2022 Festival d'Aix - Trial and Rebirth

Idomeneus and Moses cross hostile seas to reach happier lands; Orpheus and Dante travel into the Underworld towards the light: the 2022 edition of the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence continues the period of renewal that it initiated with last year’s exceptional relaunch but approaches it differently and thus lands on unexpected, unknown, and extraordinary shores.

TRIAL AND REBIRTH – to undergo an ordeal, overcome it, and rise again – is the motif that runs through the entire programme. It is the very issue tackled in Resurrection, an exceptional project inspired by Mahler’s Second Symphony which will be performed at the Stadium de Vitrolles: a fascinating place that has been abandoned for over twenty years and to which the Festival will offer a new life.

This rebirth draws its inspiration from the waters of the Mediterranean – cultural crucible to which the Festival is a true heir – whether it be biblical (Rossini’s Moïse et Pharaon, Strauss’s Salome), Greek and Roman (Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, Mozart’s Idomeneo, Bellini’s Norma), medieval and Renaissance (Pascal Dusapin’s Il Viaggio, Dante) or contemporary (Bushra El-Turk’s Woman at Point Zero).

Two world premieres, prestigious conductors working with a variety of exceptional orchestras, acclaimed theatre and opera stage directors, today’s most remarkable singers and rising stars: this edition will illustrate all the diversity of talents that make the 21st century opera world.

It is with tremendous pleasure that I unveil a large part of the 2022 edition of the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence today. I look forward to sharing with you the entire programme on January 25th in all its richness and variety – including its ambitious series of concerts and the inventive programming proposals of Aix en Juin, the Académie and the Mediterranean.

May we share with Mahler in his own words : “With the wings I have won for myself, I shall fly towards the light!”

Pierre Audi

Conductor
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Stage Director
Romeo Castellucci

With Golda Schultz, Marianne Crebassa

Chœur et Orchestre de Paris

NEW PRODUCTION
In coproduction with Abu Dhabi Festival

STADIUM DE VITROLLES
4, 7, 10, 11, 13 July at 9pm

Conductor
Ingo Metzmacher
Stage Director
Andrea Breth

With Elsa Dreisig, Gábor Bretz, John Daszak, Angela Denoke

Orchestre de Paris

NEW PRODUCTION
In coproduction with Novaya Opera - Moscow

GRAND THÉÂTRE DE PROVENCE
5, 9, 12, 16, 19 July at 8pm

Conductor
Raphaël Pichon
Stage Director
Satoshi Miyagi

With Michael Spyres, Anna Stéphany, Sabine Devieilhe, Siobhan Stagg

Pygmalion

NEW PRODUCTION

THÉÂTRE DE L’ARCHEVÊCHÉ
6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 19, 22 July at 9:30pm

Conductor
Michele Mariotti
Stage Director
Tobias Kratzer

With Michele Pertusi, Adrian Sâmpetrean, Pene Pati, Jeanine De Bique, Vasilisa Berzhanskaya

Chœur et Orchestre de l’Opéra de Lyon

NEW PRODUCTION
In coproduction with Opéra national de Lyon, Teatro Real de Madrid

THÉÂTRE DE L’ARCHEVÊCHÉ
7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 20 July at 9:30pm

WORLD PREMIERE

Conductor
Kent Nagano
Stage Director
Claus Guth

With Jean-Sébastien Bou, Evan Hughes*, Christel Loetzsch, Jennifer France, Maria Carla Pino Cury, Dominique Visse, Giacomo Prestia

Chœur et Orchestre de l’Opéra de Lyon

NEW PRODUCTION
In coproduction with Opéra national de Paris

GRAND THÉÂTRE DE PROVENCE
8, 13, 15, 17 July at 8pm

Conductor
Leonardo García Alarcón
Stage Director
Ted Huffman

With Jacquelyn Stucker, Jake Arditti, Fleur Barron, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

Cappella Mediterranea

NEW PRODUCTION
In coproduction with Opéra de Rennes, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía - Valencia

THÉÂTRE DU JEU DE PAUME
9, 12, 15, 18, 20, 21, 23 July at 8pm
14, 17 July at 5pm

WORLD PREMIERE

Conductor
Kanako Abe
Stage Director
Laila Soliman

Ensemble Zar

NEW PRODUCTION
Production LOD muziektheater in coproduction with Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, deSingel Antwerpen, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, Concertgebouw Brugge & Muziektheater, Transparant, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Shubbak Festival London, Britten Pears Arts, Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg

PAVILLON NOIR
10 July at 5pm, 11 July at 8pm
With the support of enoa and the European Union Europe Créative programme, Fedora, AFAC (The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture)

CONCERT VERSION

Conductor
Leonardo García Alarcón

With Valerio Contaldo, Mariana Flores

Cappella Mediterranea
Chœur de Chambre de Namur

GRAND THÉÂTRE DE PROVENCE
11 July at 8pm

CONCERT VERSION

Conductor
Riccardo Minasi

With Karine Deshayes, Michael Spyres, Nina Minasyan

Ensemble Resonanz
Chœur Pygmalion

GRAND THÉÂTRE DE PROVENCE
18 July at 8pm

CONCERT VERSION

Conductor
Raphaël Pichon

With Emily D’Angelo, Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre

Pygmalion

GRAND THÉÂTRE DE PROVENCE
21 July at 8pm