| New Opera chief from Scotland |
| [30.08.2007, 11:58pm, Thu. GMT] |
The newly appointed chief of the Norwegian Opera (Den Norske Opera) promises to develop home-grown talent, even though he doesn't hail from Norway himself. Paul Curran is only 42 years old, and Norway's leading international opera singer, Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz, said she'd never heard of him. "He's completely unknown to me," she told newspaper Aftenposten, "but it's exciting that he's young. Then there's sure to be a lot new he will mount, and many new impulses. It can be good to have an artistic leader with a foreign background."
The Opera officials who hired Curran clearly agree, and claim they've nabbed an enthusiastic and sought-after rising international star.Curran is originally from Glasgow, speaks five languages and plans to learn Norwegian. He was educated as a dancer and a a director, in London, Helsinki and Sydney, and he's been involved with productions at opera companies including those in Milan, Venice, Santa Fe, Pittsburgh, Denver and Tokyo.
Now he's looking for a flat in Oslo, where he'll take over as Opera chief in January 2009. Curran admits that he's only ever seen one production of the Norwegian Opera, when he was a "young student," but he's thrilled by the construction of Oslo's new Opera House, due to open in April.
"Oslo is getting the most extraordinary new Opera House in the whole world," he said. "I really mean that."
He said he intends to recruit more talent and to "support and develop" Norwegian singers and talk to "everyone, from the prima donna to the cleaners."
Curran himself will, along with the chiefs for the ballet company and the orchestra, report to new Opera director Tom Remlov.
Aftenposten's reporter |
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Akershus
