Officially, Bach never composed an opera. Yet the dramatic power of his St Matthew Passion hits the listener with full force — especially when conducted by Leonardo García-Alarcón. Renowned for his fiery interpretations of Baroque opera, he imbues the music with a vibrant, almost organic energy. “Unrivalled,” wrote the NRC, “it was impossible to escape it”: to hear passion in its purest form, look no further.
Having conducted the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra at De Doelen in 2026, with the Laurens Collegium and the Nationaal Jongenskoor providing the choral parts, Leonardo García-Alarcón will take the helm of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra as part of the work’s tercentenary celebrations.
Leonardo García-Alarcón, conducting
Valerio Contaldo, tenor (The Evangelist)
Sophie Junker, soprano
Hugh Cutting, countertenor
Laurence Kilsby, tenor
Andreas Wolf, basse (Le Christ)
Orchestre royal du Concertgebouw
Nederlands Kamerkoor, choir
Nationaal Kinderkoor, children’s choir