“The greatest challenge in writing an opera is to maintain, for so long, interest, tension and beauty.”

00:00 Introduction
00:05 The jury highlights that you have modernized the language of opera by proposing a new narrative, structure, and emotional dramaturgy that resonate with 21st-century audiences. To what extent do you agree with this assessment, and what characteristics do you believe make your operas so distinctive?
02:30 You had to set aside nearly 100 writers and almost abandon the idea of composing opera until you met Martin Crimp, who immediately became the playwright whose texts underpin all your operas. What did you see in him that made him the right choice, and what is the creative process like between the two of you?
07:47 Why does opera continue to be regarded as one of the most complete and complex forms of musical creation?
10:37 How do classical dramas connect with the most complex challenges of our time, whether social, cultural, economic, or political?
13:32 *Dream of the Song* is partly inspired by the texts of Federico García Lorca, and you have conducted the music of Manuel de Falla. To what extent has your work as a composer and conductor been influenced by Spain and Spanish culture?
17:23 What does teaching young composers through the Henry Purcell Chair you hold at King’s College London bring to you?