Paul McCreesh, known for his historically-informed performances, made his Welsh National Opera début in October. The production of Gluck’s Orphee & Euridice, featuring Swedish mezzo-soprano Katerina Karnéus, premiered in Cardiff and went on to tour England and Northern Ireland. The opera is being sung in French from a hybrid version which Berlioz concocted for Pauline Viardot (one of his favourites singers), using material from both the original Italian version dated 1762 and the revision made for Paris in 1774. “This is a dazzling debut for McCreesh...such instinctive theatricality. In the pit, McCreesh gets WNO’s orchestra to sound at times like a period-instrument band, especially in the “horrid” scurrying music of the underworld, in which the strings’ cascading scales sound like leaps into the abyss, punctuated by menacing trombones and thunderous drum-rolls. The WNO chorus excels itself with the grace and power of its singing...the most entrancing and musically thrilling account of this strangely elusive opera that I have ever seen...all told, another WNO triumph.” (Hugh Canning, Sunday Times) McCreesh, who was voted by Classic CD Magazine as one of the TOP 100 Conductors of the 20th Century, is also making an impact in Europe and the USA. This Christmas he conducts The Messiah at both the National Symphony in Washington, DC and the San Francisco Symphony. Alongside his touring and recording plans with the Gabrieli Consort & Players, McCreesh will conduct several European ensembles this season and a production of Britten’s Albert Herring in The Netherlands. Next season he has further invitations for opera engagements as well as a tour with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie.