Photo: Javier del Real Fernández

This weekend, Kaija Saariaho’s opera “Only the Sound Remains” has its US premiere in New York with two performances Saturday and Sunday at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater.

It’s the third production this year alone of “Only the Sound Remains” – a music theatre, based on Ezra Pound’s translations of two Japanese Noh plays, which enjoyed critical acclaim at Paris’ Palais Garnier in January and most recently at Teatro Real in Madrid.

Theatre of Voices appeared in both productions with the rest of an outstanding team of artists: Philippe Jarrousky and Davóne Tines, fellow ensemble players in Meta4 Quartet as well as instrumentalists Eija Kankaanranta, Camilla Hoitenga and Heikki Parviainen – all conducted by Ernest Martínez Izquierdo.

Photo: Hugo Glendinning

On Sunday 11th November we present a unique concert at The Black Diamond's Queens Hall of purely Polish music, featuring legendary Smith Quartet (UK), pianist Tanja Zapolski and flutist Isabella Hübener.

The special occasion is the 100th anniversary of Poland regaining independence as a republic which will be celebrated worldwide in music through the project "100 for 100. Musical Decades of Freedom", organized by PWM Edition in Krakow.

Theatre of Voices have collaborated with PWM Edition on the program for the Copenhagen concert which will feature vocal and chamber music by three significant female composers: Krystyna Moszumańska-Nazar, Grażyna Bacewicz and Agata Zubel, as well as works by Rafał Augustyn, Witold Lutosławski and Henryk Górecki.

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Photo: Elisa Haberer

Theatre of Voices is currently busy in Madrid at the Teatro Real in the Spanish production of Kaija Saariaho's opera "Only the Sound Remains". As was the case with the Paris production at Palais Garnier earlier this year, audiences and critics were ecstatic after the premiere.

Spain’s leading newspaper El Pais witnessed a “perfect dramatic-musical framework that continues to resonate in our heads after leaving the theater”, while also emphasizing “the four marvelous voices of Theatre of Voices” in the company of Phillip Jaroussky, Davone Tines, Eija Kankaanranta, Camilla Hoitenga, Heikki Parviainen and Meta4 Quartet – the outstanding Finnish string quartet. All conducted by Ivor Bolton under the direction of Peter Sellars.

Read more from El Pais’ review and others quotes here.

After the final Teatro Real performance on 9 November, Theatre of Voices will follow ”Only the Sound Remains” to its US premiere at New York’s Lincoln Center in two performances on 17 and 18 November.