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Globe Coburg opens…

October 9, 2023 / Daniel Carison

After much waiting and anticipation the Globe Coburg finally opened its doors to the public last Friday, October 6. The Landestheater Coburg was officially closed for renovations back in May of this year. While it could take up to ten years before the Landestheater opens its doors again, The Globe Coburg will provide Coburg with a state of the art artistic hub for opera and music.

In accordance with such a grand event, audiences were treated to a musical spectacle. Beethoven’s 9th Symphony rung loud in clear throughout the new hall. Audience and performers alike were thrilled to experience such fine music in what has now become The Landestheater Coburg’s temporary home.

Soloist’s included Daniel Carison (baritone), Jaeil Kim (Tenor), Emily Lorini (Mezzo Soprano) and Rebecca Davies (Soprano).

Beethoven’s 9th Symphony can also be heard on two additional dates. October 15 and 16th at The Globe Coburg.

Season 2023/24 Announced

May 19, 2023 / Daniel Carison

At long last the time has come to announce the new season. In the Autumn of 2023, The Landestheater Coburg will finally be able to move into their newly built theatre, The Globe. To. celebrate the opening of the new theatre, Coburg will present an Eröffnungsgala Concert featuring performances from the Musiktheater, Schauspiel, Ballet and Orchestra.

I am proud to announce my season and I hope to see many of you throughout the next year either in the theatre or in the concert hall.

Open-Air Klassik // Seefeld, Tirol // August 7, 2023
An evening of opera classics and favourites in the luxurious town of Seefeld featuring soprano, Francesca Paratore.

Grand Opening Gala // Globe Theatre, Coburg // October 6
An opera gala to celebrate the opening of the Landestheater Coburg’s new theatre, The Globe.

Beethoven’s 9th Symphony // Globe Theatre, Coburg // October 15
Symphony Concert no.1 of season 2023/24 as the Baritone soloist for Beethoven’s masterpiece.

Im Hause Schumann // Reithalle, Coburg // October (Date TBC)
A romantic evening of song from Robert Schumann featuring soprano, Francesca Paratore.

Ein deutsches Requiem // Musikverein Dortmund // November 18, 2023
A performance of Brahms’ lush choral masterwork as the baritone soloist with the Musikverein Dortmund.

Hänsel und Gretel // Globe Theatre, Coburg // Premiere December 2, 2023
In the role of Peter.

Kiss me, Kate // Globe Theatre, Coburg // Premiere February 10, 2024
In the role of Fred Graham

Don Giovanni // Globe Theatre, Coburg // Premiere May 11, 2024
In the title role

The Second Golden Age in Oxford // Balliol College, Oxford // May 26, 2024
An evening of English song presented in the intimate dining hall of Balliol College

Jumping in - Lucia di Lammermoor in Würzburg

May 9, 2023 / Daniel Carison

Whether or not it is some form of divine intervention, a call for a jump in always seems to come in when you’ve just got into your pyjamas, poured yourself a glass of wine and prepared to binge an entire Netflix series. As fate would have it, I was already on my second glass when the phone call came in that the Mainfranken Theater Würzburg needed an Enrico for their performance the next day (May 3).

It had been such a thrill to perform the role of Enrico in Coburg and since our season had finished I was thrilled to dive back into the role. However, this jump in came with a number interesting caveats. With most bel canto operas there is of course tradition and performance practice which one expects. However, in every theater across the world, there are inevitably different versions of the same piece. Different musical cuts, tempos and interpretations which means you can expect wild differences from edition to edition, house to house.

Fortunately, the Würzburg edition of Lucia included a wonderful duet which had been cut from our production in Coburg. The duet between Enrico and his mortal enemy, Edgardo is an absolute treasure in the opera and is often cut to spare the tenor’s energy due to the mammoth hurdles presented by Donizetti in the final aria. Reorganising my brain to adjust to the different cuts and to commit the new text to memory was a challenge but an incredibly rewarding one. On the drive to Würzburg it was just me, the open road and Donizetti’s masterpiece.

Jump-ins are always a little chaotic, even when you know the piece so well. Once I arrived in Würzburg it was straight into costume to make sure everything would fit nicely. After a few small alterations it was straight to the stage for a walk-through of all the scenes with the assistant director. This would be the only time I would get to see the stage before the performance began and there is only ever enough time to discuss the staging. From there it is straight to the coaching room for a short top and tail with Edgardo and Lucia for a check of tempos. I hardly had a moment to collect my thoughts before being rushed into hair and makeup.

The team did their best to create the same look with only a few minutes up their sleeve before I had
to return to the coaching room for a quick chat with the conductor. Before I knew it, it was
showtime and the opera would start with my scene and the iconic rage aria, “Cruda funesta smania”.

There is a certain energy about a jump-in that is exhilarating. The rush of adrenaline manages to kick the body into gear no matter how exhausted you really are from the long drive, hectic planning and stress of the whole experience. Naturally, you want to do your best work and with all the uncertainty at hand, somehow, this is where your best work comes to the surface. I decided to let go of any expectations I had of myself and just enjoy the experience. I stepped off stage after my first aria and I have never been so pleased a performance as I was then.

The show was a tremendous success. I had the great benefit of having wonderful people around me. The entire theatre, chorus, costume and makeup departments, management, orchestra and fellow soloists made me feel right at home.

I had the great pleasure of returning to Würzburg on May 6 and after the thrill of my initial jump-in, it was such a joy to reprise my Enrico for the Würzburg audience!

The Progress of a Rake continues…

September 12, 2022 / Daniel Carison

After a forced postponement in March 2022 due to Covid-19, Theater Trier’s production of The Rake’s Progress was finally premiered on September 10 to a sold out audience. I was more than happy to reprise my role as Nick Shadow, a role which has very quickly become an absolute favourite in my repertoire.

The premiere in Trier was a great success and I am happy to share these wonderful reviews with you here.

Carison delivers a Shadow who is both mischievous and diabolical at the same time: flattering as a staid advisor with a priest's collar who only wants the best for his friend – that's what he actually calls Rakewell to the followers of the Mother Goose; with devilish laughter that makes your blood run cold, when he put another nonsense in Rakewell's head, like the idea of marrying Baba, whom he doesn't love; always busy and apparently trying hard, constantly on the move and supposedly unselfishly on the road with his e-scooter. Has the devil on the opera stage ever been more insinuatory, gossiping, sounded more deceptive than here?

/ Lokalo.De /

Only Daniel Carison as Nick with his expressive voice, which is itself a gesture, his stage presence and his playing skills, is a convincing, outstanding devil in his friend’s sham.

/ Volksfreunde.de /

The Rake’s Progress will return to the Landestheater Coburg in February 2023 for three performances on 11.02.2023, 18.03.2023 and 30.03.2023. On June 17, 2023 the Landestheater Coburg will travel to Fürth and present the work as a Gastspiel.

The Devil delivers…

May 15, 2022 / Daniel Carison

After what seemed like a quite the hiatus from live performance, things are starting to get back into full swing as theaters across the world return to normalcy (or rather, new normalcy).

The Landestheater Coburg’s recent premiere of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress has been a major success with audiences remarking on what was one of Coburg’s finest productions in recent times.

Reviews continue to flood in - here are some of the initial impressions.

"But in the end, the devil, Nick Shadow (Daniel Carison), surpasses everyone when it comes to seduction. Because a baritone could not sing and act more versatile and elastic at the same time. Every look and all that tooth-biting weird sex appeal comes across as devilishly good.

/ NEUE PRESSE /

"Brilliant acting: Daniel Carison as Rakewells evil spirit named Nick Shadow..."

/ FRÄNKISCHER TAG /

The Rake’s Progress will return to the Landestheater Coburg in 2023, in the meantime, however, I will be heading to Theater Trier to reprise my role as Nick Shadow in September with performances running through to the end of October.

See you there.

Coburg bound…

May 12, 2020 / Daniel Carison

Dear friends,

I have been holding onto this information for quite some time and in the wake of a global pandemic,
it never quite felt like the right time to make an announcement.

I am very pleased to announce that as of next season I will be joining the Landestheater Coburg as principal baritone in the house.

In 2018, I commenced my first professional engagement in Europe thanks to the German-Australian Opera Grant and Staatstheater Wiesbaden. Two years and 14 productions later, I am now thrilled to be embarking on the next part of my journey.

I would like to thank my many wonderful colleagues, friends and family, especially my beautiful wife, who were all unwavering in their support of my endeavours. I look forward to all of the challenges that this fantastic opportunity presents as well as sinking my teeth into some superb roles.

The global pandemic that is Covid-19 has been detrimental to our industry. Theatres throughout the world are working tirelessly to find ways to continue presenting and performing while still upholding the necessary hygiene regulations.

I look forward to sharing all future engagements as things become clearer.

In just a few weeks, we will leave our apartment in Wiesbaden and officially move to Coburg.

In the meantime, I wish you all continued good health as we navigate this precarious time.

Love,
Dan

A last minute debut...

July 08, 2018 / Daniel Carison

Stepping into a role at the last minute isn't entirely uncommon in the world of opera, but when that last minute swap is also a European debut, the stakes are raised significantly.

On the 26th of June both panic and excitement would descend as Daniel Carison was called in to cover the Hessisches Staatstheater's new production of Don Giovanni. With no more than 24 hours notice, Daniel would have to learn and perform an entirely new production, all without the aid of a full rehearsal period.

After suddenly being pulled out from a rehearsal for an upcoming production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Daniel was immediately sworn into a series of last minute preparations. First and foremost, a singer must be musically prepared to tackle such a huge task, after all, this will be their only saving grace on the stage. Unfortunately, the human voice can only withstand so much torture, so after two hours of studying tempos, piecing together recitative and singing through the entire opera several times, the next step was to head home and trust that a good night's rest was all part of the preparation.

The following morning (or better yet, the day of the performance), Daniel stepped into what could be best described as a simulation. A rehearsal room had been arranged with minimal set pieces to emulate the set for the current production. After one to two walk throughs of each scene and having made an entire library of mental notes, it was time, at last, to meet with the conductor. With only enough time to run through the show once, every single measure of music would be completely invaluable. It would be almost impossible to remember every single musical idea and gesture that a conductor gives only hours before stepping out on the stage, but one can only do their best. It is important to remember that when one is out on the stage, the conductor is in fact, your only friend and the only person who can either make your life easy or difficult. Thankfully, one is always in safe hands when Konrad Junghänel is at the helm.

No sooner after completing a run through with the conductor it was time to head up to the stage. Curiously, the first time Daniel would properly set foot on the Hessisches Staatstheater stage would be when he made his first entrance in Act 1. With an entire crew preparing for the performance ahead, Daniel had only 20 minutes to explore the surroundings, study his entrances and exits, briefly meet with some colleagues and meet with the gunsmith to learn how to fire his weapon in Act 2.

Singers are often quite particular when it comes to acoustics. In this instance, Daniel was yet to work with either the orchestra or the stage and thus, was going into this battle completely unarmed. By the time the curtain is raised there is little anyone can do to ensure that a performance will go smoothly. A singer under such stressful conditions can only put their faith and trust in their own abilities and the encouragement and support of their colleagues. An audience is not aware of how little time you may or may not have had in order to prepare for a performance, they merely expect that you will give an honest and dedicated performance.

After a successful 'jump in' it is a pleasure to report that the performance went off without a hitch! Daniel would go on to perform the next Don Giovanni two days later before the close of the season. Although it was a baptism by fire, Daniel's German and European debut left audiences curious and wanting to hear more from this Australian baritone.

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A masterfull blend at Coriole

May 22, 2018 / Daniel Carison

Every year the Coriole Music Festival held annually in the Mclaren Vale serves up not only some of Adelaide's finest wine, but it showcases some of Australia's and the world's most outstanding artists. This year was no different and Daniel had the great privilege to join the festival for the first time.

This year's programme allowed Daniel to join forces with Russian born pianist, Andrey Gugnin. Schumann's Liederkreis op.39 were not only a terrific selection of songs for the delightful acoustic of Coriole's Barrel Shed, but they would allow Carison and Gugnin to blend perfectly in a performance that pulled audiences out of their chairs and onto their feet. The performance was not only well received by the capacity crowd, but well reviewed too.

Here is what the Adelaide papers had to say about the performance

“Gugnin was the sensitive interpreter of Schumann’s Scenes from Childhood, and was an excellent accompanist for young baritone Daniel Carison in Schumann’s Liederkreis. A singer just on the threshold of what could be a stellar career, Carison has a fine voice and lives the songs as he sings them.”

— The Advertiser - May 8

“The discovery this year was young baritone Daniel Carison. The heightened sense of romantic wonder and elevated nobility he brought to Schumann’s Liederkreis, again with Gugnin accompanying, made an indelible impression. This year’s festival was its finest: overflowing, thrilling and joyous.”

— The Australian - May 9

2018/19 Season Announced

May 22, 2018 / Daniel Carison

It is with great excitement and privilege that we announce that Daniel Carison will be join the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden for 18/19 Season. In 2017, Daniel became the recipient of the German Australia Opera Grant (GAOG), a competition held yearly in Melbourne, Australia.

Each year, the GAOG enables one singer to take up post at the Hessisches Staatstheater as an artist in a number of principal and trainee roles. Recipients of the grant will go on to seek further employment in Wiesbaden in the years to come as they develop a name around Europe and build an international career.

Daniel is now preparing for a whole host of role debuts in 2018 and 2019. Here is what audiences can expect in 2018/19.