Hannover Klassik Open Air 2024

In the organizer's words:

Under the direction of conductor Cornelius Meister, the NDR Radiophilharmonie will perform arias, duets and overtures from "Cavalleria Rusticana", "Don Giovanni", "Rigoletto" and other highlights from past classical open-air concerts in Maschpark on August 22 and 24.

"Opera for everyone", free and outdoors
Come with your picnic blanket and enjoy a first-class orchestra, world-class opera stars and a program of the most beautiful and famous arias from the world of opera. The opera gala will be broadcast into the park on two video screens. There will generally be no seating. The location of the screens and other practical information to help you plan your visit will be announced on the Hanover city website.

The best of recent years

After his successful debut last year, Cornelius Meister is back as musical director. Born in Hanover, he is currently one of the most sought-after opera conductors. At the Bayreuth Festival 2022, he took over the conducting of the new Bayreuth "Ring" at short notice. The General Music Director of the Stuttgart State Opera conducts at all major opera houses - from the Vienna State Opera to the New York Met. Now he is once again conducting the NDR Radiophilharmonie in a program of highlights that have been performed in Hannover's Maschpark in recent years: including arias and duets from "Tosca", "La Traviata", "La Bohème", "Rigoletto", "Don Giovanni", "Der Bajazzo" and "Cavalleria rusticana".

The soloists

The solo parts of this opera gala will be performed by three internationally renowned singers who are making their first guest appearance at the Hannover Klassik Open Air. The South African Pretty Yende is one of the leading sopranos of our time and a regular guest at the world's great opera houses such as La Scala in Milan, Covent Garden in London and the Met in New York. She also became known to the world public through her performance during the coronation of the British King Charles III last year.

The Australian-Chinese tenor Wang Kang , on the other hand, is regarded as a "rising star": He went through the New York Met's "Young Artists" support program and was a finalist in the prestigious "BBC Cardiff Singer of the World" competition in 2017. Since then, he has made his debut on the world's most important stages with great success.

Simon Keenlyside, baritone, has decades of stage experience and is considered an established name in his field. The Briton is in demand not only as an opera singer but also as a lieder singer. He can also be heard on recordings of Britten's "War Requiem" with the London Symphony Orchestra under Gianandrea Noseda, Mahler's "Des Knaben Wunderhorn" under Simon Rattle and Orff's "Carmina Burana" under Christian Thielemann. Other opera projects with his participation have been honored with Grammy Awards.