The Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) has become Associate Ensemble at Teatro San Cassiano in Venice.
While Teatro San Cassiano is in development and construction, AAM said its expertise and scholarship will be harnessed to actively contribute to ongoing research around Italian opera of the period, particularly lesser-known gems.
As with AAM’s recent Handel: Brockes-Passion project, AAM will work closely with scholars and musicologists to produce new performing editions of unavailable operas in preparation for fully staged productions.
AAM will regularly tour to Venice once Teatro San Cassiano is completed, performing alongside TSC’s resident orchestra, the Venice Baroque Orchestra, under the guidance of artistic director Andrea Marcon.
Across several years, AAM also looks to raise the profile of Teatro San Cassiano as a centre of excellence in historically-informed performance practice through performances and ongoing research.
Teatro San Cassiano CEO and founder Paul Atkin said: “The Teatro San Cassiano needs to be home to the best historically informed performances of opera worldwide.
“The Academy of Ancient Music are just that. They are precisely the type of ensemble that the theatre is being built for and we are simply delighted to join with them in exploring, performing and promoting HIP Baroque opera. It’s going to be very exciting.”
AAM chief executive Alexander Van Ingen added: “In 1637, Teatro San Cassiano opened its doors to the wider public, and as such became the world’s first public opera house.
“By reconstructing the opera house exactly as it was, Paul Atkin and his outstanding team will build on this incredible legacy and take baroque opera to wider audiences around the world.”
