Press
Opera Fuoco, vibrant young artist program with period-instrument ensemble which, under the guidance of David Stern, has been pursuing a thriving trajectory since 2003 ...
Pierre-René Serna - Olyrix
Serse, Handel
Septembre 2020 – Générale ouverte à Levallois avant la tournée d’Opera Fuoco en Chine (Beijing, Shenzhen, Nanjing).
Opera Fuoco a montré, déjà à deux reprises, l’ambition et les capacités extraordinaires de ses jeunes recrues. […] Le charisme de David Stern était présent dans chaque moment de Serse dont l’exécution brillante, destinée au public chinois, a de quoi susciter l’envie des spectateurs français, privés en grande partie de cette nouvelle version de l’opéra… Il ne reste qu’à leur souhaiter un bon voyage et patienter jusqu’à la prochaine programmation des nouvelles productions de l’Opera Fuoco et David Stern qui, comme on le sait déjà, n’hésitent pas à s’aventurer aussi au-delà du répertoire traditionnel.
Gabriel Slyzite – Crescendo Magazine (Belgique)
Die Stumme Serenade, Korngold
May 2019, Salle Ravel de Levallois
The style and harmonies of Hollywood’s lyric and symphonic composer reappear in the refined orchestration for ten musicians, remarkably interpreted by the Opera Fuoco orchestra under the fiery baton of its founder David Stern. It would be a shame to let this unique cultural rarity go unnoticed, and for such a remarkable undertaking - in fact the French premiere of a a largely ignored work - to be so short-lived.
Frédéric Norac – Musicologie.org
The cast of very young artists….. was fresh and full of incredible enthusiasm.
Clément Mariage – Toute la culture
Idomeneo, Mozart
September 2018, Salle Ravel de Levallois
David Stern’s inspires the singers with all the necessary impulses, through constant attention to breathing and balance. He keeps the tension of the drama, thanks to the vigor and honed palette he unleashes from his chamber-size orchestra….
With vocal revelations of such a high level, one has to say that Opera Fuoco has surpassed its expectations.
Mehdi Mahdavi – Opera Magazine
Der Schauspieldirektor, Mozart/Prima la Musica, Salieri
March 2017, Salle Ravel de Levallois
Hopefully this delicious and unpretentious production will see more revivals.
Thierry Guyenne – Opera Magazine
A great success, thanks to David Stern and his orchestra as well as sopranos Dania El Zain, Axelle Fanyo and Theodora Raftis, these last two irresistible in the Salieri (for once the winner), and to a radically minimalist staging.
Marc Vignal – Musikzen
The Opera Fuoco young artist program has included members such as Lea Desandre and Jennifer Courcier and before them Vannina Santoni, Clementine Margaine and Chantal Santon-Jeffrey. It’s therefore with great interest that lovers of the voice come to observe the new generation of singers in this duel of Mozart vs. Salierei….. These new voices deserve to be heard in other repertoire: which is exactly Opera Fuoco’s goal.!
Damien Dutilleul – Olyrix
Richard Löwenherz (Richardus), Telemann
March 2018, Magdeburg
….this was a splendid exposition of baroque opera. Praise in the first place for the conductor David Stern at the head of a combination of his own Opera Fuoco and members of the Magdeburg Philharmonic. As well as endowing the performance with an energetic momentum, he brought out all the details in Handel’s brilliant instrumentation, culminating in a remarkable, introduction to an aria in the second half of the work. The music hesitates, stops and uncertainly starts again, providing a striking dramatic realisation of the singer’s despair and indecision. (…) with a conductor and stage director expert in this repertory the experience at Magdeburg was a rewarding one.
Thierry Guyenne - Opera Magazine
Distant Beloved
September 2017, Beethovenfest Bonn
The ensemble's name Fuoco/Fire is its mantra. The orchestra, with excellent instrumental soloists (notably bassoon and English horn), is as comfortable with the secco attack as it is with a seductive soundscape….
David Stern, who had already proved himself a charming, bilingual moderator, explained his take on Beethoven's 8th symphony in a short introduction: the composer's view out of his window on the fullness of Viennese life. His ensemble followed suit - fresh, lively, airy and generally carefree, dance-like with a few rough interjections, a completely convincing and animating reading.
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