Latest News

Huge success and standing ovations for Polifemo at Salzburger Festspiele

On June 8th, 2019, Max Emanuel Cencic's semi-staged production of Porpora's Polifemo was performed as part of Salzburger Festspiele at the Felsenreitschule in Salzburg. Grandious artists found together to ensure it's success, among them Julia Lezhneva, Yuriy Mynenko, George Petrou and Max Emanuel Cencic.
Thus, standing ovations ensued...

The cast of Polifemo in Salzburg reads as follows:

Aci: Yuriy Mynenko
Ulisse: Max Emanuel Cencic
Polifemo: Pavel Kudinov
Galatea: Julia Lezhneva
Nerea: Dilyara Idrisova
Calipso: Sonja Runje
conductor: George Petrou 
direction, concept: Max Emanuel Cencic
stage design: Margit Ann Berger
costumes: Giorgina Germanou
light: Paul Fresacher
video: Sarah Scherer
assistant to the director: Constantina Psoma
orchestra: Armonia Atenea
choir, choir master: Bachchor Salzburg, Alois Glaßner
 
Stage, costumes and masks were produced in the Salzburger Festspiele's own workshop.

Polifemo is a new production by Parnassus Arts Productions.
Performing rights: Parnassus Arts Productions Edition
Editor: Christos Christodoulou

La Donna del Lago, directed by Max Emanuel Cencic, in Zagreb and Wiesbaden

From April 12th to 25th, 2019, the National Theater Zagreb will show Max Emanuel Cencic's highly acclaimed, romantic and opulent staging of Rossini's La Donna del Lago. For the first time on stage, the role of Malcolm is sung by a man, namely Max Emanuel Cencic.
 
La Donna del Lago is a co-production of the Opera de Lausanne (where, a year ago, the premiere took place) and the National Theater Zagreb (performances on 12th, 16th, 18th, 20th, 23rd, and 25th April 2019) and will be shown on May 24th, 2019, as part of a guest appearance at Maifestspiele at the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden.
 
All performances are conducted by George Petrou, with Max Emanuel Cencic as Malcolm. See an excerpt of one of his arias here.
 
In Zagreb, young and promising talents from the Parnassus agency will have their debut - Nian Wang as Elena, György Hanczar as Uberto / Giacomo, Antonio Gares as Rodrigo and Sonja Runje as Albina.
 
In Wiesbaden, the part of Umberto / Giacomo will be sung by one of the best tenors of our times, Daniel Behle. The role of Elena will be interpreted by the great Lena Belkina. See the La Donna del Lago in full version and staged by Max Emanuel Cencic here.   (Password required. Please request it here.)
 
 
The complete cast of La Donna del Lago in Zagreb and Wiesbaden reads as follows:
 
Conductor - George PETROU
Director - Max Emanuel CENCIC
Stage design and costumes - Bruno de LAVENERE
Light - David DEBRINAY
Video - Étienne GUIOL
Assistant to the conductor- Josip EGO
Assistant to the director - Constantina PSOMA
Choirmaster - Luka VUKšIć
 
ELENA - Nian WANG (Zagreb) / Lena BELKINA (Wiesbaden)
MALCOLM - Max Emanuel CENCIC
GIACOMO V (Uberto) - György HANCZAR (Zagreb) / Daniel BEHLE (Wiesbaden)
RODRIGO - Antonio GARES
DUGLAS D'ANGUS - Dalibor Hanzalek / Neven Paleček (studijska uloga)
ALBINA - Iva Krušić / Sonja Runje
SERANO - Ivo Gamulin / Božimir Lovrić
BERTRAM - Nikša Radovanović
 
La Donna del Lago is a production of the Opera de Lausanne coproduced by the Croatian National Theatre.
 
In March 2020, Parnassus will start a tour with La Donna del Lago in concert version. The premiere will be on March 22nd, 2020, at Theater an der Wien, performed by a Baroque orchestra.

Overwhelming reviews of Serse, directed by Max Emanuel Cencic in Karlsruhe

From 15 to 26 February 2019, Handel's opera Serse, directed by Max Emanuel Cencic, was shown at Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe.
The reviews of Cencic's directing, the musical performance and the singers just came in, and they are excellent.

The cast consisted of:

Musical direction: George Petrou, stage direction: Max Emanuel Cencic, stage design: Rifail Ajdarpasic, costumes: Sarah Rolke: choreography: Dave Laera,  assistant costume designer: Wicke Naujoks, lighting: Stefan Woinke, choir: Marius Zachmann, dramaturgy: Boris Kehrmann,
Franco Fagioli (Serse)
Max Emanuel Cencic (Arsamene)
Lauren Snouffer (Romilda)
Katherine Manley (Atalanta)
Ariana Lucas (Amastris)
Pavel Kudinov (Ariodate)
Yang Xu (Elviro)

M. E. Cencic's solo-CD Porpora Opera Arias nominated as best solo-recording

Opera awards has nominated Max Emanuel Cencic's most recent solo CD Porpora Opera Arias as best solo recital recording. We thank for the nomination and hope for the best at the final voting on April 29, 2019.

Xerxes, directed by M. E. Cencic, premieres on 15 February in Karlsruhe

In a new production, G. F. Handel's opera Xerxes will be presented to the audience at Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe by Max Emanuel Cencic, who functions as director and performs the role of Arsamene.
February 15th, 2019, will see the premiere. Performances will continue until February 26th, and are scheduled to be resumed in February 2020. (Dates to be released soon)

Happy New Year!