Omer Meir Wellber
Omer Meir Wellber celebrated the turn of the year from 2020 to 2021 with a special program at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo. “Last year we dedicated the New Year’s Eve concert to the many ethnic minorities in Palermo and their artistic and musical characteristics; this year we propose the theme of diversity of genres and genders, to make it a ground for musical confrontation, beyond any predictable certainty. “, Wellber describes the program of the evening, which included, among others, Neapolitan songs and works by Haydn, Wagner and Mozart, jazz songs and spoken texts by Eli Danker, as well as singing and scenic realization by Ernesto Tomasini, soprano Carmen Giannattasio and baritone Markus Werba. The innovative concert program can be viewed here:
On 26 January, Teatro Massimo opens the 2021 season with a special production with Omer Meir Wellber and Johannes Erath. With “Il crepuscolo dei sogni,” Wellber and Erath trace a dreamlike path between light and shadow, from Strauss’s “Traum durch die Dämmerung” to Schubert’s “Winterreise,” from the shadows of “Verleumdung” in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and the ascent in Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov. In between, the gaze continually wanders from Italian to German and Russian opera, from the Baroque with Purcell and Monteverdi to the twentieth century with Bernstein and Korngold. More information can be found here.
In November 2020 Chandos released the first joint recording by Omer Meir Wellber and the BBC Philharmonic, “Music of Israel” with works by Ben-Haim. Another recording was released by Hyperion with Steven Isserlis and works by Tavener.
In addition, Wellber will become Musikdirektor of the Volksoper Wien when Lotte de Beer’s directorship begins on September 1, 2022. In addition to directing new productions and repertoire performances, he will be primarily responsible for the musical aspects of the house and the development of the ensemble, orchestra and chorus for five seasons. As early as spring 2021, he will help shape the preparations of the new management.