New Israeli Opera

New Israeli Opera
Name	New Israeli Opera
Native name	אופרה ישראלית חדשה
Location	Tel Aviv and Haifa, Israel
Founded	1985
Founders	Zubin Mehta, Gary Bertini
Genre	Opera

New Israeli Opera is Israel's principal opera company, presenting staged opera, concerts, and educational programming across Tel Aviv and Haifa. Established through the merger of municipal and national institutions, the company has worked with leading conductors, directors, singers, and orchestras from Europe, North America, and Asia. The company maintains a season of grand opera, modern works, and community initiatives that connect Israeli audiences with international repertoires and contemporary composition.

History

The company traces origins to post-World War II Israeli cultural development, linked to figures such as Zubin Mehta, Gary Bertini, and institutions like the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and municipal theaters in Tel Aviv and Haifa. In the 1980s, debates involving the Ministry of Culture and Sport (Israel), the Tel Aviv Municipality, and the Haifa Municipality resulted in consolidation of opera activities into a national company. Early seasons featured collaborations with conductors including Yehudi Menuhin, directors influenced by Wim Wenders and Peter Brook, and stage designs referencing European houses such as the La Scala, Royal Opera House, and Vienna State Opera. The company expanded repertoire through productions by Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and contemporary composers like Osvaldo Golijov and Steve Reich. Landmark productions involved partnerships with the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, and touring ensembles from the Komische Oper Berlin and the Paris Opera.

Organization and Leadership

The company has been led by artistic directors, general managers, and music directors drawn from international operatic leadership, including artistic collaborations with conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Daniel Barenboim, and Giuseppe Sinopoli. Administrative oversight has involved ministries, municipal cultural departments, and boards featuring representatives from institutions like the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, the Haifa Municipality, and cultural philanthropists associated with organizations such as the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. Management structures reflect governance models used by houses like the Sydney Opera House and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, with departments for casting, production, education, and touring. The orchestra relationships include formal ties to the Israeli Opera Orchestra and guest appearances by ensembles such as the Munich Philharmonic, London Philharmonic Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic.

Repertoire and Productions

Programming spans standard repertory by composers Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Richard Wagner, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Gioachino Rossini, as well as 20th- and 21st-century works by Benjamin Britten, Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, and Philip Glass. Productions have showcased directors and designers associated with Robert Wilson, Peter Sellars, Christof Loy, and Barrie Kosky, and have presented star singers such as Plácido Domingo, Anna Netrebko, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Jonas Kaufmann, and Israeli artists linked to the Israeli Opera Studio. The company has commissioned new operas by Israeli composers connected to festivals like Aldeburgh Festival and institutions including Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Experimental stagings referenced traditions from the Kabuki and Commedia dell'arte while engaging contemporary scenography trends seen at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the Bregenz Festival.

Education and Outreach

Educational initiatives align with conservatories and academies such as the Sibelius Academy, Juilliard School, Royal College of Music, and Israeli institutions including the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music and the Rimon School of Music. Programs include youth productions, school matinees, masterclasses led by singers affiliated with the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and the Glyndebourne Young Artists Programme, and community workshops in partnership with municipal cultural centers and NGOs like Beit Ha'am. Outreach has tied into national events such as Independence Day (Israel), cultural festivals like the Israel Festival and collaborations with Holocaust remembrance institutions including Yad Vashem for commemorative performances. Talent development pathways connect to international competitions like the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, the Operalia competition, and conservatory exchanges with the Curtis Institute of Music.

Venues and Facilities

Main performance sites have included municipal halls and dedicated opera houses in Tel Aviv and Haifa, with productions staged at venues comparable to the Culture Palace (Haifa) and the Ganei Yehoshua cultural complex. Technical infrastructure mirrors standards of the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), with rehearsal and production facilities akin to those at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Sets and costumes are produced in workshops modeled on those of the San Francisco Opera and the Vienna Volksoper, and storage and archives collaborate with national libraries such as the National Library of Israel.

Collaborations and International Presence

The company maintains artistic partnerships and co-productions with European, North American, and Asian houses including the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Royal Opera House, Paris Opera, Komische Oper Berlin, and the Metropolitan Opera. Tours and invitations have taken its productions to festivals such as the Bregenz Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, and the Lincoln Center Festival, engaging conductors and directors tied to institutions like the Berlin Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, and the New York Philharmonic. Exchanges include joint residencies with conservatories such as the Royal College of Music and artist residencies associated with foundations like the Schoenberg Center and the America-Israel Cultural Foundation.

Category:Opera companies Category:Music organizations based in Israel