From May 18^th to May 23^d, Martijn conducted five performances of Le Nozze di Figaro by W. A. Mozart at the Teatro Comunale Bologna, marking his operatic conducting debut. The production, directed by Alessandro Talevi, received high acclaim by the audiences, as well as stunning reviews in local and international opera press.

After conducting two world premieres of chamber opera’s by Baudouin de Jaer in 2014 and 2019, Martijn now led his first lyric opera production, which is to be the start of a Mozart cycle at this historically important Italian opera house, and which will continue with Don Giovanni in the next season.

Martijn was hailed by the press as “one of the revelations of the evening, a natural born Mozartiano with an impressive maturity” (Repubblica) and praised for “conducting with astonishing confidence and relevance, with an all-time discreet presence” (Il Resto del Carlino). Opera Libera complimented his reading “that shines with freshness and refinement, combined with a touch of musical exuberance”, whereas OperaClick pointed out that “his conducting matches Talevi’s direction to perfection, revealing a unity of purpose that is not always easy to find”.

In splendid collaboration with the orchestra of the Orchestra del Teatro Comunale Bologna, Martijn intensively worked on the vivacity in Mozart’s score; “the way he brought out the constantly growing and accelerating Act 2 finale, starting from a very slow starting point, was magnetic. He was clearly a galvanizing and supportive presence in the pit and the quality of the playing he obtained from the Comunale orchestra was exceptional” (Opera Traveller).

The singers, including renowned names as Mariangela Sicilia, Vito Priante and Cecilia Molinari, were complimented for the sensibility of ornamentations, style and colors. This could come out especially because of the “orchestra volumes, which were measured and well calibrated, an important aspect in regard to the difficult acoustics of the Comunale Nouveau” – the temporary theatre were the performances took place.