Julie Mathevet's debut at the Barbican in the European premiere of David Lang's "prisoner of the state"

On Saturday 11 January, 20:00, soprano Julie Mathevet will reprise the role of “The Assistant” in the European premiere of David Lang’s prisoner of the state at Barbican Hall, London

Directed by Elkhanah Pulitzer, and accompanied by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ilan Volkov, the opera retells Beethoven’s Fidelio 215 years after its first performance. It follows one woman’s personal struggle against political oppression in this dark, seething and engrossing new minimalist opera from the co-founder of pioneering new music collective Bang on a Can. In this opera designed for performance with an orchestra on stage, both instrumentalists and audience bear witness to the story of a woman striving to rescue her partner from unjust imprisonment. 

Get your tickets here!

Julie first performed the role of “The Assistant” last summer with the New York Philharmonic, and received great critical acclaim

“[…] As the Assistant, Julie Mathevet, a young, radiant soprano, conveyed both the despair and bitterness in the vocal lines […]”

The New York Times

“[…] The sheer gorgeousness of the vocal overlays and harmonies of singers Julie Mathevet […]”

New York Music Daily

“[…] The acting is as strong as the singing. Mathevet’s tantalizingly brief flights upward are matched by a resolute presence […]”

New York Music Daily

“[…] On stage were the major figures: the diminutive “assistant” (nameless but obviously Leonora, played by the lyrical miracle, Julie Mathevet) […]”

Concerto Net