m u s i c   b y  
              M A R T I N   G E O R G I E V
  
                       l i b r e t t o   by   
              M A R I K E   V A N   A E R D E
    
      

             M A I N       |       T H E  O P E R A       |       T H E   C R E A T O R S                   



                                                                                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            



   

The Mirror - World Premiere 10th June 2009
The Duke's Hall at The Royal Academy of Music, London



"The music unfolds and spreads like a fog in the labyrinth, and Martin Georgiev achieved this most successfully and
eerily with a subtle combination of strings and wind instruments."

"Marike van Aerde’s intelligent libretto, with its references to Dante and T. S. Eliot, is the lynchpin."

- Serena Fenwick, Musical Pointers
 



The premiere enjoyed the patronage of
Lady Solti
Sir Charles Mackerras
Andrew Ritchie CBE            

Conductor
Jessica Cottis                                     

Featuring                
The Azalea Ensemble                        

The Human

Clarissa Miller

Death 
Marcin Gesla

Life 
Frederick Long


       

Left: Andrew Ritchie congratulates the performers and creators in the Royal Academy's Duke's Hall. 
Middle: Soprano Clarissa Miller (r) and leader of the orchestra  Elisabeth Stettner (l)              
Right: Composer Martin Georgiev and librettist Marike van Aerde  
                                                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                                            



R E V I E W S   &   R E A C T I O N S



"Many congratulations on a spectacular performance. It was an enormous success and I am proud and delighted
to be associated with The Mirror." 

- Andrew Ritchie CBE



"Marike Van Aerde and Martin Georgiev’s opera The Mirror is one of the best works of contemporary theatre I have
experienced during the last 20 years. Anyone seriously interested in modern music and a state of the art 21st century
libretto will have no other choice than to attend one of the performances which, I am sure, will be plentiful in the
foreseeable future."

- Achim Holub, Principal Conductor Kammerphilharmonie Graz



"An impressive accomplishment by a young composer."

- Ann McKay, Chief Producer BBC Symphony Orchestra



"I loved The Mirror. I just got lost in the lovely wash of music. I was very impressed that, with his first opera,
[Georgiev] wrote so sensitively for the voice." 

- Katherine Marriot, Mezzo-Soprano



"There were heart-stopping orchestral moments and amazing rhythms and counterpoints."

- John Ramster, Opera Director



"I am very impressed with the creative team. You staged an excellent production." 

- Christopher Ager, Offstage Magazine
                                                                                                        


"The event deservedly attracted a very sizeable audience who delivered their appreciative verdict. Georgiev and Van Aerde
are currently working on two further operas and I look forward to their performance in due course."

- Serena Fenwick, Musical Pointers