Festival D'Aix-en-Provence Presents 65th Season

The Youth Orchestra of the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence welcomes advanced students from the Aix region to the Orchestra Academy. Since 2010, soloists of the London Symphony Orchestra have mentored the young instrumentalists of the Orchestre des Jeunes de la Méditerranée du Festival d'Aix-en-Provence. In 2013, the youth orchestra, led by Kristjan Jarvi, joins forces with choreographer Josette Baïz for two performances of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliette, featuring approximately 180 young musicians (from 20 Mediterranean countries) and dancers.

A prelude to the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence: Festival d'Aix IN JUNE
Starting on June 14, visitors to Aix will have the opportunity to see operas, concerts, recitals and masterclasses - some of them free - that will showcase the young artists of the Académie Européenne de Musique, as well as the established musicians involved in the Festival's regular programming in July. As was the case in 2012, these advance events will culminate in PARADE(S), a free open-air concert at the Cours Mirabeau. The 2013 edition will feature highlights from Rigoletto, including the London Symphony Orchestra and conductor Gianandrea Noseda. Several June events will present themed weekend performances around significant composer anniversaries. Full details on June concerts and events will be released in March.

One of the Académie highlights of 2013 is a semi staged performance at the Bois de l'Aune of Poulenc's Les Mamelles de Tirésias, featuring an orchestral reduction for two pianos by Benjamin Britten that has not been performed since its premiere at Aldeburgh in 1958. Based on a fantastical play by Guillaume Apollinaire with an egalitarian and pacifist message, the story follows the title character who changes genders in order to help foster equality between men and women - all the while exposing us to some of Poulenc's most expressive music.

Krasa's children's opera Brundibár, will be sung by children who have been honing their singing abilities since 2010. The bitter two-act fable for children's chorus is about a brother and sister who must sing and overcome Brundibar's noisy organ to earn money for their ailing mother had its premiere on Sept. 23, 1943 in the Terezín (Theresienstadt) concentration camp - a setting to be echoed at the Festival's chosen venue, Camp des Milles.

Je fais ce qui me chante, is a depiction in words and art song of the times, thoughts and sentiments of Francis Poulenc, poet Paul Eluard and singer Pierre Bernac, as we share highlights of their creative and personal correspondence. The performance is staged by Olivier Balazuc, with pianist Nicolas Chesneau as Poulenc, tenor Jérôme Billy as Bernac and actor Thomas Rathier as Eluard.

About Marseille-Provence 2013, European Capital of Culture
The Marseille-Provence region, with a population of 2 million, includes towns and cities throughout the Provence region: from Marseille to Aix, Arles, Aubagne, Istres and Martigues. Marseille-Provence 2013 - the association created to lead the region's bid to become a European Capital of Culture in 2013 - has organized international cultural events aimed at a wide audience. Throughout 2013, hundreds of artistic and cultural events will encompass the performing and visual arts, science and technology, gastronomy and sports. Marseille-Provence 2013 aims to become a hub for creativity and dialogue between European and Mediterranean cultures by encouraging the creation and circulation of new works. Marseille-Provence will also showcase the region's many natural resources and landscapes. With its setting between Europe and the Mediterranean, the region becomes a unique location for the convergence of culture, diversity and tolerance. The programming of this year's Festival d'Aix-en-Provence received the labeling of Marseille-Provence 2013.

Opera

VERDI, RIGOLETTO
Melodrama in 3 acts, libretto by Francesco Maria-Piave, based on Le Roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo

Musical Director Gianandrea Noseda
Stage Director Robert Carsen
Dramaturgy Ian Burton
Sets Radu Boruzescu
Costumes Miruna Boruzescu
Lighting Robert Carsen and Peter van Praet
Choreographer Philippe Giraudeau
Rigoletto George Gagnidze
Gilda Irina Lungu
Il Duca di Mantova Giuseppe Filianoti / Arturo Chacon Cruz
Sparafucile Gábor Bretz
Maddalena Jose Maria Lo Monaco
Giovanna Michèle Lagrange
Il Conte di Monterone Arutjun Kotchinian
Borsa Julien Dran
Marullo Jean-Luc Ballestra
Il Conte di Ceprano Maurizio Lo Piccolo
La Contessa di Ceprano / Paggio Valeria Tornatore

Choir
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Orchestra London Symphony Orchestra
Théâtre de l'Archevêché, July 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, 19, 21, 24 et 26, 2013 - 9:30pm / July 14 - 10pm
New production of Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, in co-production with the Opéra national du Rhin, La Monnaie / De Munt de Bruxelles, the Bolshoi Theatre and the Grand Théâtre de Genève.
Performed in Italian, subtitles in French and English - 2h30 intermission included.

MOZART, DON GIOVANNI
Drama giocoso in 2 acts, libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte

Musical Director Marc Minkowski
Stage Director, stage design Dmitri Tcherniakov
Costumes Dmitri Tcherniakov and Elena Zaytseva
Lighting Gleb Filshtinsky

Don Giovanni Rod Gilfry
Leporello Kyle Ketelsen
Donna Anna Maria Bengtsson
Don Ottavio Paul Groves
Donna Elvira Sonya Yoncheva
Zerlina Joelle Harvey
Masetto Kostas Smoriginas
Il Commendatore Anatoli Kotscherga

Choir Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Orchestra London Symphony Orchestra

Théâtre de l'Archevêché, July 5, 8, 10, 13, 15, 18, 20, 23, 2013 - 9:30pm
Revival of Festival d'Aix-en-Provence's 2010 production, coproduced with the Bolshoi Theatre, Teatro Real Madrid and Canadian Opera Company.
Performed in Italian, subtitles in French and English - 3h30 intermission included.

VASCO MENDONÇA, THE HOUSE TAKEN OVER
Libretto by Sam Holcroft, based on Casa Tomada by Julio Cortazar
World Premiere, commission of Festival d'Aix-en-Provence and LOD

Musical Director Etienne Siebens
Stage Director Katie Mitchell
Dramaturge Lyndsey Turner
Sets Alex Eales
Lighting James Farncombe

Brother Oliver Dunn
Sister Kitty Whately

Orchestra Asko | Schönberg
Domaine du Grand Saint-Jean, July 6, 8, 11, 13, 16 et 17, 2013 - 10pm / Domaine opens at 8pm
New Festival d'Aix-en-Provence and Académie européenne de musique production, in co-production with LOD| musical theater, the Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg, De Singel, Asko | Schönberg, and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation of Lisbon, with support of enoa - (enoa receives support by the Cultural Program of the European Union).
Performed in English with French subtitles - 1h without intermission

CAVALLI, ELENA
Dramma per musica in a prologue and three acts, libretto by Giovanni Faustini and Niccolo Minato

Musical Director Leonardo García Alarcón
Stage Director Jean-Yves Ruf
Sets Laure Pichat
Costumes Claudia Jenatsch
Lighting Christian Dubet

Elena, Venere Emöke Barath
Menelao Valer Barna-Sabadus
Teseo Fernando Guimaraes
Ippolita, Pallade Solenn' Lavanant Linke
Peritoo Rodrigo Ferreira
Iro Emiliano Gonzalez Toro
Menesteo, La Pace Anna Reinhold
Tindaro, Nettuno Scott Conner
Erginda, Giunone, Castore Mariana Flores
Eurite, La Verita Majdouline Zerari
Diomede, Creonte Brendan Tuohy
Euripilo, La Discordia, Polluce Christopher Lowrey
Antiloco Job Tomé

Orchestra Cappella Mediterranea
Théâtre du Jeu de Paume, July 7, 9, 11, 15, 17, 19, 2013 - 7pm / July 14 and 21- 5pm
Théâtre des Salins in Martigues, July 25 and 27, 2013 - 7pm
New Festival d'Aix-en-Provence and Académie européenne de musique production, in co-production with Marseille-Provence 2013, Capitale européenne de la culture - with support of Fondation Orange - l'Opéra de Lille, l'Opéra de Montpellier, Angers Nantes Opéra, l'Opéra de Rennes and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation of Lisbon - with support from d'enoa - (enoa receives support from the Cultural Program of European Union)
Performed in Italian, with French subtitles - 3h30 including intermission

STRAUSS, ELEKTRA
Tragedy in one act, libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal

Musical Director Esa-Pekka Salonen
Stage Director Patrice Chéreau
Artistic collaboration for staging Thierry Thieû Niang
Sets Richard Peduzzi
Lighting Dominique Bruguière
Costumes Caroline de Vivaise
Hair & wigs Campbell Young
Elektra Evelyn Herlitzius
Klytämnestra Waltraud Meier