The Conductor as Dramaturg: Excerpts from Woman at Point Zero and Last Days
Over an afternoon, 12 conductors will lead ensembles and singers in excerpts from Bushra El-Turk’s Woman at Point Zero and Oliver Leith’s Last Days.
The Conductor as Dramaturg is a weeklong course where participants learn to conduct new operas in a spirit of collaboration and experimentation, run in partnership with Royal Opera House.
The course has been led by Kanako Abe and Sian Edwards, alongside multi-disciplinary artist and composer Cee Haines. Conductors on the course have the opportunity to prepare and perform excerpts from two recently composed scores involving atypical forces and electronic technology, and to investigate the creative opportunities involved in working collaboratively with composers, directors, performers and sound designers on new works.
The sharing will finish with a Q&A with course participants and tutors.
Produced in collaboration with the Jette Parker Artists Programme of the Royal Opera House and supported by the ENOA network.
Bushra El-Turk
Woman at Point Zero (2021)
Libretto by Stacy Hardy, after the novel by Nawal El Saadawi
Conductors (listed alphabetically): Julia Cruz, Sinead Hayes, Lilianna Krych, Polina Lebedieva, Luka Venter, Peggy Wu
Dima Orsho Fatma
Rosie Middleton Sama
Hyelim Kim taegŭm
Qianyu Zhang accordion
Raphaela Danksagmüller recorders, crumhorn, fujara, duduk, kaval
Naomi Sato sho
Faraz Eshghi Sahraei kamancha
Colin Alexander cello
Samir Bendimered repetiteur, sampling
Carlo Thompson sound engineer
Oliver Leith
Last Days (2022)
Libretto by Matt Copson
Conductors (listed alphabetically): Maria Benyumova, Anna Castro Grinstein, Aleksandra Melaniuk, Mariana Rosas, Constanca Simas, Martyna Szymczak
Sion Goronwy Groundskeeper / Private Investigator
Mimi Doulton Delivery Driver / Housemate
Patricia Auchterlonie Superfan
Edmund Danon Housemate
Seumas Begg Mormon / Housemate
Beth Moxon Mormon / Housemate
12 Ensemble:
Eloisa-Fleur Thom, Alessandro Ruisi, Oliver Cave, Ellie Consta violin
Matthew Kettle, Tetsuumi Nagata viola
Max Ruisi, Sergio Serra cello
Toby Hughes bass
GBSR Duo:
George Barton percussion
Siwan Rhys piano, keyboard, sampling
Michelle Marie Santiago repetiteur, sampling
