Lorraine Worsley-CarterIt’s Figaro’s wedding day – or is it? Poor, honest to the core, Figaro, is as a happy man, as any prospective groom would expect to be on his wedding day. That is, until he realises his master, Count Almaviva, to whom he is deeply loyal, holds...
Carmel ThomasonTim Albery’s critically acclaimed 2012 production of Handel’s Egyptian epic, Giulio Cesare (Julius Caesar) is just as thrilling in this latest revival from Opera North. Opera North’s production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare Heather Lowe as Sesto and...
Martin ThomassonMichael Barker-Caven’s able revival of Phyllida Lloyd’s 1993 production of La Bohème for Opera North, gives us a layered and richly rewarding take on Puccini’s classic tale of bohemian Paris. Lloyd’s transposition of this late Victorian tale to the...
Love to sing? Sing ON is a chance to learn from the best, at an afternoon workshop with the critically-acclaimed Chorus of Opera North at The Lowry. The event is suitable for adult singers of all abilities, with no requirement to read music or to...
Opera North may have found the perfect cultural response for our fast-paced digital age – ballet and opera in one evening. The pairing of Stravinsky’s ballet The Rite of Spring with Puccini’s one-act opera, Gianni Schicchi at first seems an unusual...
James Brining can usually be found in the director’s chair at the Leeds Playhouse where he’s been Artistic Director for the last six years. This month, however, sees him take the plunge into the world of opera, directing The Magic Flute in a...
Opera North is celebrating 40 years as the opera company for the North of England and what better way to celebrate than with a new production of one of the most accessible and popular operas, Puccini’s Tosca. If you are looking for an introduction...
Opera has been inspiring people around the world for more than 400 years. So why is it viewed by many as exclusive and elitist? If you think opera isn’t for you, we bust some of the common myths that might be holding you back from experiencing it...
To say that Sukanya is Ravi Shankar’s only opera, while true, gives a misleading impression of his talent and influence on world music. Knowing he began writing it in the eighth decade of his life tells us more about his enthusiasm for music and his...
Nothing beats opera for dealing with extremes of emotion, and as themes go they don’t come much darker than the child abuse and murder at the centre of Peter Grimes. Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts’ Grimes is, on first appearance, an imposing, monstrous...