Born in Johannesburg, Alessandro Talevi studied music and history of art at the University of the Witwatersrand and piano accompaniment at the Royal Academy of Music. He was a prizewinner at the 2007 European Opera-Directing Prize in Wiesbaden for his concept of Rusalka, and was recently made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. His production of Pelléas et Mélisande at Sadler’s Wells was a shortlist nomination for the 2008 Royal Philharmonic Society awards.
With the generous support of William and Judith Bollinger, Alessandro Talevi was the artistic director of Independent Opera at Sadler’s Wells, for which he directed Pelléas et Mélisande, The Sofa/The Departure, Orlando and La scala di seta.
Recent work includes Amadigi di Gaula (Central City Opera), The Turn of the Screw (Opera North), The Barber of Baghdad (Buxton Festival), La Cenerentola (Malmö Opera), Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno and Partenope (Opéra les Azuriales), L’assedio di Calais, The Marriage/La cambiale di matrimonio, L’occasione fa il ladro/La Colombe (all for the Guildhall School of Music and Drama) and La Fedeltà Premiata (Royal Academy of Music), Djamileh/Le Docteur Miracle (for the Royal College of Music), Katya Kabanova (Landestheater Coburg) and La Traviata (Cape Town Opera).
Forthcoming productions include The Turn of the Screw (Central City Opera), Don Giovanni (Opera North), The Turn of the Screw (Israeli Opera) and Anna Bolena and Roberto Devereux (both for Welsh National Opera).
Alessandro Talevi is represented by Intermusica.
May 2012 / 232 words. Not to be altered without permission. Please destroy all previous biographical material.
Janacek Katja Kabanova / Landestheater Coburg
Cond. Roland Kluttig
“The young London-based Director Alessandro Talevi is considered a big talent on the International opera scene – and for good reasons, as shown by his productions of Janacek’s operas in Coburg. With great sensitivity, he brings the musical drama and the action onstage together into structural harmony. His staging concept is conclusive, and the characters he creates are coherent down to the smallest details. His production portrays the suffocating narrow-mindedness of the bigoted petty bourgeoisie as a microcosm which allows the protagonist only one means of escape – suicide.”
Jochen Berger, Coburger Tageblatt, January 2012
"Leos Janacek’s ‘Katja Kabanova’ has now experienced its unforgettable Coburg premiere. The audience went wild with enthusiasm for the production… The overall effect is created on the basis of a closely meshed and absolutely coherent overall construction of music, set, direction – and of course, the phenomenal acting of the protagonists. The young Director Alessandro Talevi established his psychologically revealing production, keenly faithful to the original piece, in front of the sombre, orange and black horizon by which set and costume designer Annemarie Woods cleverly alluded to artist Edvard Munch’s work."
Christine Potyra, Neue Presse, January 2012
"Alessandro Talevi won the second prize for Directing in the 2006 Camerata Nuova competition in Wiesbaden, and this production confirms the wisdom of the judge’s decision. He enabled the sombre and oppressive atmosphere of this all-too-human drama to take shape in a most moving manner in Annemarie Woods’ atmospheric stage set."
Richard Hörnicke, Wiesbadener Tagblatt, January 2012
Director Alessandro Talevi laid the psychological connections between characters bare, as if this were a play by Ibsen or Strindberg, painted by Edvard Munch. (…) The production was a brilliant success.”
Opernwelt, March 2012
The production is by the young team of South-African Director Alessandro Talevi and British Designer Annemarie Woods. (…) (Talevi’s characterisation of Katja) departs from the usual histrionics, which does the piece a great favour. (…) He creates space for characterisations which hit upon societal sore points in very few brushstrokes, without having to resort to over-acting.
Opernglas, March 2012
Bizet Dr Miracle and Djamileh / Royal College Music International Opera School
Cond. Michael Rosewell
“It’s a musical gem, bordering on genius in its best-known number, the Omelette quartet, staged brilliantly here by Talevi as Ready Steady Cook — The Musical.
Talevi is a rare opera director today, one who allows his performers’ personal attributes to flavour his characterisations, rather than straitjacketing them into a predetermined concept.
A professional company should get Talevi and Boyd to remake it with some of these singers in the very near future.”
Hugh Canning, Sunday Times, December 2011
“Transforming the set into the mayor’s house for the action of Le Docteur Miracle, and nudging the costumes into the Eighties, Talevi delivered taut and inventive comedy.”
John Allison, The Telegraph, December 2011
“Talevi’s Docteur was an explosion of colour and energy.”
Francesca Vella, Bachtrack, December 2011
La Traviata / Artscape Opera House / Cape Philharmonic Orchestra
Cape Town Opera Chorus Dir Alessandro Talevi / Cond Albert Horne
“Alessandro Talevi has set his production in the Charleston era – and it works like a dream. Those apparently halcyon days of leisure and pleasure perfectly capture the world of La Traviata’s fallen heroine.
Talevi has succeeded in re-inventing the charm and tragedy of the work, not just by the setting but also by the small things his imagination has created. And on a larger scale several scenes have been refreshingly reinterpreted, such as the gypsy and matador songs at Flora’s party. Even the tragic finale shows Alfredo responding differently to those around him.”
“Taveli can be proud of the standard of this staging – and it has a virtually all-South African cast and production team. If new to opera, this is an excellent opportunity to be introduced to this realm of the arts. If you have seen this opera before, see Taveli’s reinterpretation: you will fall in love with it all over again.”
Carl Fourie, Tonight, October 2011
“The director Alessandro Talevi, born in Johannesburg, places the events in the decadent 1920s, a most appropriate setting. Violetta holds a party on the roof with extravagantly dressed guests. Yet through the set and lighting, a gloom and layer of sadness hides behind Violetta's exuberance.”
Wayne Muller, Die Burger, October 2011