Find articles | Elodie Olson-Coons

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I don’t like museums: Alexandre Tharaud

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 03 March 2025

The French pianist speaks candidly about his career, his love of French music, and his upcoming recital in Lugano.

I don’t like museums: Alexandre Tharaud

03 Mar 2025

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Making connections, healing minds: Sarah Hicks on music, streaming and wellbeing

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 14 May 2024

The conductor talks about her longstanding interest in music and mental health, in diverse programming – and how in the digital era musical organisations are trying to reach people they couldn’t reach before.

Making connections, healing minds: Sarah Hicks on music and wellbeing

14 May 2024

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A star on the rise: Elise Bertrand

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 11 January 2024

The young composer and violinist, recently appointed to Classeek’s Ambassador Programme, talks about how she combines such a varied and multiplicitous career at an early age.

A star on the rise: Elise Bertrand

11 Jan 2024

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Magic or madness? On live animals onstage

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 15 November 2023

The question of animal performers is a thorny one: should they be on stage at all? We explore their use in multiple productions, including Heiner Goebbels’ De Materie, which included a hundred sheep.

Magic or madness? On live animals onstage

15 Nov 2023

Shimmering, disjointed: Poppe and Ligeti in Lucerne

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Lucerne

Shimmering, disjointed: Poppe and Ligeti in Lucerne

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 07 September 2023

Les Siècles make their Lucerne Festival debut with a slightly uneven Poppe-Ligeti programme, at the heart of which Isabelle Faust nevertheless shines

***11

In Lucerne, Enno Poppe kicks things off in style

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Lucerne

Gestures towards: in Lucerne, Enno Poppe kicks things off in style

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 13 August 2023

The Lucerne Festival's 2023 composer-in-residence conducts a masterful Prozession alongside the world premiere of Blumen.

****1

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Lessons in Love and Violence: gorgeous tragedy without a heart

Lessons in Love and Violence in Zurich: gorgeous tragedy without a heart

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 21 May 2023

Given a new production by Evgeny Titov, Benjamin's second full-length opera is musically brilliant, but its examination of our inner darkness lacks heart.

****1

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Joy and power: three women conductors from Estonia shaking up the international scene

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 28 April 2023

Estonia has produced some remarkable musicians, among them Anu Tali, Kristiina Poska and Maria Seletskaja, who have each found their own path to an international conducting career.

Joy and power: three women conductors from Estonia

28 Apr 2023

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A powerful Journey of Hope in Geneva

A powerful Journey of Hope in Geneva

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 28 March 2023

Carried by a strong cast and impressive stagecraft, Christian Jost's new opera addresses the refugee crisis with sensitivity and grace.

***11

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Jordi Savall: dissolving borders between nations

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 15 March 2023

Ahead of a performance of Les Nations in Lugano this April, maestro Jordi Savall discusses Couperin, cross-border cooperation, and music as a universal language.

Jordi Savall: dissolving borders between nations

15 Mar 2023

Peace and War: a Hungarian victory for Bieito’s bold production

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Budapest

Peace and War: a Hungarian victory for Calixto Bieito’s bold production

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 28 January 2023

Calixto Bieito takes on Prokofiev's Tolstoy epic – and wins in the opera's Hungarian premiere.

*****

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Stikhina and Smoriginas shine in Zurich Salome

Stikhina and Smoriginas shine in Zurich Salome

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 17 January 2023

A strong cast carries this satisfying revival of Andreas Homoki's production of Salome at Opernhaus Zürich.

***11

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Screaming, singing, sulking: how schoolchildren have influenced composers from Imogen Holst to Alex Paxton

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 30 November 2022

Speaking to Alex Paxton and Kate Whitley, Elodie Olson-Coons discusses how composers have been influenced by working with schoolchildren, this “amazing, little gobbet of sonic humanity”.

Screaming, singing, sulking: how schoolchildren influenced composers

30 Nov 2022

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A haunting Jakob Lenz in Zurich

A haunting Jakob Lenz in Zurich

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 19 November 2022

The ZKO shows us that Wolfgang Rihm's Jakob Lenz has lost none of its power, more than 40 years on.

****1

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Gesualdo lights up La Bâtie in Veyrier

Gesualdo lights up La Bâtie in Veyrier

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 08 September 2022

Il Pomo d'Oro and La Compagnia del Madrigale deliver a moving, nuanced performance of Gesualdo madrigals at La Bâtie festival.

***11

La Roue finds its voice at Les Jardins Musicaux

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Cernier

La Roue finds its voice at Les Jardins Musicaux

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 19 August 2022

A live Swiss concert performance of Abel Gance's La Roue spotlights a forgotten gem of modernist cinema – and an Arthur Honegger score.

****1

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Drunk on love and wine: Jacques Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 22 June 2022

Elodie Olson-Coons tells the tales of Jacques Offenbach’s inescapably dark opéra fantastique.

Drunk on love and wine: Jacques Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann

22 Jun 2022

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A fable without morality: Eötvös' Sleepless fascinates and unsettles

A fable without morality: Eötvös' Sleepless fascinates and unsettles

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 29 March 2022

Péter Eötvös’ new opera dazzles and dismays in equal measure at the Grand Théâtre de Genève.

****1

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Rage against the machine: Rasche's Elektra grinds down performers

Rage against the machine: Ulrich Rasche's Elektra grinds down its performers

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 31 January 2022

More of a distraction than an enhancement, Ulrich Rasche’s giant steel machine grinds down the performers of this dark Elektra, which ultimately stumbles over its own feet.

***11

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Reality TV Regietheater: a confused Pêcheurs de perles in Geneva

Reality TV Regietheater: a confused Pêcheurs de perles at the Grand Théâtre de Genève

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 12 December 2021

Lotte de Beer's production of Bizet's “exotic” opera par excellence overextends itself and ultimately loses its way.

***11

Jean Rondeau illuminates La Chaux-de-Fonds with “Melancholy Grace”

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La Chaux-de-Fonds

Harpsichord virtuoso Jean Rondeau illuminates La Chaux-de-Fonds with “Melancholy Grace”

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 11 November 2021

French harpsichordist Jean Rondeau’s showcase of late Renaissance music shines.

*****

Maestri and Bayankina shine in last-minute Verbier opera gala

Verbier

Ambrogio Maestri and Maria Bayankina shine in last-minute Verbier opera gala

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 20 July 2021

In Verbier's Salle des Combins, despite the change of programme, Ambrogio Maestri and Maria Bayankina deliver stand-out performances.

****1

Verbier

21 Jul 2021

Lear in Munich: brilliant performance, but lifelessly staged

Munich

Lear in Munich: brilliant performance, but lifelessly staged by Christoph Marthaler

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 30 May 2021

A superb cast of singers is let down by Christoph Marthaler's cold, stilted staging as Reimann's Lear returns to its birthplace.

***11

Munich

01 Jun 2021

“The plague is with us”: Death in Venice hits close to the bone

Strasbourg

“The plague is with us”: Death in Venice hits close to the bone at the Opéra National du Rhin

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 20 April 2021

Carried by a handful of standout performances, Britten’s story of madness and infection comes into its own in 2021, in the Opéra National du Rhin's clever and inventive staging.

*****

Strasbourg

21 Apr 2021

Elena Langer's Figaro Gets a Divorce shines in Geneva

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 14 September 2017

Elena Langer's gorgeous and tongue-in-cheek Figaro Gets a Divorce shines in Geneva, despite David Pountney's boxy libretto.

****1

Elena Langer's Figaro Gets a Divorce shines in Geneva

16 Sep 2017

Bieito's Fiery Angel burns bright in Zürich

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 11 May 2017

A powerful and emotional staging by Bieito with five-star performances from both leads.

*****

Bieito's Fiery Angel burns bright in Zürich

12 May 2017

A lacklustre Maid of Orleans in Geneva

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 06 April 2017

The performance bids for musical purity, but ends up stripped of story and emotion as well.

***11

A lacklustre Maid of Orleans in Geneva

08 Apr 2017

Wozzeck in Geneva: grit and light

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 02 March 2017

A strong, compelling staging – coherent in aesthetic and philosophy, if a little restrained in performance.

****1

Wozzeck in Geneva: grit and light

03 Mar 2017

Patricia Petibon shines in Olivier Py's ambitious Geneva Manon

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 12 September 2016

A Manon as sexy and unsteady as its heroine.

****1

Petibon shines in Olivier Py's ambitious Manon

14 Sep 2016

A cinematic Des Knaben Wunderhorn in Geneva

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 09 June 2016

A beautiful and thought-provoking association of Lieder and cinema, which nonetheless remains difficult to decipher.

***11

A cinematic Des Knaben Wunderhorn in Geneva

11 Jun 2016

Politics and poetry: Vivier and Stockhausen in Geneva

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 18 March 2016

Vivier and Stockhausen's dreams and darkness take centre stage for a night during Geneva's Archipel festival.

****1

Politics and poetry: Vivier and Stockhausen in Geneva

19 Mar 2016

Wild dialogues at the Palais Garnier

Paris

Wild dialogues: Bluebeard's Castle and La Voix humaine at the Palais Garnier

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 23 November 2015

A daring, fascinating pairing of two modern operas by Krzysztof Warlikowski in Paris.

****1

Paris

25 Nov 2015

David Pountney's distinctive Guillaume Tell takes aim in Geneva

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 11 September 2015

A striking staging of Rossini's Guillaume Tell at the Grand Théâtre in Geneva: well cast, beautifully sung and impeccably choreographed.

****1

Guillaume Tell takes aim in Geneva

12 Sep 2015

A safe bet: Fidelio at the Grand Théâtre, Geneva

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 10 June 2015

A fairly conventional version of Beethoven's Fidelio at the Grand Théâtre in Geneva plays it safe and ultimately succeeds.

***11

A safe bet: Fidelio at the Grand Théâtre

12 Jun 2015

The Hilliard Ensemble and Jan Garbarek: a dazzling conclusion

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 04 December 2014

After twenty years of international success, an emotional close to the Officium tour by the Hilliard Ensemble and Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek.

****1

05 Dec 2014

A dazzling conclusion

Summer in Switzerland for children

What to do in Switzerland this summer with children

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 08 July 2014

Come to Switzerland between the Alps and the lake to a free festival offering great music to a young audience.

08 Jul 2014

Ambition confuse de la Salomé bernoise

Bern

L'ambition confuse de la Salomé bernoise

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 28 January 2015

Une décevante production de l'opéra de Richard Strauss au Konzertheater de Bern.

**111

Bern

29 Jan 2015

Eugène Onéguine au Grand Théâtre de Genève

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 09 October 2014

Une production sans risques, portée par de belles interprétations.

****1

Eugène Onéguine à Genève

18 Oct 2014

Martin Matalon : l'alchimie et le sens du son

Martin Matalon : l'alchimie et le sens du son

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 18 October 2014

Transformations et composition : une conversation avec le compositeur argentin Martin Matalon à l'occasion de la création de Traces X pour accordéon au Festival des Arcs.

18 Oct 2014

Schwehr compose un Potemkine contemporain

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 08 September 2014

Nouvelle bande son du Cuirassé Potemkine par Cornelius Schwehr : un rapport du spectateur à l'image profondément remis en question.

***11

Nouvelle bande son pour Potemkine

09 Sep 2014

Concert de clôture du Festival des Arcs

Bourg Saint-Maurice

Festival Des Arcs: un concert de clôture osé mais réussi

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 31 July 2014

Le concert de clôture du Festival Des Arcs: un pari osé mais réussi

***11

Bourg Saint-Maurice

06 Aug 2014

Étrange Créature : La Wally au Grand Théâtre

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 24 June 2014

La Wally au Grand Théâtre de Genève, à l’ombre des Alpes qui tissent la toile de fond.

***11

La Wally au Grand Théâtre de Genève

26 Jun 2014

Guerre et Paix: The Tallis Scholars à Cadogan Hall

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 14 May 2014

2014 marque le centenaire du début de la Première Guerre Mondiale. Les Tallis Scholars ont choisi de célébrer cette date par un programme qui tourne autour des idées de conflit, de paix, de deuil, et de consolation.

***11

Guerre et Paix: The Tallis Scholars à Cadogan Hall

16 May 2014

Arvo Pärt et Dhafer Youssef, une alliance inattendue.

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 24 April 2014

L’alliance d’Arvo Pärt et de Dhafer Youssef peut paraître surprenante, et en effet, le fil conducteur de ce programme au Barbican est plutôt frêle. Oui, il est admirable que le maestro Kristjan Järvi privilégie la musique du monde; oui, il est bien possible de dresser un lien abstrait, aussi ténu soit-il, entre la spiritualité de l’estonien Pärt et du tunisien Youssef.

***11

Arvo Pärt et Dhafer Youssef, une alliance inattendue.

26 Apr 2014

Une première impressionnante pour la Symphonie no.4 de Górecki

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 12 April 2014

L’impressionnante Quatrième Symphonie de Górecki se sera fait attendre. L’oeuvre fut achevée en 2006, mais il a fallu que ses enfants retrouvent une esquisse complète de partition des années plus tard pour qu’elle prenne vie, puisqu’à sa mort en 2010, le compositeur ne la jugeait pas encore prête.

****1

Une première impressionnante pour la Symphonie no.4 de Górecki

13 Apr 2014

Vêpres printanières à St-Martin-in-the-Fields

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 28 March 2014

On peut facilement imaginer que les Vêpres de Rachmaninov sont une oeuvre de Noël. Après tout, "Bogoroditse Devo" figure si souvent dans les programmes de chants de Noël, qu'on l'associe volontiers aux longues soirées d’hiver.

***11

Vêpres printanières à St-Martin-in-the-Fields

30 Mar 2014

Pierrot Lunaire à Kings Place

By Elodie Olson-Coons, 04 March 2014

Cette année, King’s Place célèbre le 140ème anniversaire de la naissance de Arnold Schoenberg, compositeur autrichien surtout connu pour s’être distancé de la tonalité classique et avoir développé le dodécaphonisme.

****1

Pierrot Lunaire à Kings Place

06 Mar 2014