Listen: Kasper Holten In Conversation
The Director of The Royal Opera on his artistic vision and his early passion for the art form.
Now in his second Season in the post, Kasper Holten, Director of Opera has a challenge on his hands. Spurning a career in economics (his mother was the Governor of the Bank of Denmark and he proved particularly strong in the subject at school), he’s now got to walk the creative high wire at Covent Garden. How does The Royal Opera continue to mount exciting new productions in financially straitened times?
“I’m not a guy for revolution, it’s about evolution” he says of his aspirations for the company.
Kasper had a passion for opera from a young age, creating his own miniature productions with Lego (the building blocks of any Danish childhood). As he prepares for his Royal Opera debut as a stage director with Eugene Onegin, Kasper told the event audience: ” I did my first production of Eugene Onegin in my Lego theatre!”
Graduating to a puppet theatre production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle in adolescence, it was only a matter of time before he became Artistic Director at Royal Danish Opera.
Listen to highlights from the event:
Kasper’s first Royal Opera production as a director, Eugene Onegin, opens on 4 February 2013. Find out more about ROH Insights. If you’d like to find out more about supporting the work of the Royal Opera House visit our Support section.
Love it!! Was there on the night, and just never tire of listening to an intelligent, passionate and honest Director of Opera! Bravo Kasper, please keep it up and never loose the passion.
Thanks to Tom for posting this - great to have and listen to again.
Alice