GREAT CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR MARTINU AT OPÉRA DE NICE
In March Antony conducted a new production of “Juliette” by Martinu at the Opera de Nice Côte d’Azur. In the phantasy-full direction of LeLab (Jean-Philippe Clarac and Olivier Delœuil) the title role was sung by Ilona Revolskaya. The main character on stage was tenor Aaron Blake, boldly jumping in in the very last moment. Together with a splendid cast and a superb Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, it became a very special show, hugely appreciated by audience and critics.
OLYRIX
Antony Hermus’ musical direction is precise and powerful, expansive yet airy, diving straight into the deep end of the orchestral pool. He draws from the pit a music of urgency and steel—sharp, corrosive, transparent, and energetic. His conducting follows the narrative dynamics on stage with cinematic precision, like a film score pulling at the voices. The Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice delivers its tutti and soli with rhythmic and timbral precision.
OPERAACTUAL.COM
Antony Hermus elicited from the orchestra an emotional reading without ostentation, sonorous yet restrained, linear and clear, supporting the libretto’s many dramatic effects with a spectrum of rhythms and colors as rich and varied as a dream itself.
OPERA ONLINE
The production is already anchored in Antony Hermus’ dancing and narrative musical direction, which makes fragments speak and ensembles soar. The almost bel canto sonorities of the electrifying Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice guarantee precision and brilliance, guided by a conductor who leads them straight to the vastness of his vision. As in Jenůfa in Rouen (2022) and Rusalka in Strasbourg (2019), not a single dead moment disturbs this jubilant, hallucinatory flow of active, organic music at the edge of catharsis. Antony Hermus orchestrates effervescence and transparency, simultaneously exposing mischievous characters and overwhelming voluptuousness. With him, music never ceases to reveal its harmonic richness and flattering contradictions.
LE FIGARO
Mastermind of this total spectacle, the highly energetic Dutch conductor Antony Hermus starts off slightly overcharged, risking excessive volume, but soon finds balance, drawing from the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice a precision and color that do justice to a work of boundless imagination.
CLASSIQUENEWS.COM
Under the baton of the German-Dutch conductor Antony Hermus, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice delivers a masterful interpretation of this complex and nuanced score. The musicians capture Martinů’s spirit perfectly, blending jazz, classical, and modern influences in a sonic flow that is both energetic and poetic.
RESMUSICA
Under Antony Hermus’ baton, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice’s masterful interpretation of this highly turbulent work plays a key role in the success of an aesthetic shock that mirrors the experience of Martinů’s protagonist.
FORUMOPERA
The musicians of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice offer a dazzling, nuanced performance, enthusiastically applauding their conductor, Antony Hermus.
LE MONDE
In the pit, at the helm of a fully committed Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, maestro Antony Hermus works wonders.
CONCERTCLASSIC
The acoustic quality of the Opéra de Nice, so beloved by Montserrat Caballé, perfectly suits the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, which, under Antony Hermus’ direction, is wholly immersed in this splendid score—a work that one must absolutely discover. A guaranteed aesthetic epiphany!