On 20 and 21 June I’ll be back in Athens with my fellow Nadar Ensemble players for two more performances of Michael Beil’s Hide to Show.

This piece has really grown within the ensemble over the course of the season. The more we play it, the more natural it feels and the more there is to discover in it. It’s been exciting to watch it develop from one performance to the next, and we’re all very happy to be bringing it to Athens.

On 1 June I had the pleasure of joining Musikfabrik for a concert at the Morgenland Festival in Osnabrück.

I always have a great time with this ensemble. The musicians are unbelievably good, but they’re also just such nice people. There’s a real sense of curiosity and generosity in the group that makes rehearsals and concerts a pleasure. Spending a few days with them in Osnabrück was a real highlight.

In Aachen, we’re entering the final rehearsal phase for Udo Zimmermann’s chamber opera Die Weiße Rose, which will be performed on 15 and 17 July at the Klangbrücke.

The project is a collaboration between soprano Valerie Haunz and the student new music ensemble Aix•tent. For Valerie, it serves as her Master’s Abschlusskonzert. For the ensemble, it’s a chance to go much deeper into music theater than we normally do and to explore the space where music, text, staging, and dramatic expression all meet.

Valerie has been an amazing project leader throughout the entire process. Not only has she come to the project exceptionally well prepared as a singer, but she has also kept an eye on the countless practical details that go into making a production like this happen. It’s rare to find someone who can balance both sides of the job so well. Bravo, Valerie!