Annilese Miskimmon, the Belfast-born opera director who has drawn influence from Sondheim, Shakespeare and the Muppets, has been named as the new artistic director of English National Opera (ENO), after a search to replace Daniel Kramer who announced in April that he would step down in July.
Miskimmon, who is currently director of opera at Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, will join in September 2020 and be charged with “broadening out opera” to a wider audience.
The opera director said she was “honoured and delighted” to be joining ENO, and was looking forward to adding to the “ambitious and thrilling” work she has grown up watching. “I can’t wait to join the world-class artistic, music and technical teams at ENO,” she said. “It has been a great privilege and pleasure to lead Norway’s national opera company over these past three years and an equal joy to now join ENO.”
ENO’s CEO Stuart Murphy said that Miskimmon has an “innate artistic flair” and a deep knowledge of opera, adding that her “vivid vision for ENO” will be welcomed with open arms.
Miskimmon will replace Kramer, who left in July only three months after announcing he was stepping down – a departure described as “positively precipitate by the standards of opera administration”. His three-year tenure was characterised by a string of high-profile failures, such as his own La Traviata.
After studying arts management at City University, Miskimmon started her career as a staff producer at Welsh National Opera, before going on to work with Opera Theatre Company Ireland as artistic director from 2004 to 2012 and Danish National Opera as general manager and artistic director from 2012 to 2017.
When she was directing Puccini’s Madama Butterfly for Glyndebourne Tour in 2016, Miskimmon told the Observer about the influence growing up in Northern Ireland had on her. “Growing up in Belfast – actually just outside, in Bangor – left a profound mark,” she said. “From an early age opera helped me escape the Troubles, as well as being central to my own imagination.”
Miskimmon has said she draws influence from an “uncool artistic cocktail”, including the Muppets, Deacon Blue, Ella Fitzgerald, Stephen Sondheim, Radio 4 drama, Shakespeare, Hitchcock and Gerard Manley Hopkins.
Harry Brünjes, chair of ENO, said the recruitment process had been “diligent, long and thorough”. “We were really impressed by Annilese, who brings with her significant experience of working as a director and developing an artistic programme,” he said. “Her creative ideas and knowledge of the opera and arts landscape will be invaluable. We look forward to welcoming her to ENO.”
ENO’s music director Martyn Brabbins, said: “I look forward very much to working alongside Annilese in planning future seasons at ENO. Her integrity as a colleague and artistic tastes and experiences will be the ideal match for today’s ENO.”
Miskimmon will remain in Oslo until the end of the 2019/20 season, and will have input about ENO’s future seasons from 1 January 2020.