Website

website

facebook

instagram

youTube

Email

email

Phone number

phone

Eurozone

Utopia is a new international project of the conductor Teodor Currentzis. From a formal point of view, Utopia is the international orchestra that seeks to bring together the best musicians from all around the world, which is structurally, financially, and organizationally independent of any other collectives and institutions. In its substance, it is an idealistic attempt to find an approach to music creation which makes it possible to reach the inner essence of a musical text.

The idea of Utopia emerged several years ago. Its point of departure is the simple truth that the willingness of musicians to devote themselves to serious preparatory and research work is just as important as musical mastery in order to achieve visionary artistic goals. Therefore, Utopia is not so much an orchestra in the conventional sense of the word, but rather a special creative community, a team of like-minded people with a shared musical ideology. They join together to create without compromise what their musical imagination comes up with in order to find the best sound.

Utopia is the orchestra based on the time-limited association of musicians from all over the world. The musicians come together specifically to create each new programme. The cast of the orchestra varies depending on the instruments stipulated in the score. 116 musicians from 30 countries took part in the first project: Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK, Ukraine, the USA, and Venezuela.

The orchestra is funded with proceeds from concerts and supported by Kunst und Kultur DM Privatstiftung and various European patrons.

Two tours of the new orchestra have been scheduled for the 2022/23 season. The first Utopia concerts were given in October 2022. The orchestra performed Igor Stravinsky’s and Maurice Ravel’s pieces in some of Europe’s most important venues supporting the project, namely Philharmonie Luxembourg, Laeiszhalle Hamburg, Wiener Konzerthaus, and also in the Berliner Philharmonie. In June 2023 in a series of concerts Utopia will present its interpretation of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3

Utopia Orchestra

Company

Approved

2024

2023

Organization contributor ID

include virtual contributors

Accordionist

Instrumentalist

Archlutenist

Baroque Flutist

Baroque Oboist

Baroque Trumpetist

Bassist

Bassoonist

Cellist

Clarinetist

Contrabassist

Cornettist

Flutist

Guitarist

Harper

Harpsichordist

Hornist

Lutenist

Mandoline Player

Musette de cour Player

Oboist

Organist

Percussionist

Pianist

Recorder Player

Saxophonist

Tenor Violinist

Timpani

Trombonist

Trumpeter

Tuba Player

Vibraphonist

Viola Pomposa Player

Viola da gamba

Viola d’amore Player

Violinist

Violino Piccolo Player

Violist

Actor

Broadcasting

Choir

Choreographer

Chorus Director

Chorus master

Composer

Conductor

Costume designer

Dancer

Dramaturge

Executive producer

Extra

Hairstylist

Illustrator

Librettist

Lighting designer

Makeup artist

Orchestra

Orchestra Operations

Other

Photographer

Poet

Repetiteur

Set designer

Sound designer

Stage Manager

Stage director

Teacher

Translator

Video designer

Vocal coach

Wig & Makeup Designer

Writer

Writing and performance

Baritone

Singer

Countertenor

Bass-baritone

Soprano

Contralto

Tenor

Mezzo-soprano

Bass

Alto

Child vocalist

Continuo

Silent

Spoken

Teodor Currentzis

Teodor Currentzis: "I think, music is the incredible energy that has an opportunity to connect people"

Utopia

English

Matias Vergara Moyano

The musicians have just conducted a full-scale cycle of rehearsals at the Philharmonie Luxembourg and now they are going on tour:

▪ October 5 — Laeiszhalle Hamburg 
tickets: https://bit.ly/3UnTROJ
▪ October 7 — Wiener Konzerthaus 
tickets: https://bit.ly/3M4y4I2
▪ October 8 — Wiener Konzerthaus: Chamber Music Concert
tickets: https://bit.ly/3RBnMQK
▪ October 9 — Wiener Konzerthaus 
tickets: https://bit.ly/3Cbx53Z
▪ October 11 — Philharmonie Berlin
tickets: https://bit.ly/3xGDva2

The programme of the first Utopia concert encompasses the works exemplify the creative mindset of the first decades of the 20th century. The orchestra will perform Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird suite in the rarely performed third version of 1945 and two compositions by Maurice Ravel: the Daphnis et Chloé suite No. 2 and choreographic poems for orchestra La Valse.

On October 8 the Utopia Chamber Music Ensemble is going to interpret compositions from recent music history. In doing so, it creates a sound that sometimes seems orchestral in a chamber music setting. Impressionist works such as Ravel’s Trois poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé, compositions from Stravinsky’s neoclassical and later, serially influenced creative phase as well as Xenakis’ Okho from 1989 are performed. The ensemble takes a look into the 21st century with works by contemporaries Pascal Dusapin and Alexey Retinsky.

Video

Completed

Utopia | European tour

Media Type

Media Tag Type

The Valencia-born clarinettist Manuel Martínez started his musical journey from Prokofiev's "Peter and Wolf" in early childhood. Now he goes on exploring new creative spaces by performing classical solos with rock-'n'-roll energy and enjoying jazz grooves in his free time.

▪️ I come from a family of musicians from Valencia, Spain. My father is a clarinetist, and I have fond memories of him playing various melodies for me at home. I used to ask him to play the solo from Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, and I enjoyed sitting next to him and listening to his music. When I was 6 years old, I started playing the Piccolo Clarinet because it was small and suitable for my size and age.

▪️ The Eb Clarinet plays a crucial role in Mahler's third symphony. Each intervention is practically a solo due to its high register, and my goal is to bring to life the vision that Mahler had in mind. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to play it with Teodor during his first headline concert in Stuttgart, with the SWR orchestra.

▪️ Mahler was well familiar with the clarinet and its capabilities, as he composed music specifically for his musicians. In this symphony, he utilizes the clarinet as both a solo instrument in lyrical parts and a sharp, rhythmic component. By blending it with the strings and brass instruments, he creates unique and captivating colors.

▪️ Teodor is a genius with a distinct musical vision. His creativity and profound understanding of musical works continue to astonish me every day. What truly stands out to me is his ability to shape melodies and the nuanced phrasing he employs, which is highly influenced by the human voice.

▪️ I try to bring music to as many people as possible, especially young individuals who may feel disconnected from "classical music" due to perceiving it as boring or exclusively for older generations. I believe it is our responsibility to change this perception and for them to see us as they do pop or rock stars—musicians who exude a new energy that resonates with them.

▪️ While I thoroughly enjoy playing the works of Mahler, another composer I greatly admire is Shostakovich, along with Rachmaninoff. The Rachmaninoff Second Piano Concerto is one of my all-time favorite compositions.

▪️ During my free time, I often enjoy listening to jazz music by artists such as Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett, Paquito D'Rivera, and Marco Mezquida. Additionally, I have a deep appreciation for various art forms, including painting, cinema, and architecture. Sports, particularly football, are also a significant interest of mine, and I am a passionate fan of Valencia F.C.

▪️ To me, Utopia represents the ultimate happiness that every human being strives for, translated into the language of sound.

Image

Manuel Martínez

Pending

Utopia Orchestra

Seasons

Upcoming performances

Company online presence

Explore Operabase