Maestro stays: Covent Garden breathes again

It has just been announced that Sir Antonio Pappano has renewed his contract until 2020.

That allays fears of instability triggered by the resignation of Royal Opera artistic director Kasper Holten.

There will be seven new productions next season – Norma, Così fan tutte, Shostakovich The Nose, Der Rosenkavalier, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Thomas Ades’s Exterminating Angel, and Verdi’s Otello.

Pappano, in his 15th season, will conduct three new shows and two revivals. Barry Kosky and Jan Philipp Gloger are the two new directors.

Glogger makes his UK debut with Cosi. Kosky is a long-shot candidate to succeed Holten.

Kasper Holten writes:

Have just had my last season press conference, to announce our 2016/17 season, together with Kevin O’Hare, Tony Pappano and Alex Beard. I am so excited about this season, it feels like all the things we want to do are finally unfolding after years of planning and preparation – Tom Ades’ new opera The Exterminating Angel, Norma with Netrebko, Otello with Kaufmann, Rosenkavalier with Fleming, The Nose directed by Barrie Kosky w Metzmacher conducting, me and Tony doing a new Meistersinger with Bryn Terfel, a terrific team for a new Cosi, and so many fabulous singers and conductors in revivals of Written on Skin, Mitridate, Adriana Lecouvreur, Manon Lescaut, Hoffmann, Trovatore, Don Carlo, Turandot, Butterfly, Barbiere, Elisir – and three amazing Violettas in the inevitable Traviatas! It is going to be SO hard to leave this place…