At the Operatic Helm
Dallas Opera Artistic Director Jonathan Pell is the company’s skipper as it heads into its new home and steers a new future. Renegade Bus’ Peter Simek spoke with Pell about the final preparations for moving into the Winspear Opera House, the commissioning of Jake Heggie’s Moby Dick, and trying to keep the opera’s limited repertoire fresh without ostracizing traditionalists.
Jonathan Pell’s small office on the second floor of the Campbell Center’s north tower, the golden skyscrapers off Northwest Highway, is covered with paintings of divas, costume sketches, and other artifacts from his 24 years with the Dallas Opera. The window looks out onto a shaded courtyard. It is a comfortable, private room, an aesthetic oasis amidst the carpeted, cubicled offices outside. Like the renovated interior of the Music Hall at Fair Park, those offices scream 1970s. The golden towers, which feature prominently in the opening credits of the TV show “Dallas,” are icons of an earlier Dallas boom. You can see the excitement on Pell’s face when he talks about their new offices, which will be on the upper floors of that new Dallas icon, the Winspear Opera House, overlooking the future Woodall Rodgers Deck Park. The move won’t take place until after the 2009-2010 season’s first show, Otello. The opening of the Winspear poses too many uncertainties as it is without trying to squeeze in an office move, Pell says. On his new job title On opening the new opera house On the general director position On commissioning Jake Heggie’s Moby Dick On expanding the repertoire On pleasing everyone
Jonathan Pell
Despite the excitement of moving into the new house, Pell says his mind is already focused beyond next season. As Artistic Director, Pell is responsible for choosing performances, securing singers, working out contracts with directors, production designers, wigmakers, costumers, and all the other artists whose work goes into making an opera happen. With the repertoire for the next two seasons set in stone (including a performance of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde scheduled for the 2010-2011 season), Pell’s mind is fixed on the future, trying to navigate a rejuvenated and ambitious opera company through tough economic times. We spoke with Jonathan Pell about his role as Artistic Director, the opening of the new house, commissioning Jake Heggie’s Moby Dick, the George Steel saga, and expanding the repertoire while appealing the varied, zealous tastes of opera fans.
A nice review on the artistic director, Jonathan Pell, and plans for the opening season of the Dallas Winspear Opera.
21 October 2009 at 10:02 pm