David Afkham debuts at Theater an der Wien conducting Dvořák’s ‘Rusalka’ 

David Afkham begins the 2019-20 season with his debut conducting Dvořák’s Rusalka at the Theater an der Wien. Regarded as one of the most popular Czech operas, the story of the immortal water nymph, Rusalka, who falls in love with a prince and yearns to become human, remains a staple in the operatic repertoire. The Theater an der Wien presents a new production of Rusalka by Amélie Niermeyer, with set design by Christian Schmidt and costumes by Kirsten Dephoff.

Performances include September 19, 21, 23, 26, 28 & 30, with a starry cast including Maria Bengtsson singing the title role, Ladislav Elgr as the Prince, Günther Groissböck as Vodník, Natascha Petrinsky as Ježibaba, and Kate Aldrich as the Foreign Princess.

Mr. Afkham made multiple successful operatic debuts in the past year, leading Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel (Frankfurt Opera) and Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer (Tokyo Opera Nomori Festival). In the 2019/20 season, he continues with further operatic projects, including a concert version of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde with the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España, and a new production by David Pountney of Weinberg’s Die Passagierin at the Teatro Real de Madrid.