Opera director Annilese Miskimmon has been named as the English National Opera’s (ENO) new artistic director, after Daniel Kramer announced earlier this year that he would be leaving the role.

Hailing from Bangor, Northern Ireland, Miskimmon is currently director of opera at the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet in Oslo. She will step down from this position at the end of the 2019-20 season, having an input into ENO’s future seasons from 1 January 2020. She will officially take up her new role on 1 September 2020, moving from Oslo to London in time for the 2020-21 season.

American director Daniel Kramer previously held the role. He announced in April this year that he would be stepping down in July after just three years in the position. Miskimmon will become the only female artistic leader of a major British opera company.

Miskimmon brings with her a wealth of experience. She studied at Christ’s College, Cambridge, followed by London’s City University. She has worked as director at many prestigious opera houses, including general manager/artistic director of the Danish National Opera and artistic director Opera Theatre Company Ireland.

“I am honoured and delighted to be joining ENO, a company whose consistently ambitious and thrilling work I have loved for all my opera-going life,” she commented. “I can’t wait to join the world-class artistic, music and technical teams at ENO. It has been a great pleasure and privilege to lead Norway’s national opera company over these past three years and an equal joy to now join ENO.”

The company’s CEO, Stuart Murphy, added: “We are absolutely delighted to appoint Annilese as ENO’s new artistic director.

“Annilese understands ENO’s significance as the artistically adventurous, creatively daring national opera house for everyone. Her values of excellence, kindness and impact chime absolutely with ours and she is as committed to broadening out opera as we all are. Annilese has innate artistic flair and a deep knowledge of opera, so her vivid vision for ENO will be welcomed here with open arms.”

 

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Annilese Miskimmon will take up the role of artistic director of the English National Opera in September 2020.