In June and July 2013 I got the privilege to debut as Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer, a production by Schlossfestspiele Sondershausen and Theater Nordhausen. This particular production was open air, with microphone help, and as such, fairly dependent on the weather. Naturally, rain prevailed for most of the seven weeks’ rehearsal leading up to the premiere. An ice-cold ten degree premiere had the choir singers and soloists jumping around backstage and draping blankets around shoulders trying to keep warm.
The lead-up to the premiere was an absolute pleasure, with Toni Burkhardt taking the reigns as director. A small drama played out when the other singer scheduled to sing Senta cancelled, and I was asked to take on as many performances as possible. In the end, the production happened without a hitch, and fabulous weather dominated most of the performances. You can read a great review in German here and in English here.
The orchestra was led by Marcus Frank, and Kapellmeister Michael Ellis Ingram was a wonderful influence. The Dutchman himself was performed by Kai Günther, Wagner veteran already well known for his work in Nordhausen, Braunschweig, and Mannheim. Fellow Australian Alexandra Sherman and Finnish mezzo Anna Michelsen shared the role of Mary. Joshua Farrier sang the role of Erik and Daland was portrayed by Roger Krebs. The Steuermann role was shared by Sören Richter and Marian Kalus.