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David Alden

Stage director

  • One of the world’s most influential and prolific directors of opera, David Alden received the prestigious ‘South Bank Show Award’ for his production of Britten Peter Grimes. He has won three Olivier Awards to date, including in 2018 for his production of Rossini Semiramide for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and in 2009 for Janácek Jenůfa at English National Opera. He also received the ‘Bavarian Theatre Prize for Individual Artistic Achievement’, marking a long time relationship with the Bavarian State Opera.

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  • Highlights of the 2022/23 season include La Juive for Grand Théâtre de Genève and Roberto Devereux for Zurich Opera House. Most recently, he has directed Anna Bolena for Zurich Opera House, Lohengrin for The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Otello for Grange Park Opera, Ariodante for The Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, Otello for Washington National Opera and the Canadian Opera Company, Jenufa for the Santa Fe Opera and La Calisto at the Teatro Real, Madrid.


    Operatic highlights include new productions of Rossini Semiramide for Bayerische Staatsoper, and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Wagner Lohengrin for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Meyerbeer Les Huguenots for Deutsche Oper Berlin, Semiramide for Bavarian State Opera (a co-production with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden), and Catalani Loreley for the Stadttheater St Gallen, and revivals of his acclaimed Verdi Otello at the Teatro Real, Billy Budd at the Bolshoi Theatre, marking his house debut, and Alcina for Santa Fe Opera. Other work includes Alcina at the Teatro Real, Rossini Maometto II for Canadian Opera Company and a return to English National Opera for a new productions of Verdi Otello and The Queen of Spades and a revival of his award winning Janácek Jenůfa, Un ballo in maschera at the Metropolitan Opera, New York and a series of Verdi operas at Hamburg State Opera: La battaglia di Legnano, I due Foscari and I Lombardi alla prima crociata.


    During the 2006 Munich Opera Festival, the Bavarian State Opera celebrated their association with David by showcasing his productions of Ariodante, La Callisto, La forza del Destino, L'incoronazione di Poppea, Orlando, Rinaldo, Rodelinda and Tannhäuser. Other productions in Munich have included Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria, Pique Dame, Lulu, La donna del lago, and Der Ring des Nibelungen.


    Together with his brother Christopher Alden, he also directed semi-staged productions of the three Mozart/Da Ponte operas with Daniel Barenboim conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Sought after by the world’s opera houses, David has directed operas with the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Dallas Opera, Komische Oper Berlin, Cologne Opera, Frankfurt Opera, Vienna Volksoper, Graz Opera, Opera North, Scottish Opera, New Israeli Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, and American Music Theatre Festival.


    His productions of Thomas Adès Powder her Face for Aldeburgh Festival, Ariodante for ENO, and Rodelinda, Rinaldo and Tannhäuser for Bavarian State Opera are all available on film. Film and television credits include a version of Schubert Die Winterreise with Ian Bostridge and Julius Drake, Weill Die Siebe Todsünden, Welsh National Opera’s production of L’incoronazione di Poppea, and a documentary on Verdi for BBC Television. He also directed a world concert tour for the Pet Shop Boys.

    2022/23 season / 522 words. Not to be altered without permission.

Performances

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Season highlights

New production of Verdi’s Otello at English National Opera and the Royal Swedish Opera
New Production of Khovanshchina Vlaamse Opera
Un Ballo in Maschera at the Metropolitan Opera, New York,
New production of Tchaikovsky The Queen of Spades for English National Opera

…a show bristling with fervour and the musico-dramatic intensity that once had people flocking to the Coliseum, and should do so again….David Alden’s staging is… compelling and cogent.

Times, September 2014

Singers adore working with him, not least because he knows every single note and word of the opera he is directing inside out, on the first day of rehearsal.

Daily Telegraph, March 2010

Alden's passionate, and musical, understanding of the work is beyond question... Unmissable.

Observer, May 2009

Intermusica represents David Alden worldwide

Julia Maynard
Deputy Chief Executive / Head of Vocal & Opera
+44 20 7608 9902
jmaynard@intermusica.com

Zara Fyfe-Williams
Artist Manager, Vocal & Opera
+44 20 7608 9914
zfyfewilliams@intermusica.com

Lucy Roberts
Assistant Artist Manager, Vocal & Opera
+44 20 7608 9909
lroberts@intermusica.com

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All artists

Chansonnier

HK Gruber

Counter-tenor

Tim Mead

Piano accompanist

Roger Vignoles