US founder of Berlin opera dies at 68
RIPThe death has been announced in Miami of Henry Akina, co-founder of Kammeroper Berlin in the 1980s together with the conductor Brynmor Liewelyn Jones. As stage director, Akina specialised in baroque and modern operas, presenting some 70 different works.
In 1996, he returned home to Honolulu to become artistic director of the Hawaii Opera Theater. He retired in 2017 in poor health.
May his memory be a blessing. I met Henry in Berlin when I was sing Macbeth at The Komische Oper , 1997. Full of fun and great company. RIP dear friend.
Er, sorry — his name is “Akina” or “Akia”?
With his imaginative choice of rare and valuable repertoire, paired with his mostly excellent productions, he greatly enriched the opera scene in Berlin in the 80s and 90s.
The three major Berlin opera houses were sometimes very quick to subsequently do their own versions of operas that he had produced – Deutsche Oper (The Rake’s Progress), Komische Oper (The Stone Guest), Staatsoper (Elegy for Young Lovers).
Thank you Henry.