Conductor Julia Jones makes her Bregenz Festival debut in July 2021 conducting Rigoletto, in a production directed by Philipp Stölzl for the Seebühne.
A renowned interpreter of Verdi ("Julia Jones’s attention to the emotional detail of Verdi's score achieved a searing intensity." - The Guardian), she has conducted his operas at Staatsoper Berlin, Oper Frankfurt, Staatsoper Hamburg, Oper Stuttgart, Staatsoper and Volksoper Wien, Den Norske Opera, Royal Swedish Opera, Welsh National Opera, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Macerata Festival, Opéra national de Bordeaux, Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona and during her tenures as Chief Conductor/General Music Director in Basel, Lisbon and most recently Wuppertal. Future performances will see her return to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Royal Danish Opera and Oper Frankfurt.
Her debut at Bregenzer Festspiele, conducting the Wiener Symphoniker, the Bregenz Festival Choir and the Prague Philharmonic Choir, has been well received by critics:
"An experienced whiz, [Julia Jones] stretches the extremes of the score impressively wide: there was more lyrical warmth and a loving piano between father and daughter and Duca and Gilda; and then Jones and the brilliantly playing Wiener Symphoniker thrilled with a fast-paced “Zitti-Zitti” chorus and (together with light and sound effects) turned the thunderstorm that kills Gilda into a roaring highlight of the evening."
Wolf-Dieter Peter, Abendzeitung & NMZ
"[Jones] celebrates this young Verdi comme il faut, with credible Italianità, i.e. extreme contrasts and with coherent accelerandi in the places where the music develops into stretta. And with exceedingly clear transparency in the orchestra, executed without compromise by the Wiener Symphoniker: just as they should be, all the Verdi waltzes are miles away from being Viennese waltzes."
Alexander Dick, Badische Zeitung
"Applause for everyone, including the Wiener Symphoniker with their exquisite woodwind solos under the swift and effective direction of Julia Jones."
Christoph Irrgeher, Wiener Zeitung
"Conductor Julia Jones develops a well balanced interpretation with the Wiener Symphoniker, which becomes more and more vivid as the evening goes on."
Georg Rudiger, Der Tagesspiegel
"Julia Jones has worked through Verdi’s score thoroughly with the Wiener Symphoniker, who were on top form and offered fine solos; [...] with such solid craftsmanship the orchestra became a reliable partner for the well-cast ensemble."
Michael Wruss, Oberösterreichische Nachrichten
Rigoletto runs until 22 August - read more about the production here.
Photo credit: Anja Köhler / Bregenzer Festspiele
