Wagner: The Flying Dutchman

“The Flying Dutchman” was Richard Wagner’s breakthrough as an opera composer. Although Wagner continued to use independent arias and choruses, his operatic concept went beyond earlier works such as “Rienzi,” which was still influenced by French Grand Opéra. The supernatural story of the Dutchman, condemned to wander the seas until he is redeemed by a woman who remains faithful to him even unto death, inspired Wagner to create an ambitious work in which he was able to combine his dramatic and musical vision with great effect for the first time. The renowned conductor Jaap van Zweden was music director of the New York Philharmonic from 2018 to 2024 and of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra from 2012 to 2024. In January 2024, he took on the same position with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. He has performed with major orchestras around the world, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the San Francisco Symphony. In the 2024/25 season, he conducted the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on its European tour. He was awarded the Concertgebouw Prize in 2023 and is conductor emeritus of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra as well as honorary conductor of the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, whose chief conductor he was from 2005 to 2013.