The Dutch National Opera (DNO; formerly De Nederlandse Opera, now De Nationale Opera in Dutch) is a Dutch opera company based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its present home base is the Dutch National Opera & Ballet housed in the Stopera building, a modern building designed by Cees Dam and Wilhelm Holzbauer that opened in 1986.
It received the "Opera Company of the Year" award at the 2016 International Opera Awards. [1]
The DNO was established shortly after the end of World War II as a repertory company with a permanent ensemble. In the postwar period, it toured extensively in the Netherlands from its home base in the Stadsschouwburg, a fin de siècle theatre on the Leidseplein in Amsterdam. In 1964, it was renamed De Nederlandse Operastichting. (The Dutch Opera Foundation), and the company adopted a stagione orientation, inviting different soloists and artistic teams for each new production. In 1986, the company moved to the new Stopera building, which it shares with the Dutch National Ballet, and thereafter became known as De Nederlandse Opera (DNO). In 2014, the company changed its name to De Nationale Opera (Dutch National Opera).
The DNO has its own choir of sixty singers and a technical staff of 260. The DNO historically has not had its own resident orchestra, and so various orchestras of the Netherlands, including the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra (NPO), the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra (NKO), the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, Residentie Orkest, Den Haag (The Hague Philharmonic), and the Asko/Schönberg ensemble have provided the orchestral forces for DNO productions.
The DNO produces on average eleven productions per year. While most performances are in the Dutch National Opera & Ballet building, the company has also performed in the Stadsschouwburg, at the Carré Theatre, and on the Westergasfabriek industrial site in Amsterdam. For many years, the June production has been organized as part of the Holland Festival and includes the participation of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. The DNO has lent its productions to foreign companies, such as the Metropolitan Opera, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the Lincoln Center Festival in New York, as well as the Adelaide Festival in Australia.
Pierre Audi was artistic director of the DNO from 1998 to 2018. [2] In April 2017, the DNO announced the appointment of Sophie de Lint as the company's next artistic director, effective 1 September 2018. [3]
Hartmut Haenchen was chief conductor from 1986 to 1999, in parallel with holding the title of chief conductor of the NPO. He subsequently held the title of principal guest conductor with the DNO. Subsequent chief conductors have been Edo de Waart (1999–2004) and Ingo Metzmacher (2005–2008). In March 2009, the DNO announced the appointment of Marc Albrecht as the orchestra's next chief conductor, with the 2011–2012 season, for an initial contract of four years. [4] [5] This return to a single chief conductor at both the DNO and the NedPhO/NKO allows for the NedPhO to become the principal opera orchestra for the DNO. [4] [6] Albrecht stood down as chief conductor of the DNO at the end of the 2019–2020 season. [7]
In April 2019, the DNO announced the appointment of Lorenzo Viotti as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2021–2022 season. [8] In April 2023, the DNO announced the scheduled conclusion of Viotti's tenure as its chief conductor at the close of the 2024–2025 season. [9]
Sir Bernard Johan Herman Haitink was a Dutch conductor and violinist. He was the principal conductor of several international orchestras, beginning with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 1961. He moved to London, as principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra from 1967 to 1979, music director at Glyndebourne Opera from 1978 to 1988 and of the Royal Opera House from 1987 to 2002, when he became principal conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden. Finally, he was principal conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 2006 to 2010. The focus of his prolific recording was classical symphonies and orchestral works, but he also conducted operas. He conducted 90 concerts at The Proms in London, the last on 3 September 2019 with the Vienna Philharmonic. His awards include Grammy Awards and the 2015 Gramophone Award for his lifetime achievements.
Edo de Waart is a Dutch conductor. He is Music Director Laureate of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. De Waart is the former music director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (2016-2019), chief conductor of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic (2011-2016) and Artistic Partner with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (2010-2014).
The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra is a Dutch symphony orchestra based in Rotterdam. Its primary venue is the concert hall De Doelen. The RPhO is considered one of the Netherlands' two principal orchestras of international standing, second to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. In addition to symphony concerts, the RPhO performs as the opera orchestra in productions at De Nederlandse Opera, as do other Dutch ensembles.
Hartmut Haenchen is a German conductor, known as a specialist for the music of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, and for conducting operas in the leading opera houses of the world.
Hans Vonk was a Dutch conductor.
The Radio Filharmonisch Orkest is a Dutch radio orchestra, based in Hilversum. The RFO performs under the aegis of the Muziekcentrum van de Omroep, an umbrella organization bringing together the music departments of the various broadcasting associations affiliated to Nederlandse Publieke Omroep.
Ingo Metzmacher is a German conductor and artistic director of the festival KunstFestSpiele Herrenhausen in Hanover.
Jaap van Zweden is a Dutch conductor and violinist. He is Music Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Seoul Philharmonic.
Kenneth Montgomery OBE was a British conductor active in the concert hall and opera house. He held music director positions in the UK, the Netherlands and the US.
The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra is a Dutch symphony orchestra based in Amsterdam.
The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra is a Dutch chamber orchestra based in Amsterdam. The NKO is part of the Stichting Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest, along with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra (NedPhO). The core of the NKO is a group of at least 20 string instrumentalists. The orchestra does not have wind, percussion and harp players as permanent orchestra members, but instead utilises such instrumentalists from the NedPhO. The orchestra is headquartered and rehearses at the Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam.
The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra is a Dutch symphony orchestra. The home of the orchestra is the Muziekcentrum in Enschede. The orchestra was previously known in Dutch as Orkest van het Oosten, but in October 2011 changed its Dutch name to align with the English name. At the same time the Dutch abbreviation "OvhO" was replaced with "NedSym." Due to objections from the Amsterdam-based Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Enschede orchestra had to change its name again and from 2014 till 2019 was known as HET Symfonieorkest. Internationally it keeps employing the name "Netherlands Symphony Orchestra".
Marc Albrecht is a German conductor resident in The Netherlands. He was chief conductor of the Dutch National Opera, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra from 2009 to 2020.
Eduard Philip Spanjaard, known professionally as Ed Spanjaard, is a Dutch conductor and pianist.
Lawrence Renes is a Dutch-Maltese conductor.
The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra is the symphony orchestra of Flanders (Belgium), based in the Queen Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp. The orchestra is led by chief conductor Elim Chan and honorary conductor Philippe Herreweghe. The organisation, which is one of the seven art institutions of the Flemish Community, is one of the most important cultural representatives in the region. It is one of only two Belgian orchestras that have the right to style themselves as "royal", hence its full name "Antwerp Symphony Orchestra - the royal philharmonic orchestra of Flanders".
Het Balletorkest is a Dutch symphony orchestra, based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, affiliated with Het Nationale Ballet and the Nederlands Dans Theater.
Otto Tausk is a Dutch conductor.
Lorenzo Viotti is a Swiss conductor. He is currently chief conductor of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and Dutch National Opera.
Jan Willem Loot was a Dutch orchestra administrator.
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