Fisch named to Opera post

Seattle Opera has named Asher Fisch, an Israeli conductor who has appeared with the company since 2003, as principal guest conductor. The announcement came Tuesday afternoon in an Opera board meeting, where company general director Speight Jenkins praised Fisch as a conductor who "is vastly knowledgeable about opera, has impeccable taste, has a great deal of experience in the practical decisions of working in an opera company, and finally, has great rapport with the musicians who comprise our orchestra."

Fisch, who is based in Israel and the music director of the Israeli Opera, is a 2006-07 winner of the Seattle Opera Artist of the Year award. He made his company debut in 2003 with "Parsifal," and most recently, conducted both "Der Rosenkavalier" and "The Flying Dutchman" here. Among the highlights of his association with Seattle Opera was the 2006 International Wagner Competition (he'll also conduct the second such competition Aug. 16, 2008).

As the company's principal guest conductor, he will play a large role in future conducting and he will serve as "an important musical adviser" to Jenkins, who has been with Seattle Opera since 1983.

"Asher Fisch has conducted some of the greatest performances of Wagner and Strauss that Seattle Opera has ever enjoyed," Jenkins said in a prepared statement. "I consider it an honor to Seattle Opera that he has accepted my offer to be principal guest conductor."

Fisch made his U.S. debut in 1995 at Los Angeles Opera. Since then, he has conducted at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Houston Grand Opera. Fisch has conducted operas in Europe at Vienna Staatsoper, Royal Opera Covent Garden, Berlin Staatsoper, Bayerische Staatsoper, and Royal Danish Opera, among others. He also conducted Wagner's "Ring" at the State Opera of South Australia. Among his symphony credits are appearances with the Munich Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, Japan's NHK Symphony, Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, and Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal.

Fisch is also a pianist, and he has conducted several Mozart piano concerti and Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" from the keyboard. He also has performed the four-hands version of Stravinsky's "Le Sacre du Printemps" with Daniel Barenboim in Berlin. Next year, he will also make his debut at the Teatro alla Scala conducting Lehar's "Merry Widow."

Melinda Bargreen: mbargreen@seattletimes.com