Christophe Rousset

The young British conductor Nicholas Chalmers is establishing a formidable reputation in the opera world as a champion of emerging talent and a passionate advocate for the future of the art form. His latest venture at Nevill Holt promises to add to his growing hit-rate of operatic success stories. Interview by Robert Thicknesse

Being authentic isn’t always easy, says Christophe Rousset, as he describes the tension between historical fidelity and the need to evolve and embrace chance as a musician. Andrew Mellor meets the harpsichordistconductor as he celebrates a quarter century at the forefront of the Early Music scene with his ensemble, Les Talens Lyriques

Celebrating Monteverdi’s 450th birthday anniversary this year, John Eliot Gardiner revisits a composer who has been a lifelong inspiration as a fellow musical pioneer. Ash Khandekar meets the conductor as he embarks on an extraordinary musical and intellectual odyssey back to the 1600s, touring Monteverdi’s three surviving operas around the world

Garsington Opera’s new staging of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande features two charismatic young singers, both making their festival debuts this summer. Baritone Jonathan McGovern and soprano Andrea Carroll tell Andrew Green about the challenges of preparing for their complex, elusive title roles

Rare, unusual operas, stunning historic settings, rural idylls and memorable journeys that take you off the beaten track: Opera Now’s team of correspondents bring you some opera festival highlights to fill your 2017 diary…

Nicolai Gedda (1925-2017) was possessed of a honeyed tenor voice, known for its elegance and versatility across a wide range of styles and languages. A handsome figure on stage, he exuded an easy bonhomie and showed a generosity of spirit towards even the most difficult colleagues, winning the love and admiration of a legion of fans over the course of a 40-year career

With his eclectic musical tastes and a wide operatic repertoire, American baritone Scott Hendricks is a singer who resists being pigeonholed. You’ll often see him playing one of the mean, moody bad boys of opera, but this affable artist is just as convincing portraying characters with moral scruples – as he is doing at London’s Royal Opera House this month

To commemorate the 80th birthday of the American diva Grace Bumbry in January, Deutsche Grammophon reissued hard-to-find recordings and greatest hits. Benjamin Ivry assesses the singer’s varied career from its beginnings in the 1950s to her prime as a star of the opera stage and a notable interpreter of lieder

Inspired by some of the most influential writers and artists of his day, Sir Arthur Sullivan wrote songs that display real musical individuality, adding a more imaginative dimension to the easy pastiche of his light operas. Pianist David Owen Norris introduces his new recording of Sullivan songs, featuring a trio of talented young British singers

Professor Anthony Ogus rediscovers his ancestral heritage while on a visit to Lithuania, where decades of Soviet occupation and the radical changes that came in its aftermath have left an indelible mark, alongside a rich cultural legacy arising from the nation’s strategic importance in the history of Europe and the Baltics

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