Critics and audience alike are celebrating Julia Jones, who is currently conducting a new production of Luisa Miller at Oper Wuppertal, where she is General Music Director. Renowned for her interpretations of Verdi's operas, this succcess follows of the heels of her acclaimed house debut at Royal Swedish Opera, where she conducted Aida last month.
"Julia Jones is the secret star of the evening: tautly, with accents and full of ardent italianità she pushes the orchestra to a truly masterful Verdi performance. Simply everything is right: very canny and considerate direction of the singers and a beautifully lush realisation of the score. A [Michelin] star menu for aural gourmets: finest beef fillet rather than currywurst, here at the edge of the Ruhrgebiet."
Ingo Luther, Klassik Begeistert
"Generalmusikdirektorin Julia Jones steers the Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal with firmly-held reins; she coaxes a large palette of slightly muted but nuanced colours from them and ensures a luscious sound."
Hartmut Sassenhausen, Westdeutsche Zeitung
"Musically, this evening leaves nothing to be desired. At the forefront there is Julia Jones' taut conducting. Brimming with energy, she guides the Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal through a score rich with tension; she brings out the many nuances, which make Verdi such a great musical dramatist, with sophistication."
Thomas Molke, Online Musik Magazin
"[Julia Jones] conducts the piece magnificently. The colours in the orchestra are finely attuned and the balance between the orchestra, the exquisitely singing choir and the soloists is consistently right. Rarely have so many of the innovatively composed details been heard in the complex Act 1 finale than now in Wuppertal. The tricky a cappella ensemble in Act 2 ran as if it were on rails. From beginning to end, everything is right."
Andreas Falentin, Die Deutsche Bühne
Luisa Miller runs until 27 February 2019. Please click here for a full list of dates.
Photo credit: Daniel Häker
