The 2012 season of the Glimmerglass Festival organised in Cooperstown, NY, kicks off 7 July with a new production of Verdi's Aida under the baton of Egyptian conductor Nader Abbassi Organized annually in Cooperstown, in Otsego county (New York, USA) this year's Glimmerglass Festival kicks off 7 July and will continue until 25 August offering an interesting array of music concerts and shows. The opera Aida, conducted by Nader Abbassi opens the festival and will be re-performed on several occasions throughout the festival. Check the festival's programme here. Francesca Zambello, the opera director as well as the festival's artistic and general director, revealed: “Aida is often thought of as a grand opera, a spectacle with elephants and pyramids. I have always wanted to present Aidain an intimate setting where we can focus on the love triangle set against the tensions of war and politics in Egypt.” The opera is conducted by Nader Abbassi, the Egyptian conductor, who has a large repertoire of local and international achievements with appearances in Egypt and other countries during prestigious festivals and on renowned stages. Between 2002 and 2011, Abbassi was artistic director and principal conductor of the Cairo Opera Orchestra and between 2009 and 2011 he was the first musical director and principal conductor for the newly formed Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO). In July 2011, he was appointed artistic and musical director of KATARA Culture Foundation in Doha, Qatar. Aida runs through August 25 at the Alice Busch Opera Theatre in Cooperstown. According to the official press release, “Adina Aaron will sing the title role in the first three performances of Aida, as soprano Michelle Johnson has been placed on vocal rest by her doctor. Costumes are by rising fashion designer Bibhu Mohapatra. Lee Savage makes his company debut designing sets. Choreographer is Eric Sean Fogel.” In the 2012 festival, Aida opera runs in repertory with three other mainstage productions: Meredith Willson's The Music Man, Lully's Armide, and Maxwell Anderson and Kurt Weill's Lost in the Stars. Organised annually, Glimmerglass Festival showcases a variety of engaging music events, operas, musicals, symphonic concerts, and symposium series, among other activities. For more information about the festival, visit this link http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/47091.aspx
