If the current season was filled with anniversaries and exceptional festivals, the next season will be one of hellos and good-byes. 2010/11 will mark Jonathan Darlington’s last season as music director of the Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra. On the other hand JD will give his debut at two opera houses, Olso and Geneve, and he will return to Vancouver Opera, Dresden and Bordeaux. Old friends along the way: Christophe Prégardien, Mats Ek – and the piano!

A farewell to the Duisburg Philharmonic

After nine years as its music director, Jonathan Darlington will bid farewell to the Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra in the coming season. Already in this season, the maestro added many English elements to the programme, reflecting on his legacy to the orchestra, like with the upcoming concert on June 23rd – an English take on the “water” theme of the Kulturhauptstadt with Vaughan William’s Sea Symphony. For the 2010/11 season the maestro has chosen works that hold a special place in his repertoire – as does the music of Gustav Mahler. A first concert in September will feature Mahler’s Fifth Symphony and Lieder. JD’s last concert with the Duisburgers will be on May 18/19 with Mahler’s Second Symphony.

In September 2010, Jonathan Darlington will also return to the stage as pianist for a chamber music concert with musicians of the Duisburg Philharmonic and as accompanist for Schumann’s Lieder (2010 being not just the Chopin but also the Schumann year!) with an old friend: Christophe Prégardien, artist in residence at Duisburg for the coming season.

As proud music director of Vancouver Opera, Jonathan Darlington will conduct two innovative takes on opera classics: Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” and Mozart’s “La clemenza di Tito” – a Vancouver Opera premiere.

Guest appearances: Two debuts

“I’m looking forward very much to going to Oslo for the first time and back to Bordeaux where I haven’t been for a couple of years. I’m specifically looking forward to Orpheus at Geneve. It’s going to be fun. Mats Ek is directing, who is one of the greatest living choreographers. He also happens to be a great friend of my wife’s [Clothilde Vayer] because they’ve often worked together at the Paris Opera.”

JD’s 2010/2011 SCEDULE

(click on the white links for more details)

DUISBURG

September 5 : Jonathan Darlington and friends.

Chamber music with members of the Duisburg Philharmonic

Elgar piano quintet/Mozart piano quintet/Schostakovich viola sonata

September 22/23: Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra

Mahler Symphony No. 5; Mahler songs (with Christoph Pregardien)

OLSO

Oct 15/7/23/26/28/31 Norwegian Opera Oslo

Mozart: “The Marriage of Figaro”

BORDEAUX

Oct 22/24 Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine

Brahms Academic Festival Overture; Mozart clarinet concerto (with Martin Frost); Dvorak Symphony No. 8

OSLO

Nov 4/6 Norwegian Opera ”Figaro”

DUISBURG

Nov 10/11 Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra

Webern: Bach “Ricercar”/Brahms double concerto (with P.Zuckerman, Amanda Forsyth)/ Schoenberg-Brahms: Piano Quartet

OSLO

Nov 15 Norwegian Opera, “Figaro”

VANCOUVER

Dec 4/7/9/11 Vancouver Opera

Donizetti:  Lucia di Lammermoor

DUISBURG

Jan 1,  2011 New Year’s Concert with the Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra

(programme details tba.)

Jan 12/13 Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra

Varèse: “Ameriques” /Ives: “The unanswered question”/Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.3  (with Barry Douglas)

VANCOUVER

Feb 5/8/10/12 Vancouver Opera

Mozart: “La clemenza di tito”

GENEVA

March  9/11/13/15/17/19 Geneva, Grand Opéra

Gluck ( Berlioz ‘Fassung’): “Orphee et Euridice“

DUISBURG

March 23/24 Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra

Elgar: Symhony No.1/ Brahms: Piano Concerto No.2

April 10 Lieder recital

Schumann: Lieder (with Christoph Pregardien)

April  13/14 Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra

Mozart: Oboe Concerto (Francois Leleux) /Chien: “Extase” (with Francois Leleux)/Holst:  ”The Planets”

DUISBURG

May 18/19 Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra

Mahler: Symphony No. 2

DRESDEN

June   19/21/24/26/29   July  3 Dresden Semperoper

Kurt Weil ‘Street Scene’

TOUR CANADIAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA

Aug 1-14 Tour with the Canadian National Youth Orchestra

(programme details tba.)