VO's Music Director honoured in Duisberg

Vancouver Opera Music Director Jonathan Darlington bid farewell to his post as Music Director of the Duisburger Philharmoniker with a pair of concerts in Duisburg on May 18 and 19. The featured work was Mahler’s Symphony No. 2. Jonathan also was awarded the “Mercatorplakette” in honour of his achievements in the fields of music and cultural life of the city and the region. In the sold-out Mercatorhalle, the Duisburg Philharmonic’s concert hall, lord mayor Adolf Sauerland presented the medal and gave the “laudatio,” in which he pointed out that Mr. Darlington’s greatest achievement has been to firmly establish the Duisburg Philharmonic in the city, the region and beyond.

I was unfortunately unable to attend this gala farewell, but a couple of Vancouver Opera family members were there, and they reported that the evening was quite a special occasion and a great artistic success.

Peter Klucken, in the Rheineische Post, wrote, “Many concertgoers in the sold-out Mercatorhalle concert hall had tears in their eyes as Jonathan Darlington bade farewell to his orchestra with a personal handshake for each musician. The cheer after the terrific rendition of Mahler’s “Resurrection Symphony” morphed into a prolonged ovation of gratitude for the past nine years, in which music director Jonathan Darlington has undoubtedly greatly elevated the quality of the Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra.”

Congratulations, Jonathan, on a wonderful tenure as Music Director of the Duisburger Philharmoniker and on receipt of the Mercatorplakette.

Next up for Jonathan: performances of Kurt Weill’s Street Scene with the Dresden Semperopera, June 19 – July 3.

- James Wright