Dear Opera-lover,

Following last season’s Das Rheingold, the hugely successful first part of our ambitious Der Ring des Nibelungen project, this autumn brings the second instalment – Die Walküre, in which Judith Nemeth appears as Brünnhilde, and Dutch soprano Kelly God as Sieglinde. As before, Ed Spanjaard conducts Het Gelders Orkest and Antony McDonald directs and designs the production. Tickets are already on sale, and are selling fast. There will be six performances, all in our beautiful theatre in Enschede. We recommend you get your tickets soon to avoid disappointment.

Wim Trompert makes his Reisopera début directing Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, with design team John Otto (sets), Mirjam Pater (costumes) and Uri Rapaport (lighting). The title role is sung by Carmelo Corrado Caruso, who appeared as Miller in Verdi’s Luisa Miller with the Company a few seasons ago. Chinese soprano Zhang Huiyong, who recently caused a sensation as Princess Sumaire in Hôtel de Pékin, the opera Willem Jeths composed for the opening of our new theatre in Enschede, sings Norina. Jeremy Carnall conducts Het Orkest van het Oosten.

Next on the programme is an interesting double bill. I am delighted that celebrated mezzo-soprano Maria Ewing is coming to perform Poulenc’s La Voix humaine. Laurence Dale, always a welcome visitor to the Company, directs, and the conductor is Patrick Davin. The second half of the evening is Ravel’s sparkling comedy, L’Heure espagnole.

At Easter, Dale Duesing, who previously directed a thrilling Medea, stages Bach’s St John’s Passion with the Holland Baroque Society conducted by Johannes Debus. Despite our rich Easter traditions, this will be the first time that Bach’s description of Christ’s Passion, based on St John’s Gospel, has been given such a staging in the Netherlands. It promises to be a powerful occasion.

We conclude the 2010-2011 opera season with a new production of Puccini’s ever-popular La Bohème. It will be the first large-scale production for the Company by young Dutch director Jim Lucassen, following his successful Zauber ohne Flöte (‘Magic without the Flute’) for our Resident Artist Programme. The Gelders Orkest is conducted by Patrick Davin.

We look forward to welcoming you to one of our performances at a theatre near you. The Nationale Reisopera (Dutch National Touring Opera) performs throughout the country from Maastricht in the south to Groningen in the north, and from Enschede in the east to Rotterdam in the west.

Guus Mostart

Intendant