GROWING UP: FROM SCHOOL TO THE STAGE, CHILDREN IN OPERA

From the Three Boys in The Magic Flute to the children who appear in Requiem and The Woman without a Shadow, and the young Maria in Accabadora, the operas staged at this year’s Festival accord a special place to child characters. As childhood and its imaginative world have been increasingly revalued, their presence has become a major dramaturgical concern. Yet questions of representation are accompanied by issues of training and education, whether in a professional context or simply as part of artistic development. How, then, should we think about the contribution made by children to opera, both on stage and within the works themselves? How can we help them grow through and alongside artistic practice?

WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF:  With Rachel Masclet (performer of Accabadora), Theresa Schmitz (musicologist), Manon Bohn (production administrator – Festival d’Aix), Hasnaa Bennani (vocal coach of Requiem), Chadi Larzeq (performer of Requiem in 2019) and Frédérique Tessier (Passerelles manager – Festival d’Aix)

A conversation led by David Christoffel (Metaclassique)