This just in from one of the world’s leading opera houses, La Monnaie in Brussels:

Call for proposals for the direction of Mozart’s Mitridate, re di Ponto

While the opera house is being renovated, a process that will take several months, La Monnaie is making preparations for a highly unusual season, away from home. On this occasion, La Monnaie now issues a call for proposals for the direction of Mozart’s Mitridate, which will be performed in ‘La Monnaie’s Big Top’, the legendary tent previously used by both La Fenice and the Opéra Royal de Liège while works were in progress in their opera houses. Offer us your vision of the work and we will provide professional conditions, placing at your disposal the singers, including Michael Spyres in the title role and Lenneke Ruiten and Myrtò Papatanasiu in the roles of Aspasia and Sifare respectively, along with an internationally renowned conductor, Christophe Rousset, the Monnaie Symphony Orchestra, and all the technical teams needed, as well as a budget for your own artistic team.

Your submission, which should not contain your name, should contain your ideas for the staging, sets (see the technical details enclosed), and presentation you envisage for this Mozart opera, as well as a brief description of the artistic team (in a separate document, in order to preserve the anonymity of the description of the artistic project). The budget you will be allocated will cover the remuneration of the artistic team (director, set designer, lighting designer, dramaturge, and choreographer if necessary). Costs linked to the making of sets and costumes will form part of a different budget.
For full technical details relating to the ‘big top’, the size of the budget, the cast, and the rehearsal schedule, send an e-mail to mitridate@lamonnaie.be.

On 28 September 2015, a jury made up of professionals, appointed by La Monnaie, will choose three projects from among those submitted. The three artistic teams in question will be invited to La Monnaie (a maximum of two individuals per team) to take part in a workshop on 13, 14, and 15 October 2015, at the conclusion of which their proposals will be presented to the members of the jury. Travel expenses connected with participation will be reimbursed by La Monnaie.

On 15 October 2015, the jury will choose a proposal for the staging of Mitridate, which will be performed as part of La Monnaie’s programming on seven dates in May 2016 (from 5 to 19 May) in ‘La Monnaie’s Big Top’ at Tour & Taxis. Rehearsals are due to begin on 29 March 2016.

Candidates should ensure that their proposal, in English, in five copies, arrives before 18 September 2015 at this address: Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie / Mitridate / Marie Goffette / 4 rue Léopold / 1000 Bruxelles. Please do not forget to give an e-mail address with your submission, so that we can acknowledge receipt of your submission.