Long Beach’s Andreas Mitisek named as one of ‘Next Wave’ talents

Classical music fans in Southern California have known for several years that Andreas Mitisek works minor miracles on a shoestring at Long Beach Opera. With limited financial resources, he has maintained the small company’s reputation as a risk-taker, embracing experimental and unconventional works that major opera houses tend to ignore.

Mitisek is among the 25 people named this month by Opera News as part of its “Next Wave” cover story. The venerated monthly, published by New York’s Metropolitan Opera Guild, chose 25 individuals the editors believe “are poised to break out and become major forces in the field in the coming decade.”

The Austrian-born Mitisek has served as the artistic head of Long Beach Opera since 2003. Last year, he was named general director of Chicago Opera Theatre for a five-year period. His double shift means that the two companies will share certain productions, including the upcoming staging of Philip Glass’ “The Fall of the House of Usher.”

Opera News singled out Mitisek’s penchant for staging pieces in unconventional locations, including a swimming pool, a parking garage and aboard the Queen Mary.

The company will begin its next season performing Gavin Bryars’ chamber piece “The Paper Nautilus” at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. The performances, Sept. 7-9, are part of the company’s new series “Outer Limits,” which will focus on chamber works.

Among the other talents included in Opera News’ list are directors Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch, composer Nico Muhly and countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo.

The magazine also chose two singers who recently performed at L.A. Opera -- tenor Alek Shrader, who appeared in Britten’s “Albert Herring” in February, and soprano Ailyn Perez, who starred in Puccini’s “La Boheme” in May.

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