Kazushi Ono, Artistic Director of New National Theatre, Tokyo, has announced the house's 2024/25 opera season, which will include three new productions, among them the world premiere of Toshio Hosokawa's Natasha, directed by Christian Räth (11–17 August 2025).
In his introduction to the season, Ono said of the new work: 'Natasha, a Ukrainian, meets a Japanese youth Arato, and they are lured to modern hell by the mysterious third character, Mephisto's Grandson. There, all sorts of horrors of the modern age appear before their eyes. At first, they find it difficult to communicate, but as they go through these horrors together, they find they are increasingly able to understand each other. What future awaits them? This new creation is directed by Christian Räth, who is not only a talented director but a set designer as well. We anticipate he will approach the work from a variety of angles.'
Ono and NNTT commissioned Hosokawa as part of a commitment to expand the Japanese opera repertoire. Ono previously conducted the world premiere of Hosokawa's Hanjo at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence in 2004.
Ono also conducts a new production of William Tell (20–30 November 2024), directed by Yannis Kokkos, sung in its original French for the first time in Japan.
Other productions include La Sonnambula, Die Zauberflöte, Der fliegende Holländer, Eine florentinische Tragödie/Gianni Schicchi, Carmen, Madama Butterfly and Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Find out more here.