A New Season Begins: Debuts, Recordings and New Projects Across SR Creative Consultancy

2 Oct

From international opera stages and major role debuts to new recordings, world premieres and ambitious new collaborations, the 2026/27 season is already gathering pace for artists and projects across SR Creative Consultancy.

*Donna Anna (role debut) - Hamburg State Opera - 2026*

Elbenita Kajtazi: Mozart across Europe

For soprano Elbenita Kajtazi, the season has begun with another important Mozart role: Donna Anna in Don Giovanni at the Hamburg State Opera.

The engagement adds another major Mozart character to an already impressive repertoire, following her acclaimed performances as Fiordiligi at Opernhaus Zürich and previous performances as the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro. Her current Hamburg season also includes further major repertoire, underlining the breadth of her work with the house.

On 13 October, Elbenita makes her debut at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris as the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro — another significant milestone in a season already marked by new roles and international appearances.

**Danae Kontora: from the cover of Das Opernglas to Beijing and Athens**

It is a particularly exciting season for soprano Danae Kontora, who features on the cover of the October 2026 issue of Das Opernglas.

In an interview with Yeri Han, Danae discusses her forthcoming role debut as Anne Trulove in Igor Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress at the Greek National Opera in Athens, as well as the challenges and rewards of approaching new repertoire and exploring comedy and character on stage.

The Greek National Opera's new production of The Rake's Progress forms part of its 2026/27 season, with performances scheduled for March 2027.

This autumn, Danae also returns to one of her signature roles, the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing.

She is joined in the Beijing production by SR Creative Consultancy baritone Zhengzhong Zhou, who appears as Papageno — bringing two artists from the SRCC roster together on the same stage.

*Sir Simon Keenlyside, Malcolm Martineau - July 2026*

Schubert: a landmark recording project

This summer marked an important milestone for Malcolm Martineau's Schubert Lieder project with Linn Records, with the recording of Schubert's Winterreise with Sir Simon Keenlyside.

The recording forms part of a wider project exploring Schubert's Lieder and the extraordinary range of his writing for voice and piano.

With the first stage of the project now recorded, there is plenty more to come.

Watch this space.

Christianne Stotijn launches Broze Aarde

October also sees mezzo-soprano Christianne Stotijn embark on an ambitious new project: Broze Aarde (Fragile Earth).

Created by the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble, in collaboration with the Iona Foundation, the production brings together Christianne Stotijn, Studium Chorale and the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble, with music by Fant de Kanter and poetry by South African writer Antjie Krog.

Read more: ‘Broze Aarde’ – Fragile Earth — SR Creative Consultancy

Kitty Whately: Mentor and Muse

Mezzo-soprano Kitty Whately has also begun the season with a major new recording.

Mentor and Muse, released by Albion Records with pianist William Vann, explores the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams alongside works by the women composers and creative figures around him, including Elizabeth Maconchy and Grace Williams.

Among the highlights is the first recording of Grace Williams's Billows of the Sea, while the programme also includes Vaughan Williams's The Water Mill and songs by Maconchy. The album explores the creative relationships and musical networks surrounding Vaughan Williams, offering a wider picture of the composers and voices of his circle.

It is a project very much in keeping with Kitty's longstanding commitment to championing women composers and bringing lesser-known repertoire to new audiences.

*Gary Matthewman with cast of ‘Rape of Lucretia’ - Sept 2026*

Gary Matthewman conducts Britten

September brought another significant musical event, with conductor Gary Matthewman leading the Orchestra of Brunswick Vocal Arts in a concert performance of Benjamin Britten's The Rape of Lucretia at St Paul's, Knightsbridge.

The concert, the seventh orchestral event presented by Brunswick Vocal Arts, brought together eight emerging operatic singers for Britten's post-war chamber opera, with world-renowned mezzo-soprano Ann Murray DBE as narrator.

Read more: EVENTS | Brunswick Vocal Arts

Looking ahead

And there is more still to come.

Next summer, soprano Giselle Allen will make her role debut as Sieglinde at Grange Park Opera, adding another major Wagnerian role to her repertoire.

From new Mozart roles and international debuts to Schubert in the recording studio, a new work exploring our relationship with the planet, and recordings bringing overlooked repertoire back into the spotlight, the 2026/27 season is already proving to be a busy and varied one.

We look forward to following our artists and collaborators through the months ahead — and to sharing more of their work with you along the way.

The new season is underway.

Sophie Dand