At the General Assembly of the Opera Europa network of European opera houses held today in Vienna, the director general of the Estonian National Opera, Ott Maaten, was elected a member of the Board for the next three years.
Opera Europa is the leading umbrella organization of professional opera theaters and festivals, which today includes more than 230 members from 44 countries, and the organization's headquarters are located in Brussels. The Estonian National Opera is the only Estonian institution that has joined Opera Europa, and being part of its governing body gives the National Opera the opportunity to more actively introduce Estonian culture on the international stage. It also helps to implement the goal stipulated in the National Opera Act to participate in the international cooperation of musical theaters and to present their productions, singers, dancers and musicians abroad even more effectively than before.
According to Ott Maaten, opera as an art form has not lost its importance. Quite the contrary: in today's complex and changing times, people's desire for beautiful, deep emotions is increasingly felt. "In this context, it is important that Estonia can contribute with thoughts, words and advice in the umbrella organization of European opera houses," said Maaten.
In addition to the election of general director Ott Maaten to Opera Europa's advisory board, the accessibility and audience education team of the Estonian National Opera was also represented in Vienna, and education manager Tuuli Potik gave a presentation on cooperation with various social groups, which is a daily activity in the national opera, but still new in opera houses in many other countries.
In the photo, the president of Opera Europa, Karen Stone, and member of the board, Ott Maaten, director general of the Estonian National Opera (photo by Rein Mikk).