News

27.09.2017

The magic baton of Roland Böer

Renowned German maestro Roland Böer is joining the Mikhailovsky Theatre as a guest conductor. He will make his debut conducting Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, which begins its run on 30 September 2017. And a few days later, on 3 October 2017, Böer will lead Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera.

Böer’s musical career started when he worked as an assistant to Antonio Pappano, one of the most famous and sought-after conductors in recent times. Nowadays, Böer works with Europe’s leading opera houses including Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels, Oper Frankfurt, Opéra de Nice, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the English National Opera in London, Komische Oper Berlin, and many others. Music lovers know Böer as one of the most in-tune conductors to Mozart’s body of work. In 2012, a recording of Die Zauberflöte which he conducted at La Scala was released on the famous Opus Arte label. It was warmly received by critics, who highlighted the conductor’s meticulous work, the lightness of his baton, and the way he skilfully maintained everything in perfect balance.

When rehearsals began with the orchestra and vocalists of the Mikhailovsky Theatre, Böer pointed out how important it was to him to experience performing in Russia.

„This is my first time in Russia, I have never been here before, neither for work nor as a tourist. The story of how I got here is both beautiful and somewhat mysterious. I was conducting Rigoletto in Nice. After the show, my agent called me and said that the artistic director of the Mikhailovsky Theatre had heard my performance, thoroughly enjoyed it, and was inviting me to St. Petersburg. He and I have never met, and I hope that we might have the chance to get acquainted in person soon. I would like to thank him for the trust that he has placed in me. I know that St. Petersburg is a beautiful city and that I have been invited to one of the oldest theatres in Russia, one with long-standing traditions. While I was preparing for this trip, I watched DVDs of the company’s performances. And I must say that I was blown away by the sound of the orchestra, the soloists and the choir.

„I have conducted Die Zauberflöte all across Europe and soon will conduct it even in Tokyo; it is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of my favourite operas. There is a DVD recording of a production I did together with director William Kentridge at La Scala in Milan. I conducted Un Ballo in Maschera in Frankfurt, and I consider this opera to be another great masterpiece. So I am certainly very happy to have been given this opportunity and I have high hopes for my collaboration with the Mikhailovsky Theatre.“