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Paul Curran (director)

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Paul Curran(born 1964) is a Scottishoperadirector. He was General Manager (Artistic Director) of the opera company of theNorwegian National Opera and Ballet(2007–2011),[1][2]and artistic consultant toCentral City Operaof Denver, Colorado.[3]

Early life

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Curran was born inMaryhill,Glasgow. At the age of five, he was rehoused with his family toEasterhouse.He playedclarinetin the Glasgow Schools Orchestra, and saw his first opera (Scottish Opera's production ofWozzeck) in 1980.

The following year, his parents discovered that he wasgayand threw him out.[4]He went to London, where he trained as aballet dancerat theLondon Studio Centreand theCentral School of Balletbefore studying withSulamith Messerer.He worked for a time as an usher atEnglish National Operaduring the period whenLord Harewood,Mark ElderandDavid Pountneyformed the artistic management of the company.

Curran spent two years at the ballet school of theFinnish National Operaand then three years as a professional dancer withScottish Balletand in Germany. A hip injury terminated his ballet career, and he worked as an interpreter and stage manager before, at the age of twenty-seven, entering theNational Institute of Dramatic Artin Sydney to study directing.

Career in opera

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After graduating, Curran worked for two years as an assistant toBaz Luhrmannon his production ofBenjamin Britten'sA Midsummer Night's Dreamwhich visited theEdinburgh International Festivalin 1994. As well as taking over responsibility for reviving this production, he assisted on other productions and worked as an interpreter. In the latter capacity, he encounteredValery Gergievwhen theKirov Operavisited Edinburgh in 1995, and was engaged to restagePrince Igorfor a gala performance in theRoyal Albert Hall.In the same year, he made his debut as an independent freelance opera director with an open-airMagic Flutefor Bloomsbury Opera.

Curran's subsequent opera productions have included:

Curran has also directed themusicalsMan of La ManchaandA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forumfor theCovent Garden Festival.

Forthcoming productions includeLulufor Chicago,Il trovatoreforBilbao,I puritaniin Bologna andPeter Grimesin Oslo and atWashington National Opera.[needs update]

References

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Notes

  1. ^Pettersen, Tomas Lauvland."New general manager of the Oslo opera appointed".ballade.no. Archived fromthe originalon 24 July 2011.Retrieved6 June2011.
  2. ^Ighanian, Catherine Gonsholt; Jørstad, Atle; Bjørn, Camilla (6 June 2011)."Operasjefen slutter"(in Norwegian).vg.no.Retrieved6 June2011.
  3. ^CCO interview[permanent dead link]
  4. ^Interview inGay City TimesArchived21 July 2011 at theWayback Machine
  5. ^"Faramondo, Deutsches Theater, Göttingen, Germany" – reviewby George Loomis,Financial Times,9 June 2014
  6. ^Faramondo,production detailsArchived26 November 2016 at theWayback Machine,Brisbane Baroque 2015

Sources

  • Clark, Andrew (July 2007). "Paul Curran (People: 337)".Opera.58(7): 772–80.ISSN0030-3526.
  • Wexford Festival Opera, programme books for 2002 and 2004
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