A few years ago, during a rare trip to Belgium, Mr. Coppens had coffee with Peter de Caluwe, the director of La Monnaie, and made clear his interest in designing for opera. In 2015 Mr. de Caluwe called on him for assistance when the costume designer dropped out of a production of Pascal Dusapin’s “To Be Sung”; working from his Los Angeles studio, Mr. Coppens drew replacement designs over a weekend. Mr. Coppens initially demurred. As a designer, Mr. Coppens had not shied from surreal zoological references. Stepping into his own “third act,” Mr. Coppens seemed in his element.

Source: New York Times March 22, 2017 20:03 UTC