Initiated by the soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan, Momentum is a group of established artists including instrumentalists, conductors or opera singers who have chosen to sponsor young artists by involving them in their performances. This can be an invitation to share a concert platform or assist a musical director, … in addition, the performers and presenting organisations contribute to paying a fee for the accomplishments.
During these difficult times, this initiative is particularly relevant. The devotion to supporting young artists, backed by leading performers and artists, echoes the concerns of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège.
When personally invited by Barbara Hannigan, Speranza Scappucci instantly accepted to be part of Momentum, and it’s within this framework that she invited the young conductor Jonathan Brandani for his first performance in Belgium to direct The Soldier’s Tale by Igor Stravinsky.
“I’m so proud to be part of Momentum. As artists we have a moral duty to help the young generations to become known, especially during these challenging times. I wholeheartedly back this initiative! I’m very happy to invite the young conductor Jonathan Brandani to direct the masterpiece, The Soldier’s Tale. For my first invitation with Momentum, which is incidentally the first in Belgium, it seemed only natural to have him liaise with ‘my’ musicians. I’m really looking forward to meeting up with them all but also with the public of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège.”
Speranza Scappucci, Music Director
“The Momentum initiative has created an incredible solidarity among leading conductors and soloists, to support our younger colleagues. Personally, Momentum has brought me in contact with many colleagues I had not previously had the chance to mett. In this case, I am thrilled that Maestro Speranza Scapucci has created Momentum’s Belgian debut with conductor Jonathan Brandani in Liège at the Opera Royal de Wallonie, in this incredible work of Stravinsky.”
Barbara Hannigan
For more information regarding Momentum, click here
The Soldier’s Tale by Stravinsky – Original version of 1918 with narrator.
Streaming from July 29 to August 7