By Alexander Neef, General Director

Firstly, my apologies that these posts are a little behind, but while I was in Europe I managed to see 12 operas over 13 days in five cities and, in the end, there’s so much to write about that I will have to recount my trip over the course of a few posts.

My summer tour began with a production of Nabucco at Opera di Roma, conducted by a Verdi master, Riccardo Muti. His performance was absolutely incredible with every detail of Verdi’s score lovingly explored. It’s amazing how a great conductor can make even pieces you’ve heard many, many times sound fresh and exciting.

Bayreuth was next.

By Alexander Neef, General Director

In my last post I mentioned that I was off to Europe for a few weeks – a combination of vacation (visiting my family) and work.

As much as I look forward to seeing old friends and colleagues as well as meeting new ones, I don’t especially like spending so much time in airports and on planes, so I try to make it as useful as possible. Between trips, I collect articles, documents, resumes – all kinds of reading material – and it is my “next time I’m on a plane for a long time” pile. I am never without a stack ready to go. It’s daunting, but at least I know I have some dedicated time to get it done.

Another excellent season at the COC has come to a close! The 2012/2013 season was deeply satisfying for me because we achieved what I’ve been working towards since I joined the company – consistency in our productions. All of the operas we presented were extremely well thought-through, with superb casts and great artists involved on stage, in the pit, and behind the scenes. The fantastic work by our orchestra and chorus is a testament to the great job our music director, Johannes Debus, has been doing since he arrived four years ago, as well as the expert stewardship that Sandra Horst brings to the chorus. Now, it’s time to move full speed into a fantastic 2013/2014 season.