News
Decline of WNO reflected by meagre new season
Cash-strapped Welsh National Opera has announced its 80th anniversary season with just one full opera, a double bill, a chamber-scale work, a children’s show and family concert, and a Welsh language joint theatre venture. The announcement comes as the company looks for a new musical director to replace Tomáš Hanus. The new season understandably…
Waterperry Opera Festival appoints John Savournin as new CEO and Artistic Director
John Savournin has been appointed as CEO and Artistic Director Waterperry Opera Festival. Chair of the Board, Judith Tew, said, “John brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and energy toWaterperry to lead the next phase of our rapid growth as a festival and a developer of the next generationof talent in opera. He is passionate…
New ENO Music Director and 2025-2026 season
English National Opera (ENO) announces the appointment of André de Ridder as its new Music Director and unveils details of its programme for the 2025/26 Season. Public booking opens on 4 June 2025. The 2025/26 Season, including five new productions, major broadcast collaborations and revivals, will also mark André de Ridder’s first conducting engagement as…
Opera Holland Park announces its 2026 Season
In a year that honours 30 years since Opera Holland Park was established, the 2026 Season will open with a new production of Giacomo Puccini’s La fanciulla del West. The Season also includes a new production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte, which will also be performed by the 2026 Young Artists. A reimagining of the enchanting…
Grange Park Opera 5-year Ring Cycle partnership with Orchestra of English National Opera
Grange Park Opera (GPO) has announced its new Ring Cycle, starting in 2026, will be a partnership with the Orchestra of English National Opera. The five-year orchestral partnership will start with Das Rheingold, then Die Walküre (2027), Siegfried (2028) and Götterdämmerung (2029), before an entire Ring Cycle in 2030. The agreement will also see the…
Cowbridge Music Festival 2025
Tickets are now on sale for Cowbridge Music Festival 2025, a celebration of Welsh talent, global voices, and new commissions. The festival take splaces between September 12 and 21 at venues across the Vale of Glamorgan town. The organisers promise this year will present an eclectic and vibrant line-up across ten days this September, blending…
Mid Wales Opera big jump in ticket sales for 2024 SmallStages tour of Pagliacci
Touring across Wales and the Borders, visiting 12 local venues which are rooted in their community, the Mid Wales Opera 2024 SmallStages tour of Pagliacci saw a 37% increase in average ticket sales per venue compared to the previous year. After receiving a lifeline in the form of a grant from Powys County Council’s Shared…
Jonathan Lyness: Bringing Opera to the SmallStages, Pagliacci’s Journey and the Fight to Keep Touring Alive
In Ruggero Leoncavallo’s iconic opera, Pagliacci, we witness the tragic unraveling of a man consumed by jealousy and grief, his theatrical role tragically mirroring the heartbreak of his own life. It’s a story that speaks to the vulnerability of the human condition—a theme that resonates with touring companies today as they face the very real threat of dwindling…
Mid Wales Opera fights on with Pagliacci
Mid Wales Opera has saved Arts Council of Wales funding annhiliation to be able to annoucce that tickets are now on sale for their upcoming SmallStages production of Pagliacci. The SmallStages tour of Pagliacci is a continuation of MWO’s commitment to bringing high-quality opera to communities across Wales and the Borders and will run from October…