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Following English National Opera’s season announcement for 2025/26…

Ronald Samm and Gweneth Ann Rand return to ENO as Father Grenville and Kitty Hart in Anniliese Miskimmon’s new production of Jake Heggie’ Dead Man Walking, conducted by Kerem Hasan. This unmissable new production marks the 25th anniversary since the work was premiered at San Francisco Opera. Camilla Roberts understudies the role of Kitty Hart.

Trevor Eliot Bowes returns to ENO as Dick Deadeye and Rhonda Browne makes her company debut as Buttercup in the of first revival Cal McCrystal’s production of HMS Pinafore, conducted by Matthew Kofi Waldren.

Delighted to announce three of our artists will appear in Opera North’s 2025/26 season.

Following acclaimed performances as Queen of the Night this season, Nazan Fikret returns to Opera North as First Niece in Phyllida Lloyd’s production of Peter Grimes.  

Making his company debut Mark Nathan joins the Opera North Youth Chorus and Youth Orchestra as Count Heinrich in Judith Weir’s historical comic thriller, The Secret of the Black Spider. Following that he returns as The Banana in David Fennessy’s Pass the Spoon, a sort-of opera about cookery – a darkly comic feast of words, music and puppetry, made with decidedly adult ingredients. Mark will then understudy the role of Ned Keene in Peter Grimes.  

Making her company debut Lauren Young is the mezzo soloist in The Big Opera Mysterya family show and musical extravaganza where some of the suspects  are some of the greatest opera characters of all time.

We are delighted that British baritone Felix Kemp has joined our artist roster for general management. Felix is a former Britten Pears Young Artist, Momentum Emerging Artist, finalist at the 2021 London Handel International Singing Competition, and in the 2022/23 season made his debut at the Royal Ballet & Opera in Don Carlo.

In the current season he covers Marcello La bohème for English National Opera; performs Belcore L’elisir d’amore for Celebrate Voice; and joins the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company as Strephon Iolanthe and Florian Princess Ida. Concerts include Zelenka Lamentations with Ensemble Diderot at the Opéra de Rouen and Kölner Philharmonie; Vaughan Williams Serenade for Music with Outcry Ensemble; and Verdi Requiem at York Minster.

In Shostakovich’s anniversary year, Ronald Samm performs Shabby Peasant in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk as part of the BBC Proms 2025.
 
John Storgårds conducts the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Chorus of English National Opera and BBC Singers, in this semi-staged performance at the Royal Albert Hall on 1 September.

We are delighted that Korean soprano Binny-Supin Yang has joined our artist roster for general management. Binny is currently in her second year of the Royal Academy Opera course, where she studies with Mary Nelson and Jonathan Papp.

In 2025, Binny joins the Leeds Song Young Artist Programme and is a semi-finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier Award. Later this season she performs First Niece Peter Grimes for British Youth Opera.

For Royal Academy opera she has performed rols including Königin der Nacht Die Zauberflöte, Gretel Hänsel und Gretel, Emmie Albert Herring, Dalinda Ariodante, Madame Herz Der Schauspieldirektor, and opera scenes as Blonde Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Binny has performed in concert venues across Korea and the UK, including the Korea Cultural Centre UK, Kumho Art Hall Yonsei and Wigmore Hall.

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.

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.