In English Touring Opera’s newly announced autumn 2025 season:
Timothy Nelson returns as Belcore in Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love, directed by Martin Constantine and conducted Alice Farnham.
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Trevor Eliot Bowes returns as Collatinus in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, Robin Norton-Hale and conducted by Gerry Cornelius.
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Following The Royal Ballet & Opera’s season announcement for 2025/26…
Harry Nicoll returns to The Royal Opera House as First Priest in Sir David McVicar’s much loved production of Die Zauberflöte, he is joined by Wyn Pencarreg as Second Priest making is debut in this production. Performances are conducted by Marie Jacquot.
Wyn returns later in the season as Alcindoro in Richard Jones’ production of La bohème, conducted by Lorenzo Passerini.
Alison Kettlewell understudies Catherine Wyn-Rogers as Auntie in the first revival of Deborah Warner’s production of Peter Grimes, conducted by Jakub Hrůša.
The first single from Joanna Harries‘ debut album Letters from Scandinavia, is out today. The album, with pianist Sholto Kynoch, features little recorded and world premieres of 19th century Lieder taking in Grieg, Stenhammer, Agathe Backer Grøndhal, Laura Netzel and Sibelius, interwoven with commissioned works from Peter Facer.
Today’s release, and Gramophone Magazine’s Video of the Day, is Säg mig, du lilla fogel by little known Swedish composer Laura Netzel (1839-1927). The score for this song only exists, in a handwritten manuscript in the Swedish Music Heritage archives, and Joanna transcribed and transposed it for recording.
More singles will be released in coming months ahead of the album release on CRD Records on 5th September 2025.
Delighted to see English National Opera’s production of The Turn of the Screw in The i Paper’s Classical music isn’t dead yet – these 10 performances proved it, review of the year.
Jessica Duchen’s review in The i Paper can be read here.
Nazan Fikret will make her Polish debut at the opera house in Poznań as Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte, with performances in April 2025.
These performances will follow her Opera North debut in the same role.
“Nazan Fikret powers through the Queen of the Night’s ledger lines with tremendous zest and admirable precision.”
(The Times)
“…a formidable Queen of the Night…”
(MusicOMH)
We are delighted that Scottish mezzo soprano Lauren Young has joined our artist roster for general management. Lauren is a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) Alexander Gibson Opera School and was an inaugural studio artist at the Mascarade Opera Studio in Florence.
In the current season she performs Rosina Il barbiere di Siviglia (Longborough Festival Opera); Annie in R&D workshops of Displaced: A Woolwich Arsenal Opera (coalign); and covers Maddalena in Jonathan Miller’s production of Rigoletto (English National Opera).
Among her recent highlights are Baba the Turk The Rake’s Progress, Tisbe La Cenerentola, Mathilde Ottone (English Touring Opera); Daughter 6 Akhnaten (English National Opera); Mezzo The F*ggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions (Ruhrtriennale Festival); and Vanamaka Zonnendanz Donizetti’s Viva la Diva (Buxton International Festival).
We are hugely sad to announce the death, after a short illness, of Ben Thapa. It was a huge privilege to know and work with him.
Ben was well known for his performances in oratorio, opera, and as a member of the vocal group G4. He will be missed by so many, and we send our thoughts to his family, friends, and colleagues.
Following English National Opera’s season announcement for 2024/25…
Ailish Tynan and Gweneth Ann Rand perform Governess and Mrs Grose in Isabella Bywater’s new production of The Turn of the Screw, conducted by Duncan Ward and Charlotte Corderoy. This is the first time Ailish will perform at ENO since her debut in David Alden’s production of Radamisto in 2010.
Timothy Nelson performs Belcore in the relaxed performance of Harry Fehr’s new production of The Elixir of Love.
Trevor Eliot Bowes performs Antonio in this first revival of Joe Hill-Gibbins’ production of The Marriage of Figaro, conducted by Ainārs Rubiķis.
Ronald Samm performs the Earl of Ruthven in the ENO premiere of Thea Musgrave’s Mary, Queen of Scots, in a new concert staging, conducted by Joana Carneiro and directed by Stuart Laing.
Jeni Bern and Ronald Samm perform as Karolina and Ladislav in The Two Widows with the Birmingham Opera Company, as part of the Smetana 200 Festival in Litomyšl, Czech Republic. The new production is directed by Lorenzo Ponte, with Lada Valesova as musical director.
In summer 2023, Birmingham Opera Company hosted the 13th European Opera Directing Prize. The €25,000 prize was awarded by Camerata Nuova. That prize is enabling the winning team, headed by Lorenzo Ponte, to create their new production of the Birmingham Two Widows to mark the bicentenary of the Smetana’s birth. The Birmingham version of The Two Widows was created by Graham Vick and Christopher Willis, with sung text translated by David Pountney.
Nazan Fikret will make her debut at Opera North next season as Queen of the Night in James Brining’s production of The Magic Flute, with performances in February (Leeds) and March (Hull).
She last performed the role at Glyndebourne in 2020, where she was lauded with praise by the critics.
“Nazan Fikret sparkled through the Queen of Night’s high-wire acrobatics…”
(The Telegraph)
“…this fast-rising soprano had all the notes and flexibility the part requires.”
(Opera Magazine)
Following hugely successful performances in 2021, the Scottish Opera production of The Gondoliers with Mark Nathan as Guiseppe will be available to watch worldwide on OperaVision for 3 months from 4 May 2024. This will be the first time the streaming platform has presented a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta.
“In particular, Mark Nathan with his ‘Rising early in the morning’ caught the pace and timing perfectly.”
(Bachtrack)
“A real patter-ish highlight, baritone Mark Nathan peerlessly stylish in Giuseppe’s long solo… works charismatic magic.”
(The Arts Desk)
Following The Royal Ballet & Opera’s season announcement for 2024/25…
Rhonda Browne and Alison Kettlewell make their their debuts at The Royal Opera House as Filipyevna and Madame Larina in Ted Huffman’s new production of Eugene Onegin, conducted by Henrik Nánasi.
They also perform Schwertleite and Rossweisse in Die Walküre, the second instalment of Barrie Kosky’s new Ring Cycle, conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano.
Alison will also understudy Karita Matilla as Kostelnička in the first revival of Claus Guth’s production of Jenůfa.
Simon Wilding understudies the roles of Luther and Crespel in Damiano Michieletto’s new production of Les contes d’Hoffmann.
Ailish Tynan performs Christine in the world premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s opera, Festen, based on the 1998 Danish film of the same name, directed by Richard Jones and conducted by Edward Gardner.
Wyn Pencarreg returns as Alcindoro in Richard Jones’ production of La bohème, conducted by Speranza Scappucci.
Niall Anderson returns to the Opéra national de Paris next season for two productions. In the autumn he will perform Priest/Armed Man in Robert Carsen’s staging of The Magic Flute, conducted by Oksana Lyniv.
In the spring he returns as a Flemish Deputy in Krzystof Warlikowski’s staging of Don Carlos, conducted by Simone Young.
Both productions take place at the Opéra de Bastille.
We are delighted that English bass Simon Wilding has joined our artist roster for general management. Born in Leigh, Lancashire he studied at the Royal Northern College of Music.
In the current season he performs Hunding Die Walküre (Pacific Opera Victoria, London Opera Company); Fafner Das Rheingold, Siegfried (Longborough Festival Opera); and Pistol Falstaff (West Green House Opera). Further ahead he returns to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Highlights in recent seasons include 2nd Soldier Salome (Royal Opera House); Sparafucile Rigoletto (Opera Holland Park); The Doctor/Clerk The Nose (Royal Danish Opera); Employee / Watchman / Servant / Policeman / Gentleman / Acquaintance of Kovalyov in Barrie Kosky’s production of The Nose (Royal Opera House, Komische Oper, Teatro Real); Russell The Exterminating Angel (Royal Danish Opera); Sacristan Tosca (Grange Park Opera); and Judge Turpin Sweeney Todd (West Green House Opera).
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