Eytan Pessen

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search

Eytan Pessen (born 30 August 1961 in Haifa, Israel) is a pianist, voice teacher and coach. He was former opera director of the Semperoper in Dresden, artistic advisor to Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Teatro San Carlo in Naples, and former casting director of the Staatstheater Stuttgart.

Eytan Pessen
File:Eytan Pessen.jpg
Born Eytan Pessen
(1961-08-30)August 30, 1961
Occupation Opera director, Pianist, Vocal Coach

Early years

Born in Haifa, Israel, to parents of German heritage, he studied Piano (with Nili Shiloh, Walter Aufhauser, Irina Zaritskaya and Dina Turgeman), composition, and musicology at the Tel-Aviv University Rubin Academy, with a Bachelor of Music, summa cum Laude, in 1983, and a Masters of Music, magna cum laude, in 1984. Further studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia with Vladimir Sokoloff and at the Juilliard School in New York with Marshal Williamson, Margo Garrett and Alberta Masiello. In New York he worked as pianist and coach for the Metropolitan Opera young artists programme.[1]

Stuttgart Opera 1991-2006

As head of music staff and the casting director[2] at the Stuttgart Opera in Germany, he worked under the German Dramaturge-Intendant Klaus Zehelein and Co-Intendant Pamela Rosenberg. When she left for San Francisco in 2001, he became casting director.[3][4] In Stuttgart, Pessen launched the international carriers of conductors Constantinos Carydis, Nicola Luisotti,[5] Carlo Montanaro and Robin Ticciati. Singers Lucas Meachem and Eva-Maria Westbroek began their international careers during his Stuttgart tenure as well. Other guest artists were Brandon Jovanovich, Catherine Naglestad and Jonas Kaufmann, who explored Italian repertoire as Barbiere-Almaviva, Rodolfo and Alfredo.[6] In Stuttgart Pessen promoted a series of unknown baroque and classic works, and conceived the chamber music series for the orchestra at the Mozart-Saal, which is still running today.[7] Under Zehelein’s leadership the Stuttgart Opera won the Opera house of the year award of European critics six times during the fifteen years.[8]

RUHR.2010 2007-2010

Eytan Pessen was artistic advisor to the RUHR.2010 cultural festival under music director Steven Sloane. An intense collaboration ensued with the composer Hans Werner Henze, 2010 became a year-long Hans Werner Henze project,[9] which spanned many cities, opera and ballet companies as well as symphony orchestras and chamber music groups. Henze wrote his last opera, Gisela! For the RUHR.2010 (an opera for and about youth, premiered at the RuhrTriennale).

Semperoper Dresden 2010-2013

As opera director of the Semperoper, he invited the composer Hans Werner Henze and the director Stefan Herheim to return each season for different projects. He chose to collaborate with a young generation of directors including Bettina Bruinier, Jan Phillip Gloger, Florentine Klepper, Axel Köhler, Michael Schulz, Elisabeth Stöppler und Manfred Weiss.[10]

Interested in the artistic benefits of a stable ensemble working together over a long period,[11] he chose to extend the Ensemble and the young ensemble (the Dresden opera’s studio programme) rather than invest in established guests.[12] Among the artists he brought to Dresden as permanent members of the ensemble are Giorgio Beruggi, Scott Connor, Emily Dorn, Vanessa Goikoexea, Evan Hughes, Pavol Kuban, Christopher Magiera, Amanda Majeski, Marjorie Owens, Barbara Senator, Tichina Vaughn, Rachel Willis-Sørensen, Sebastian Wartig and Elizabeth Zharoff.[13] Conductors that made their debut in Dresden include Josep Caballé Domenech, Julia Jones (conductor),[14] Nicola Luisotti,[15][16] Michele Mariotti, Carlo Montanaro, Pier Giorgio Morandi, Henrik Nánási, Daniel Oren and Omer Meir Wellber. Pessen widened the repertory span to include commissions from de:Miroslav Srnka and Lucia Ronchetti, as well as Karl Amadeus Hartmann’s Simplicius Simplicissimus, Jaromir Weinberger’s Svanda Dudák, (Schwanda the Bagpiper), Kurt Weill’s Street Scene (opera), Hans Werner Henze’s Gisela! and We Come to the River.[10] For this performance the famous theatre interior (by the architect Gottfried Semper) was completely rebuilt with three vast set parts (designed by Rebecca Ringst and Anette Hunger) jutting into the audience space and reaching up toward the balcony.

File:Henze We Come to the River, at the Semperoper.JPG
Henze We Come to the River, at the Semperoper

For the Wagner year 2013 he conceived a mini-festival that explored Richard Wagner’s development years in Dresden,[17] combining Wagner's The Flying Dutchman with Gaspare Spontini's La Vestale and Halevy’s La Juive.[10]

File:Semperoper Ensemble, 2011.jpg
Soiree at the Semperoper, 2011

Opening up the Semperoper to the general public, he often writes essays and editorials; in one case counting the calories burnt going to different operas,[18][19] or imagining a conversation with the Gargoyles decorating the new building of the Semperoper.[20] For the programme notes of Alcina he wrote a poem describing the first performance of Alcina through the eyes of a young boy.[21]

Pianist, Voice teacher and coach

Pessen performs in recitals and concerts with Giorgio Berrugi,[22][23] Keith Lewis, Amanda Majeski, Christa Mayer, Marjorie Owens, Matthias Rexroth,[24] Iurii Samoilov, Michal Shamir,[25] Tichina Vaughn, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Rachel Willis-Sørensen and Elizabeth Zharoff.[26] With Motti Kastón[27] and Helene Schneiderman he produced a CD of songs in Jiddish and Ladino.[28] Recent appearances include the Rheingau Musikfestival, Bochum Symphony,[29] and the theatres of Darmstadt, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Dresden, the Rossini Festival in Bad Wildbad, the Miskolc Festival,[30] as well as radio broadcasts NDR Hamburg, DeutschlandRadio Berlin, the Berlin Philharmonie and Stuttgart opera. He worked as teacher and vocal coach at the San Francisco Opera, North Carolina University, New Israeli Opera and the theatres of Stuttgart and Dresden.[31] He now teaches voice in monthly workshops at the Opera Academy of the Grand Theatre, Warsaw (Teatr Wielki i Opera Narodowa w Warszawie),[32][33] as well as numerous workshops for ENOA.[34]

Since 2008 he has been teaching at the Frankfurt Opera,[35][36] since 2007 at the Theaterakademie in Munich. He teaches also at the Meistersinger Akademie in Neumarkt[37] the Scuola d’Opera in Bologna [38] Oberlin in Italy, the Zürich Opera International Opera Studio and the Mikhailovsky theatre in Saint Petersburg. In recent years he has also been teaching pianists.

Consulting and Judge

He was jury member of the Aviv competition in Tel Aviv, Concorso Internationale di Assisi, Concorso Aslico in Como,[39] Stanislav Moniuszko competition in Warschau[40] as well as the Belvedere competition in Vienna.[41] The year 2011 he was artistic advisor for the Teatro San Carlo in Naples and from December 2012 to 2014, was advisor to Teatro Massimo in Palermo,[42] where he programmed Richard Strauss’ Feuersnot,[43][44] Jaromír Weinberger's Schwanda the Bagpiper [45] and Hans Werner Henze's Gisela!.

File:Eytan Pessen Consulente artistico.jpg
Eytan Pessen Consulente artistico

Sources

  • Interview: Marietta Piekenbrock der schauplatz ist oberhausen, Steven Sloane and Eytan Pessen in conversation with Kulturhauptstadt Europas Ruhr.2010, published by Ruhr2010, 2009
  • Interview: REGJO Wagnerspuren ‚Semper Wagner’ S.22-24 Special edition Wagnerspuren Sachsen, April 2013
  • Michael Kerstan Gisela!, 13 April 2008, in Hans Werner Henze, work diary excerpts published in das henze-projekt neue musik für eine metropole, 2009, RUHR.2010
  • Biography in the programme for the May 10, 2013 Wagner-Soiree ‚A birthday song-bouquet for Richard Wagner’, Semperoper Dresden
  • Joachim Lange, An der Schwelle zur Professionalität, Die Deutsche Bühne, Januar 2012, S.40-41
  • Revolution in Der Semperoper Sächsiche Zeitung 11.12.2012
  • Adieux Frau Hessler, Sächsiche Zeitung 24.11.2012
  • Dresdner Operngala, Epochtimes, 17.03.2012
  • Staatstheater Stuttgart, Spielzeit 2004/05 und Spielzeit 2005/06
  • Video interview, teatro Massimo in Palermo: [16] (retrieved July 2013)
  • Youtube Eulogy for the deceased general director of the Semperoper, Ulrike Hessler. (retrieved July, 2013)

Writings

Poems

  • Eytan Pessen, Chopin in Stuttgart, in C. E. Chaffin, The Best of the Melic Review, 2001 pp. 88–93, ISBN pending
  • Eytan Pessen, Chamber Music, in Kammerkonzerte 2004/05, Staatstheater Stuttgart p. 74
  • Eytan Pessen „Alcina“ in Covent Garden, 1735, in Programmheft Alcina, Semperoper Dresden, October, 2011

Essays(selection)

  • Eytan Pessen, Endings and Beginnings, in „Anders“, raumzeit3 Verlag, ISBN 398110076X

ISBN 978-3981100761 (2006),

  • Eytan Pessen, Über Musen, Masken und Magie in „Saisonvorschau Semperoper Dresden“ 2011/12 pp. 14–17, Yearbook – season catalogue for 2011/12, published by Semperoper Dresden
  • Eytan Pessen, Zusammenhängende Reliquien, Eine Geschichte über Richard Wagner und Gottfried Semper. Special publication for the Wagner year 2013, Semperoper Dresden.
  • A row of essays in the opera programme notes of the Semperoper Dresden, letters to composers (selection) Sehr verehrter Maestro Hasse August, 2010, Lieber Hans September, 2010, Dear Kurt Weill, Juni 2011, Sommo Maestro Monteverdi, Februar 2011
  • Eytan Pessen, Rozhinkes mit Mandeln in ‚Ulrike Hessler Errinerungen’, in Semper Nr. 2, 2012-2013
  • Eytan Pessen, Heart in the south (in German) (of Hans Werner Henze) in Semper Nr.3, p. 51,

2012-2013[46]

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Berlin Philharmonie, Concert Programme 25. September, 20:00, (Live im DeutschlandRadio Berlin)
  2. ↑ Stefan Schickhaus, Frankfurt sucht den Opernsänger, Frankfurter Rundschau, November 7, 2008
  3. ↑ Oakland Tribune, October 22, 2004, Stuttgart Reveals a New Way to Envision Tristan und Isolde
  4. ↑ Es geht immer ums Ganze, Opernwelt Jahrbuch 2006, Friedrich Verlag, ISBN 978-3617529829
  5. ↑ Interview with Nicola Luisotti retrieved June 2, 2013
  6. ↑ Staatstheater Stuttgart, Spielzeitheft 2004/05 und Spielzeitheft 2005/06
  7. ↑ Eytan Pessen , Chamber Music, in Kammerkonzerte 2004/05, Staatstheater Stuttgart p.74
  8. ↑ German Wikipedia article on the Opera House of the year award
  9. ↑ Marietta Piekenbrock, the story is set in oberhausen, Steven Sloane and Eytan Pessen in conversation with Marietta Piekenbrock, Kulturhauptstadt Europas Ruhr.2010, published by Ruhr2010, 2009 pp. 11-13
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Biography in the programme for the May 10, 2013 Wagner-Soiree ‚A birthday song-bouquet for Richard Wagner’, Semperoper Dresden
  11. ↑ Martin Morgenstern, Musik in Dresden (online magazine) Interview (in German): I do not seek sound producers, I seek artists retrieved 13.05.2013
  12. ↑ Article about Pessen (in German): Boris Michael Gruhl, Träume mit Praxisbezug, 24. October 2010, , Musik in Dresden Online Magazine, [1], retrieved, June 1, 2013.
  13. ↑ Dresdner Operngala, Epochtimes, 17.03.2012, Retrieved 06.07.2013
  14. ↑ German Wikipedia link
  15. ↑ Article about the conductor Luisotti's debut in Dresden, [2], retrieved, June 2, 2013
  16. ↑ Italian article about the conductor Nicola Luisotti in La Scala and elsewhere, [3], retrieved June 2, 2013
  17. ↑ Eytan Pessen, Eine Mitteilung an Meiner Freunde, Essay in the season Yearbook of the Semperoper 2011-2012, Published March 2011. Online version: [4] retrieved July, 2013
  18. ↑ Online Version of Editorial Semper Magazine Number 2, 2010-2011, [5], retrieved June 15, 2013,
  19. ↑ Online Version of Editorial Semper Magazine Number 3, 2011-2012 [6], retrieved June 15, 2013
  20. ↑ Über Musen, Masken und Magie in „Saisonvorschau Semperoper Dresden“ 2011/12 pp. 14-17, Yearbook – season catalogue for 2011/12, published by Semperoper Dresden
  21. ↑ Eytan Pessen „Alcina“ in Covent Garden, 1735, in Programmheft Alcina, Semperoper Dresden, October, 2011
  22. ↑ Online Wigmore Hall concert information: [7], retrieved July, 2013
  23. ↑ http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_concert_review.php?id=11536
  24. ↑ Vienna, Concert information, [8], (retrieved July, 2013)
  25. ↑ Artist Website, [9], (retrieved July 1, 2013)
  26. ↑ Concert announcement, retrieved June 12, 2013
  27. ↑ Concert Information (retrieved June 25, 2013)
  28. ↑ CD source
  29. ↑ Concert review, Westdeutsche Zeitung, 23.07.2003, Bochum edition
  30. ↑ Concert review (hungarian)(retrieved June, 2013)
  31. ↑ An der Schwelle zur Professionalität (Joachim Lange) Die Deutsche Bühne, Januar 2012, ASIN: B000M9CCOG, S.40-41
  32. ↑ http://teatrwielki.pl/en/ludzie/eytan-pessen/
  33. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXtfloMIJqQ
  34. ↑ http://www.enoa-community.com/workshop/workshop-for-singers-and-pianists-with-eytan-pessen/
  35. ↑ Interview with Frankfurt's Intendant, Bernd Loebe
  36. ↑ Season 2008/2009, Oper Frankfurt, p. 70
  37. ↑ Mittelbayerische Zeitung, 12.07.2013 Stimmen die unter die haut gehen, Online version: [10], retrieved July 18, 2013
  38. ↑ Website of the Scuola d'opera in Bologna, [11], (retrieved June 12, 2013)
  39. ↑ Website information: [12], (retrieved July, 2013)
  40. ↑ Biography competition publication, Online version: [13], (retrieved 13.07.13)
  41. ↑ Musical America, July 12, 2006
  42. ↑ Press release Teatro Massimo, [14], (retrieved 13.07.2013)
  43. ↑ La Repubblica, June 11, 2013 Palermo Teatro Massimo
  44. ↑ Corriere del Mezzogiorno, 11.06.2013, Online version: [15] (retrieved July 13, 2013)
  45. ↑ Rondo magazine, Ausgabe 6, 2014 (in German)
  46. ↑ http://issuu.com/semperoperdresden/docs/so_semper_no3_web_einzel
Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Eytan_Pessen&oldid=712462432"