Interview by Ann Lander for Opera Lively

"For me the quality of our productions is absolute top priority. Also, if you're a strong company with a good identity and reputation, private sponsors are easier to attract as people will want to be identified with you."

OL: There are people who say that the opera audience is an aging one and that opera needs to become more relevant to young people if it is to survive. What is your view?

I don't believe we should change the art form because we think then young people will come to it because young people aren't stupid

NM: "My view is that we have a political correctness which discriminates against older people. I think there's a great joy in welcoming older people to performances because they bring their whole life experience with them. But of course we do want to bring more young people to the opera but you don't do that by putting a DJ in your opera; you don't do that by making the art form one-dimensional. The only way you can do that is by inspiring young people to come to the opera as it is - as an art form. I don't believe we should change the art form because we think then young people will come to it because young people aren't stupid; they will see through that. 

Of course it has to do with your marketing strategy and how you present yourself. If you present yourself as an elite art form, young people are less likely to come but we do have a lot of young people attending our performances especially in the bigger cities in the west of the country."

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