The young generation takes over Bayreuth: RING AWARD 17 winners director Valentin Schwarz and set designer Andrea Cozzi will stage Richard Wagner’s tetralogy “The Ring of the Nibelung” in 2020. Katharina Wagner, artistic director of the Bayreuth Festival, announced this at a press conference on July 24. Schwarz managed to convince her with his production of “Mare Nostrum” at Cologne Opera, and he was her favourite candidate.
Valentin Schwarz: “The production of the “Ring” at Bayreuth Festival combines a tremendous artistic challenge on the one hand with a spectacular chance and an incredible experience on the other. In miniature this also applies to the RING AWARD: a unique competition in which to participate can open up the most unexpected opportunities. Our upcoming Bayreuth “Ring” could not have been forged without the RING AWARD!”
The team won the main prize as well as four special prizes at the RING AWARD 17 by thoroughly convincing the jury, which consisted of 20 renowned musical theatre directors and experts. From the jury statement, chair Nora Schmid: “The vote of the RING AWARD Jury was unanimous: our winning team is Valentin Schwarz and Andrea Cozzi. There were many reasons for choosing this team: the cabinet of wonders, which they created as a set for their adaptation of “Don Pasquale”, their historically reflected approach, the clashing worlds, and not least the slapstick, all this convinced us. I had much to laugh and chuckle about and will not forget the rhinoceros, with Norina on its back being pulled across the stage, any time soon.”
Meanwhile Valentin Schwarz has directed, among others, Mozart’s “Cosí fan tutte” at Theater an der Wien, the widely recognized production of Mauricio Kagel‘s “Mare Nostrum” at Cologne Opera, Giuseppe Verdi‘s “Un ballo in maschera” at Staatstheater Darmstadt, or Gaetano Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale” at Opéra National de Montpellier. Der Standard attests a “gigantic leap to the top of musical theatre directors.”
Your next chance to see a production by Valentin Schwarz and Andrea Cozzi will be “Turandot” on August 31, 2019 at Staatstheater Darmstadt
Photos (c) Lupi Spuma
