luzian Hirzel
  • 19 February 2014 - chamber version
  • St.Gallen

Theater St. Gallen - Lokremise

Das schlaue Füchslein

© Stefan Deuber

2013

Otello

Giuseppe Verdi

  • Conductor Pier Giorgio Morandi
  • Set Design Ashley Martin Davis
  • Costumes Julia Müer
  • Lighting Design Linus Fellbom
  • Fights Ran Arthur Braun
  • Cast
    • Raymond Very
    • Ann Petersen
    • John Lundgren
  • 21 September 2013 - won Årets Best Opera 2014
  • Købnhavn

Video

Play Video

Copenhagen Opera House

Otello

© Linus Fellbom

2013

Tristan und Isolde

Richard Wagner

  • Conductor Jan Latham-Koenig
  • Design George Souglides
  • Lighting design Aivar Salikhov
  • Cast
    • Claudia Iten
    • Michael Baba
    • Anastasia Bibicheva/
    • Elena Svechnikova
    • Vitaly Efanov/
    • Evgeny Stavinsky
    • Artyom Garnov/
    • Oleg Shagotsky
    • Alexander Skvarko
  • 19 May 2013 — nominated for the Golden Mask Awards as “Best Production”
  • Moskau

Novaya Opera Moscow

Tristan und Isolde

© George Souglides

2013

Thaïs

Jules Massenet

  • Conductor Mikko Franck
  • Design Johan Engels
  • Lighting Design Linus Fellbom
  • Cast
    • Sabina Cvilak
    • Jaakko Kortekangas
    • Luc Robert
  • 25 January 2013
  • Helsinki

Video

Play Video

Ooppera Helsinki

Thaïs

© Heikki Tuuli

2012

Thaïs

Jules Massenet

  • Conductor Pedro Halffter
  • Design Johan Engels
  • Lighting Design Linus Fellbom
  • Cast
    • Nino Machaidze
    • Plácido Domingo
    • Antonio Gandía
    • Stefano Palatchi
    • Micaëla Oeste
    • Marifé Nogales
  • 25 October 2012
  • Sevilla

Teatro de la Maestranza

Thaïs

© Guillermo Mendo

2012

Les Malheurs d'Orphée / Mahagonny Songspiel

Darius Milhaud / Kurt Weill

  • Conductor Jan Latham-Koenig
  • Design Nicola Raab
  • Lighting Design Victor Zapatero
  • Video David Haneke
  • Paper Art Humberto Spíndola
  • Cast
    • Andrew Ashwin
    • Irasema Terrazas
    • Andrew Rees
    • Yvonne Fontane
    • Natasha Day
    • Josué Cerón
    • Andreas Mattersberger
    • Lourdes Ambriz
    • Adélaïde Rouyer
    • Richard Wiegold
  • 18 August 2012
  • Mexico City

Sala Miguel Covarrubias, UNAM

Les Malheurs d'Orphée / Mahagonny Songspiel

© Michel Amanton/Humberto Spindola

2012

Thaïs

Jules Massenet

  • Conductor Patrick Fournillier
  • Design Johan Engels
  • Lighting Design Linus Fellbom
  • Cast
    • Malin Byström
    • Plácido Domingo
    • Paolo Fanale
    • Gianluca Buratto
    • Micaela Oeste
    • Marina Rodríguez-Cusí
    • María José Suárez
  • 28 March 2012
  • Valencia

Reviews

  • »Nicola Raab inszeniert die Oper als innovative Montage« El País

Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia

Thaïs

© Tatu Bazea

2011

Der Tod und das Mädchen

Alfons Karl Zwicker

  • Libretto Daniel Fuchs
  • Conductor Jonathan Stockhammer
  • Design Alix Burgstaller
  • Video David Haneke
  • Lighting Design Andreas Volk
  • Dramaturgy Magdalena Zorn
  • Cast
    • Frances Pappas
    • Andreas Scheibner
    • Hans-Jürgen Schöpflin
  • 17 September 2011 — Swiss Premiere
  • St. Gallen

Reviews

  • »…verstörte, fesselte und faszinierte…« Zürichsee Zeitung more…
    »…eine packende szenische Lösung für das in jeder Hinsicht gewaltige Werk.« St. Galler Tagblatt »St. Gallen verstört« Bündner Tagblatt

Video

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Theater St. Gallen

Der Tod und das Mädchen

© Toni Suter und Tanja Dorendorf

2011

Parsifal

Richard Wagner

  • Conductor Arvo Volmer
  • Co-director Ran A. Braun
  • Design Robert Innes Hopkins
  • Lighting Design Davy Cunningham
  • Cast
    • Richard Decker/Roman Sadnik
    • Irmgard Vilsmeier/Magdalena A. Hofmann
    • Manfred Hemm/Richard Wiegold
    • Eike Wilm Schulte/Rauno Elp
    • Martin Winkler
  • 25 August 2011 — Estonian premiere as part of Tallinn Cultural Capital of Europe, Noblessner foundry in the harbour of Tallinn

Reviews

  • »This approach worked and created the atmosphere of metaphysical barrenness.« Mike Amundsen on EPB News more…
    »The partially preserved Art Nouveau elegance, the powerful Stalker effect of the grimy halls and the amazing sound offered a great variety of options that even Pirita Convent could not have provided. (...)
    Nicola Raab wants to show us the end of the era of an industrial society, leaving us with the question of whether the new generation is able to keep watering its garden until the wounds inflicted on the nature heal like the body of Amfortas. Silvery pipes rust away, the Knights carry their pieces like memories, at the same time covering the metal with a white towel.«
    Klaus Billand for parsifal estonia

Video

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Estonian National Opera Tallinn

Parsifal

© Harri Rospu

2010

Il barbiere di Siviglia

Gioacchino Rossini

  • Conductor Arne Willimczik
  • Design Benita Roth
  • Lighting Design Wanja Ostrower
  • Cast
    • Francis Bouyer/
    • Seymur Karimov
    • Jasmin Etezadzadeh/
    • Misaki Ono
    • Iurie Ciobanu
    • Ruben Gerson
    • Sung-Heon Ha
    • Ruth Müller/
    • Theodora Varga
  • 18 December 2010
  • Regensburg

Reviews

  • »Eine tolle Aufführung, die man nicht versäumen darf!« Julia Hanekker in der Rundschau more…
    »Was diese Produktionen in ihrer ganzen Unterschiedlichkeit verbindet, ist Raabs grenzüberschreitende Leidenschaft fürs Musiktheater jenseits der Kategorien von U- und E-Musik.« Hermann Weiß in der Welt am Sonntag »Vom Geist der Leichtigkeit durchweht. Die Regensburger Inszenierung (…) ist absolut hörens- und sehenswert. Ein Genius der Leichtigkeit durchweht die Premierenaufführung im Haus am Bismarckplatz. Schwerelos dahinschwebend wie Seifenblasen setzt sich das aus Intrigen und Liebeshändeln gewirkte Spiel in Gang. Kein derber Klamauk wird hier getrieben, vielmehr sorgen leichtgeschürzte Pointen und Gags immer wieder für Heiterkeit im Publikum, das ganz adäquat reagiert nicht mit lauten Gelächter, sondern mit verhaltenem Kichern und Glucksen. Man erlebt einen Theaterabend im Geiste von Rossinis spritziger Musik, bei dem die Szene stets im Detail auf die Töne aus dem Orchestergraben reagiert, (…) Einhelliges Urteil des Publikums. Dieser neue ›Barbier von Sevilla‹ macht dem Regensburger Theater Ehre, und verdient das Prädikat absolut sehens- und hörenswert.« Gerhard Dietl in der Mittelbayerische Zeitung

Stadttheater Regensburg

Il barbiere di Siviglia

© neverflash

2010

Thaïs

Jules Massenet

  • Conductor Jan Latham-Koenig
  • Design Johan Engels
  • Lighting Design Linus Fellbom
  • Cast
    • Malin Byström
    • Thomas Lander
    • Tomas Lind
  • 27 February 2010
  • Göteborg

Reviews

  • »

    …a theatre-experience that gives you
    goose bumps

    «
    Sofia Nyblom in Svenska dagbladet more…
    »Opera for body and soul. In Nicola Raab’s (…) production the story is moved from fifth century Egypt to Paris and the time when the opera was written. This enhances the degradation from theatrical luxury to desert and impoverished nakedness as well as it sharpens the purpose typical of its time the unmasking of the ego. The scene when Thaïs leaves behind her creative existence and steps out of her boudoir, in which she has been completely emerged (you can almost not tell where she ends and the interior begins), is also one of many magically beautiful moments. Breath-taking! The final phrases cut through everything such as mirrors and names and contours—in order for something else to appear. A human being in all her undefined fullness. Let us call her Thaïs.« Martin Nyström in Dagens Nyheter

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Göteborgs Operan

Thaïs

© Mats Becker

2009

Owen Wingrave

Benjamin Britten

  • Conductor Daniel Hoyem Cavazza
  • Design Anne-Marie Legenstein
  • Lighting Design Michael Hofer
  • Cast
    • Andrew Ashwin
    • Brian Galliford
    • Astrid Hofer
    • Craig Smith
    • Ingrid Habermann
    • Rika Shiratsuki
    • Paul Schweinester
    • Ewa Biegas
    • Tobias Margiol
  • 23 May 2009 — Austrian Premiere
  • Wien

Reviews

  • »Das begeisterte Publikum erhielt einen unverstellten Blick auf die Geschichte. Bravo!« Markus Hennerfeind in Wiener Zeitung more…
    »Director Nicola Raab and designer Anne Marie Legenstein have set the work within a group of abstract, sliding grey monoliths, which give it a military feel but also suggest the coldness of Paramore, the Wingrave mansion, and overwhelming claustrophobia. The ghost of the dead child haunts Owen, clutching his legs. With a quick movement of the monoliths, we are in Coyle’s schoolroom, dripping with toy soldiers, or in a park, or any number of locations in Paramore. A dinner table scene is effectively suggested with the cast standing in a line, each holding silver serving items (Sir Philip wields a carving knife and fork), while Owen remains empty handed, palms outstretched and upturned. Locked inside one of the monoliths, the dead Owen is revealed clad only in a loincloth, suggestive of a Michelangelo Pietà. It seems that Owen’s time has come.« Larry Lash on musicalamerica.com »Eine Rarität, die unter die Haut geht. Brittens ›Owen Wingrave‹ überzeugt in der Kammeroper.« Opal/Kurier »Essentielle Konfrontation mit dem Mut des Widerstands - mit fast 40 Jahren Verspätung endlich in Wien Benjamin Brittens ›Owen Wingrave‹ in einer exemplarischen Aufführung. Der (...) Abend beeindruckte das Publikum zu recht tief. Er ist in hohem Masse sehenswert.« Renate Wagner in Neues Volksblatt

Wiener Kammeroper

Owen Wingrave

© Christian Husar

2008

MarathonFamily

Isidora Zebeljan

  • Conductor Premyl Petrovic
  • Fights Ran A. Braun
  • Design Duncan Hayler
  • Lighting Design Christian Weisskircher
  • Cast
    • Marcel Beekman
    • Martin Winkler/Robert Pertl
    • Marco Disapia
    • Walter Raffeiner
    • Andreas Jankowitsch
    • Jovita Sip
    • Karin Golz
    • Alfred Werner
    • Ran A. Braun
  • 13 August 2008 — World premiere at Bregenz Festival, Werkstattbühne
  • Jugoslav Drama Theatre Belgrade Neue Oper Wien, Halle E Museumsquartier Wien

Reviews

  • »

    Mad and atrocious

    «
    Süddeutsche Zeitung more…
    »Brilliant, full of ideas and coherent, Nicola Raab put this creepy opera on the workshop-stage, at best supported by designer Duncan Hayler. Perturbed by the story, but delighted by the music, the staging and the performers, one emerges from this world premiere.« Neue Vorarlberger Tageszeitung »Nicola Raab’s production, with every detail perfect, is tangy and fast, the grumpy characters scarily alive; at least up to the final showdown, when the whole nightmarishly beautiful set collapses altogether and turns into a graveyard. Across the sky flickers a film of the marriage of the 2 lovers that will never take place. A magical opera that makes you hear, see and laugh.« Liechtensteiner Volksblatt »A Vile, Idiotic Opera The Marathon Family, a new opera buffa by Serbian composer Isidora Žebeljan, contains perhaps the most vile, reprehensible, disgusting, idiotic and amoral characters and plot in operatic history, and I loved ever one of its 88 uninterrupted minutes. Also starring were Duncan Hayler’s set, and Nicola Raab’s direction, together a stage-manager’s nightmare.« musicalamerica.com

Bregenzer Festspiele / Neue Oper Wien

MarathonFamily

© Bregenzer Festspiele/andererart

2008

A Flowering Tree

John Adams

  • Conductor John Adams
  • Choreography Renato Zanella
  • Design George Souglides
  • Lighting Design Aron Black
  • Cast
    • Natasha Jouhl
    • Noah Stewart
    • Sanford Sylvan
  • 14 May 2008 — first fully stagedUS premiere
  • Harris Theater Chicago

Reviews

  • »It is a beautiful story with some of Adams’s most beautiful music. He has also finally found a director, Raab, who matches his aesthetic.« chicagocritic.com more…
    »If all this was gorgeous to behold, it would not have impacted us as strongly as it did without Nicola Raab’s masterful direction. First, without ever unduly cluttering the stage, Ms. Raab has devised meaningful and poetic movement for the large chorus and corps de ballet.« operatoday.com »…beautiful, richly colored stage pictures at the hands of director Nicola Raab, whose "Beatrice and Benedict" last season for COT was also lovely to look at, and set and costume designer George Souglides. The transformation scenes are first hypnotic visual poetry. And choreographer Renato Zanella has found wonderful ways to animate Adams' score onstage with nine gifted dancers.

    There are two beautiful streams of artistic creation here…« Chicago Suntimes

Chicago Opera Theater

A Flowering Tree

© Brian Dickie/COT

2008

Scherz, Satire, Ironie und tiefere Bedeutung

Detlev Glanert

  • Libretto Jörg W. Gronius
  • Conductor Walter Kobéra
  • Choreography Nikolaus Adler
  • Design Benita Roth
  • Lighting Design Norbert Chmel
  • Cast
    • Bernhard Landauer
    • Michael Spyres
    • Magdalena Anna Hofmann
    • Heidi Wolff
    • Rupert Bergmann
    • Andreas Jankovitch
    • Camillo dell’Antonio
    • Alfred Werner
    • Thomas Tatzl
  • 19 February 2008 — Austrian premiere
  • Halle E Museumsquartier Wien

Reviews

  • »a spirited production by Nicola Raab« Die Presse more…
    »Nicola Raab’s production full of temperament makes fun of the essential ingredients of the history of theatre with aplomb… the audience laughs. But it’s no comfortable delight.« Opernwelt »Nicola Raab’s job it is to reduce this piece to a common denominator, and in the first half she succeeds mainly by means of irony, in the second half, when chaos is starting to dominate the plot, quite simply through her readiness for total absurdity.« Der Neue Merker

Neue Oper Wien

Scherz, Satire, Ironie und tiefere Bedeutung

© Armin Bardel

2007

Béatrice et Bénédict

Hector Berlioz

  • Conductor Jan Latham-Koenig
  • Design Johan Engels
  • Lighting Design Adam Silverman
  • Cast
    • Joseph Kaiser
    • Sandra Piques Eddy
    • Paul Corona
    • Jurgita Adamonyte
    • Matthew Worth
    • Joshua Blum
  • 23 May 2007
  • Harris Theater Chicago

Reviews

  • »like stars on a summer night« John von Rhein in Opera Magazine more…
    »For any opera company staging Berlioz’ elusive Beatrice et Benedict, the trick is keeping the audience’s sympathy for the squabbling lovers in keen dramatic focus while allowing the refinement of this magical score to twinkle around them like stars on a summer night. Chicago opera theatre’s new production, (…), carried off this delicate juggling act very nicely. Nicola Raab updated the action to Sicily at the end of World War II, (…). The director’s primary innovation was to replace the sung recitatives of the original with spoken dialogue taken directly from Shakespeare’s ›Much Ado About Nothing‹, on which the opera is based. The singers had no trouble switching between sung French and spoken English.« John von Rhein in Opera Magazine

Chicago Opera Theater

Béatrice et Bénédict

© Brian Dickie/COT

2007

Artaxerxes

Leonardo Vinci

  • Conductor Huw Rhys James
  • Set-design Reinhard Taurer
  • Costumes Linda Redlin
  • Lighting Design Stefan Pfeistlinger
  • Cast
    • Andrew Watts
    • Marianne Gesswagner
    • Romeo Cornelius
    • Roman Sadnik
    • Elena Copons
    • Gottfried Falkenstein
  • 14 February 2007 — Austrian premiere and first performance since 1746 Exhibitionhall Semperdepot, Academy of Fine Arts
  • Wien

Reviews

  • »Hitverdächtig!« Karl-Heinz Roschitz in Kronenzeitung more…
    »Ebenso grossen Antiel Am sieg des Werkes hat die Regisseurin Nicola Raab (…); sie hat Respekt vor dem Libretto, den Figuren, ihrer Geschichte. Sie rezitative werden mit einer Intensität gespielt als handle es sich um Theater, für die Arien gibt sie den Protagonisten Zeit, die volle Bandbreiet der Emotionen zu entwickeln.« Dr. Renate Wagner in Vorarlberger Nachrichten

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Musikwerkstatt Wien

Artaxerxes

© Musikwerkstatt

Biography

Nicola Raab has in recent years gained recognition internationally as a director of

great sensitivity, detailed character work and visual flair. Her production of

Written on Skin for the Teatro Comunale Bolzano received the coveted “Premio

Abbiate” by the Guild of Italian Music Critics in 2016. In 2013, she was awarded

the Arets Reumert Prize for best Danish opera production for Otello at the Royal

Danish Opera in Copenhagen.

Most recently, she directed Macbeth for Opéra de Dijon and new productions of

Turandot for Theater Regensburg and Carlo Pallavicino’s opera Le Amazzoni

nell'isole fortunate together with Les Talens Lyriques and Christophe Rousset at

Musikfestpiele Potsdam Sanssouci. Other Productions include La Traviata at the

Komische Opera Berlin, Rusalka for the Opéra national du Rhin and Opéra de

Limoges, Ariodante for the Drottningholms Slottsteater, Jenůfa for Greek

National Opera in Athens, Il Corsaro at the Palau de les Arts in Valencia, Lakmé

at Malmö Opera, Francesca da Rimini for the Opéra National du Rhin in

Strasbourg, Elektra for the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon, Semiramide

for the Opéra national de Lorraine and returned to the Teatro Comunale Bolzano

for Catalani’s La Wally.

Furthermore she has recently completed a collaboration with the Conservatoire

National Superieure de Musique Paris by directing the production Die Fledermaus

together with conductor Lucy Legay and in co-operation with Philharmonie de

Paris and in the current season will create Keiser’s Ulisses for Theater Heidelberg

at Winter in Schwetzingen, also a Covid postponed project, and a co -production

with Theater Orchester Biel Solothurn.

Elsewhere, Nicola Raab has staged I Capuleti e i Montecchi in Bergen, von

Einem’s Jesu Hochzeit at the Carinthian Summer Festival, Written on Skin for

Theater St. Gallen, John Adams' A Flowering Tree at Gothenburg Opera and theTeatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon, Boris Godunov at Savonlinna

Operafestival, Lohengrin at the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen, Beatrice and

Benedict by Berlioz and A Flowering Tree for Chicago Opera Theatre, Death and

the Maiden and The Cunning Little Vixen at Theater St. Gallen, Don Chisciotte by

Francesco Conti and Artaxerxes by Leonardo Vinci for Musikwerkstatt Wien, The

Marathon by Isidora Zebeljan for Bregenzer Festspiele, Parsifal for the Estonian

National Opera, Tristan und Isolde at the Novaya Opera Moscow, as well as

Massenet’s Thaïs at Gothenburg Opera, Finnish National Opera, Los Angeles

Opera and Valencia.

Early on her career, Ms Raab produced a series of modern works for Kammeroper

Wien, namely Moskau, Tscherjomuschki by Shostakovitch, When she died... by

Jonathan Dove and Eight Songs for a Mad King by P. Maxwell Davies, The Io

Passion by Harrison Birtwistle and Britten’s Owen Wingrave.