Deception & Desire

Continuing Welsh National Opera’s long-standing partnership with the Studio, our Young Artists head to Cardiff for a week-long residency culminating in a showcase at the iconic Wales Millennium Centre.

Conductor – Ryan McAdams

Ryan McAdams has established himself as one of the most exciting and versatile conductors of his generation. Equally prized in symphonic, operatic, and contemporary repertoire, he made a highly successful subscription European debut in February, 2010 with the orchestra of the Maggio Musicale in Florence, where he has returned many times for operas and concerts. He made his Eastern European debut with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Julian Rachlin, and Mischa Maisky in Dubrovnik in September, 2010. His subscription debut with the Israel Philharmonic, replacing an indisposed Raphael Fruhbeck de Burgos, was hailed as “extraordinary,” “masterful,” and “immense[ly] dramatic” by the Jerusalem Post; a live recording of the concert was released by the IPO on the Helicon Classics label. He has returned to the Israel Philharmonic twice since, most recently in a run of performances featuring concerti with cellist Alisa Weilerstein and Orff’s “Carmina Burana.” A Fulbright scholar, he previously served as Apprentice Conductor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, assisting then-Chief Conductor Alan Gilbert. Mr. McAdams was the first-ever recipient of both the Sir Georg Solti Emerging Conductor Award and the Aspen-Glimmerglass Award for Opera Conducting.

Director – Laura Attridge

Writer-Director Laura Attridge is fast becoming known for the richness and clarity of her storytelling. Her work, both in process and in product, seeks to interrogate the cultural and societal narratives we take for granted, and to create space for transformation.

Laura has been involved in projects with many of the UK’s leading opera and classical music organisations, including the Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne, Scottish Opera, Opera North, English Touring Opera, Buxton International Festival and Mahogany Opera. She is a published poet, and her songs, choral works and libretti have been performed internationally.

Recent engagements: Director/Scriptwriter, L’Olimpiade (Vache Baroque); Revival Director, La Traviata (Glyndebourne); Associate Director, Carmen (Glyndebourne); Director/Scriptwriter, Opera Highlights (Scottish Opera); Director/Librettist Catriona and the Dragon (Lammermuir Festival)