"..the interpretation of Calderon and the Filarmonica was inspired, from the beginning of the woodwinds which foreshadows what is about to come, until the last movement...The second movement was memorable, with the delicate waltz, flowing in the most natural manner." (Gonzalo Saavedra, El Mercurio)


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"Rani Calderon's Aïda - a revelation!

Giving the young israli conductor Rani Calderon his first Aïda, Raymond Duffaut offers the public a brilliant reading of a score which they surely believed to have heard a hundred times... what Rani Calderon let us hear - at the head of an Orchestre Lyrique de Région Avignon Provence in a real state of grace - was unheard of. Moreover, the triumph of the evening confirmed, if one could say so, a performance of an incredible density. And modestly the conductor pretends simply to play the score as written, liberating it from certain traditions. Under his baton appeared tempi of breath-taking subtleness accompanying the drama with sharpness at every instant, the sounds of strings whose misterious melismas and diamond-like precision give birth to hitherto unknown melodies, without mentioning the sound palette whose density made tangible the waves of the Nile and the sands of the desert, the enormous light of the victories and the darkness of the most romantic of all graves." (Robert Pénavayre, www.classictoulouse.com)

"At the podium, Rani Calderon, like a magician, sublimates the orchestra of the OLRAP and makes it take wings by the tip of his baton. Singers and musicians are in the palm of his hand, he does not let go of anything, and leads them wherever he wants. His gestures are precise, elegant and marvellously inspired. Holding the thread of our emotion, this young israeli conductor suspends us at his breath and musicality." (www.ledauphine.com)

"The young conductor Rani Calderon, born in Israel, leads with his precise baton the Orchestre Lyrique de Region Avignon Provence, this phalanx whose qualities of  balance and accuracy are remarkable. His conducting channels the energies in order to bring out a score which is incisive and refined, both on the level of dramatirugical architecture with its cleverly led progression as by the constant musical invention which alternates moments of intimacy with spectacular choral scenes..." (Marguerite Haladjian, www.anaclase.com)

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"Calderon exhibited full control and authority, with a tone both austere and expressive. The cadenzas - composed by him - were not mere virtuosity, but rather an integral working out of the principal themes. A great interpreter.
Both orchestra and conductor gave an overwhelming interpretation of Beethoven's seventh. The tempi (on the limit of speed!) of the third and the  fourth movement reminded one of Wagner's word: "Apotheosis of dance"." (Jaime Donoso, "El Mercurio")

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"The orchestra of the Capitole, concentrated and sensitive, follows admirably the fiery conducting of Rani Calderon. The beauties of the score - touched by the most subtle german romanticism - come to life in the happiest way. All the flavours of the delicate orchestration are there, the force and the power too. Every solo player honours the intentions of Weber, who continues the characters' thoughts in the orchestra. A chamber-music like dialogue often takes place between the orchestra and the singers."  (Hubert Stoecklin, classiquenews.com)

"But it is through the interpreters united under the baton of Rani Calderon that such an intense pleasure is obtained by this melange of sensations and sounds. One can feel right from the overture - played with a vibrating though carefully controled lyriscism - that this young conductor has made it his mission to serve the score, whose organisation he respects. Thus, though deprived from a production, the audience could clearly follow the dramatic progression by a precise measurement of the sonirities, achieved with excellent success, taking nothing away from the intnesity of Act II, for example, where the evil couple expose their soles, or from the Act III bursts of the hunters' chorus, while at the same time conserving the unique caracter of apotheosis of the last scene... Indeed, it is maybe the souplesse which defines best the conducting of Rani Calderon, the very quality which Weber wanted for his german opera in"the new style", and which gives his music... an irresistible charm." (Maurice Salles, www.forumopera.com)

"The matinee starts quite well with an overture lifted up by the impulse of the young israeli conductor Rani Calderon. He will conduct the score from end to end with an impressive precision and authority, but also with the abandon required by certain arias, notably those of the title role." (Emamanuel Andrieu, www.anaclase.com)

"The conducting of the young israeli conductor Rani Calderon, solid, precise, dynamic, gains from the second act  in admirable emphasis, expressive force and souplesse. The perfect coordination which he achieves between the orchestra, the chorus and the soloists.. is all to his credit. He brings to life and combines with talent the sequence of the various off-stage music  interventions along the performance."  (Serge Chauzy, www.classictoulouse.com)
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"Rani Calderon, in front of the Orquesta Filarmonica, gives life to the farsa with a bumbly conducting full of precision, knowing well that the different roles are characterized by means of the rhythm dictated by the music. This way, the action on the stage takes place in the pit too, and from the pit goes back to the stage even more emphasized and optimistic. The maestro had absolute success in the final concertato of the first act, in the coffee quintet and in the "Pappataci" trio. No one wanted to leave the theatre last night." (Juan Antonio Munoz H., El Mercurio)

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"The lyrical effusion of Rani Calderon

Rani Calderon, the new musical director of the Philharmonic orchestra, moves with delicacy towards the encounter of the "sublime and involuntary joy", and the enormous coitus interruptus offered by the opera arrives - in the style of Carlos Kleiber in 1980-82 - with a controlled musical effusion, suggesting impetuosity rather than yielding to it. A pure romantic lyricism. From the somewhat timid beginning of the 'celli unison, Calderon's way becomes more and more amiable, ending in an exaltation in "Mild und leise", interpreted by the soprano and the orchestra as if it were a lied." (Juan Antonio Munoz H., El Mercurio)


"Calderon's vision is passionate, volatile, keeping the progression as one should from the first bar of the prelude - in which he underlined the pauses - until the last chord of the Liebestod without straying from the tempestuous story." (Claudia Ramirez, La Tercera)

"The success of the production would also not have been possible had it not been for the dazzling performance of Santiago’s philharmonic orchestra. Under the direction of renowned Israeli conductor Rani Calderon, Wagner’s complicated composition came to life, and the orchestra skillfully captured the tension and anticipation that permeates Tristan and Isolde. Each act was preceded by an overture, setting the mood for the action to follow, and it was during these moments that the true skill of the ensemble was on full display." (Katheryn Hamilton, Revolver)

"The young baton of Calderon had a titanic job in maintaining unity in this work of gigantic dimensions...the general performance of the orchestra was of the highest level, and Calderon, who took off with a somewhat exaggerated enthusiasm, was colouring his hand in order to lead his ship with finesse, without sacrifying for this purpose the expressive cargo of the score." (Alvaro Gallegos M., Radio Beethoven)

"In the pit there are two great triumphers. One is the Philharmonic Orchestra of Santiago, in what is perhaps the most succesful performance of its new era. The second is Rani Calderon, the new musical director of the orchestra from 2010, who handles the music of this "Tristan" with full authority, controling every detail of this extensive and complicated score, which we heard projected through the eyes of refined romanticism." (Mario Cordova, Las Ultimas Noticias)
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"...He abords the Danses of Galanta (Kodaly 1933) free of bad taste folklorism, as well as with an undeniable narrative and dramatic sense, in which one certainly recognizes the opera conductor, privileging the fidelity to the letter, especially in whatever concerns the rapidity of the tempi...
in the interpretation of Beethoven (Symphony no.2), full of dynamism yet never brutal, he hits home particularily in the Scherzo, full of flow and spirit..." (Simon Corley, Concerto Net.com)
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"Rani Calderon, in the pit, made a big impression; his sense of the drama is evident, as well as his gifts as colourist." (M.P., LesEchos.fr)

"Rani Calderon, whose fluid gestures one discovered, was infinitely attentive to all the details of the score. He sculpted a round sonority with the Philharmonic Orchestra of St Etienne, preferring moderate tempi and the most eloquent breathings." (Jean-Luc Perrot, leprogres.fr)

"The evening is also marked by the superlative quality of the musical direction of Rani Calderon: the orchestra is playing completely together, one can enjoy every nuance, up to the grand fortissimi appropriate to french Grand Opera, a solo violin of the Meditation to be listened to with closed eyes, in short a transcendant orchestra, and a great conductor to follow up!" (Francois Jestin, Scenes Magazine, Geneve)
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"Coup de chapeau for the elegant conducting of Rani Calderon who, while taking care of his singers, succeeded in sculpting his vision of the score exploiting each one of its contrasts." (Nicolas Blanmont, "La Libre Belgique")



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"Conductor Rani Calderon led his large forces with full control, and the fine opera orchestra did justice to the rich, exotic palette of this superb score." (Yehoash Hirshberg, Opera News)

"..and there is also a joyful discovery: the young israeli conductor Rani Calderon did an excellent thorough work. He gave a different, more sophisticated Puccini. The Rishon leZion Orchestra sounded wonderful." (Hanoch Ron, "Yediot Acharonot")

"The enormous dramatic and highly charged tension, ambience, atmosphere and effects of Puccini's Turandot were impressively created by the Israeli Opera Orchestra, the Opera Chorus, the Tel Aviv Philharmonic Chorus and the Bat Kol Chorus, conducted by Rani Calderon" (Ury Eppstein, "The Jerusalem Post")

"…however, amidst this enormous spectacle there is a clear logic, derived from the music: everything which happens on stage – the movement, the action, the acting – is submitted to the baton of the conductor, Rani Calderon… the tempo is swift, the sound is clean and each one of the exotic instruments is clearly heard… the coordination between the stage director and the conductor creates a continuous dramatic tension and an exciting musical theatre…" (Yermi Pinkos, "Yediot Tel-Aviv")

"The opera is conducted by the young, charismatic and energetic Rani Calderon, who easily controlled the Rishon-leZion orchestra as well as the dozens of performers on stage. His conducting was precise, full of grace and powerful." (www.parshan.co.il)

"The stage was full of dozens of singers...who created an impressive musical abundance under the baton of the young and energetic conductor Rani Calderon." (Yon Feder, www.Ynet.co.il)


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"The orchestra is lead by the masterful baton of Rani Calderon, with expressive gestures and an accomplice attitude with the players."  (David Tong, www.classiquenews.com")
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 "..the young Israeli conductor conducts with an impressive precision and authority, but also with the needed abandon. He excels in exploiting every dynamic contrast, infuses a real sense of theatre and the orchestra of the ORW… seems visibly happy to play under his baton." (Nicolas Blanmont, La Libre) 

"Rani Calderon, with an overall view and deep knowledge of the piece…led the drama with tight, terrific yet never harassed tempi…" (Thomas Tillmann, Online Musik Magazin) 

"At the head of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera of Wallony, the young Israeli conductor Rani Calderon makes the pults tinkle. One has recently heard him in Brussels, where he conducted "Le Voyage a Rheims" with the same flame, the same authority and the same precision. Out of this music, which resembles all different kinds of music of its time without ever finding its proper identity, he brings out with humor the respirations of Donizetti, Rossini, Verdi and even Wagner… It seems that Rani Calderon has conquered both the orchestra… and the liege public who has given him a standing ovation…" (Caroline Alexander, webthea.com) 

"It should be also mentioned that the israeli "chef" Rani Calderon is not only handsome, but to watch him conducting is in itself an extraordinary spectacle!" (Le Journal de LOL)

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"The music is well conducted by Rani Calderon. The Orchestra has the needed coloring and is skillfully coordinated with the soloists' voices, with no over forcing, and with a beautiful flow and moments of suspense." (Romina de la Sotta, radiobeethoven.cl)

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"On the podium of the International Orchestra of Italy, the young Israeli conductor Rani Calderon has made his debut, leading the Meyerbeerian itinerary with lucidity, making it enjoyable in every detail. Posessing an incisive and fiery hand gesture, Calderon has given us the essay of the "other Rossini" – Meyerbeer – with an extremely equilibrated interpretation, balancing perfectly the orchestral sounds and the melodic singing of which the score is made…Warm success for all the interpreters,… unanimous consensus for Maestro Calderon. " (Dino Foresio, operaclick.com) 

"On the podium leads Maestro Rani Calderon glowing and circumspect, breathes with his singers and transmits the feeling that here music and staging are in perfect harmony." (opernnetz.de) 

"All this is skillfully brought to conclusion by the elegant Israeli conductor Rani Calderon.." (Giovanni Fornaro, Drammaturgia.it) 

See the recording of the opera

Read my article on the opera

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"The revelation of the evening is with no doubt the young Israeli conductor Rani Calderon, who understood that Rossini does not require so much a nervous dynamism, but rather a very delicate balance between precision and roundness, which he seems to obtain with no difficulty from the chorus and orchestra of La Monnaie." (Stephan Moens – De Morgen) 

"If the evening was nevertheless pleasant and above all rossinienne, it is principally thanks to the Israeli conductor Rani Calderon…Under his conducting, the orchestra played with an airy touch, a breath cutting brio and an impressive precision, giving the right value to each characteristic of the composer's spirit." (Willem Bruls – De Standaard) 

"Rani Calderon is an enthusiastic and precise conductor, he leads an excellent orchestra of La Monnaie with flow and energy, mastering beautifully the ensembles…" (Richard Letawe, resmusica.com) 

"Rani Calderon… made the musicians of the Symphonic Orchestra of La Monnaie almost dance…"(Caroline Alexander, webthea.com)

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"Both the Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chorus of the Teatro Municipal had, in the hands of Rani Calderon, a fabulous evening. The young conductor brought a great reading of the score, which won the recognition of the public in the end of the interlude which separated both acts." (Sebastian Ferrada, ClasicayOpera.cl)

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