Michael Papadopoulos
What has been the best moment in your career as a conductor so far?
There are so many, but I would say conducting Pierrot Lunaire at the Royal Opera House with the Britten Sinfonia, while my fiancée sang the spoken parts, was one of the most memorable moments so far. I had admired the piece from afar for a long time, and the opportunity to actually rehearse it and perform it with my partner was very special for me.
What does the audience give a conductor?
Without an audience, there is no performance! During the pandemic, I conducted a performance of Weill/Brecht's The Seven Deadly Sins / Mahagonny Songspiel in front of an empty hall. The concert was broadcast via live stream, so my adrenaline levels shot up, but somehow it wasn't the same. As an artist, there's something about looking out at a hall full of people or hearing the occasional cough that makes it all relevant.
What kind of music do you listen to in your private life?
I spend most of my working life with music, so I rarely listen to music in my free time. Lately, I've been working my way through Brahms' chamber music, and every now and then I put on Bach while I'm cooking. I also often stay up late watching YouTube videos of brass house music.
***
Born in
British Cypriot
Education
Trinity College Oxford, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Graduate of the Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Programme
Important Engagements
- Royal Opera House: The Seven Deadly Sins and Mahagonny Songspiel
- English Touring Opera: Manon Lescaut, The Rake’s Progress
- Opera Holland Park: Acis and Galatea
- Britten Sinfonia
Formative collaboration with these artists
Antonio Pappano, Mark Wigglesworth, Mark Elder, Daniele Rustioni
Debut and important works at the Vienna Volksoper
Musical Director at Das verzauberte Schwein and Le nozze di Figaro (Season 2024/25)
Website
https://www.michaelpapadopoulos.net/
* Use of the photograph (© NOS Nick Rutter) solely for the purposes of current reporting on the Vienna Volksoper.
