A season of magic, mystery and magnificent music — read all about it 👉
Returning audience favourites, new productions AND the next in our acclaimed series of concert stagings — what are YOU most looking forward to?
Marching On Together! Celebrating our Orchestra’s first week back playing together- and we’ve heard there’s something else to celebrate in
#Leeds
this week... Huge congrats
@LUFC
#MOT
#ALAW
Puccini's TURANDOT premiered
#OnThisDay
in 1926.
To celebrate, here's Rafael Rojas with a special performance of the famous 'Nessun dorma'
@TrinityLeeds
(2017 – time flies!)
Rafael returns in
#ONAida
, opening
@LeedsTownHall
next week...
As a company, Opera North was established from
@E_N_O
more than 40 years ago in order to deliver opera across the North of England.
We offer our support to our friends and colleagues there facing difficult funding news this week. (1/3)
📽🎻 Presenting '2020: An Isolation Odyssey'
The
#Orchestra
of Opera North were due to perform Strauss' 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' in their final two concerts, so here's the iconic opening, in isolation, from their homes...
#OperaNorthAtHome
Watch more »
🥳🎂🥂 Happy 44th birthday to us!
Opera North was launched — as ENON, a satellite of
@E_N_O
—
#OnThisDay
in 1978, to deliver opera across the North of England.
Our inaugural production was Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila.
🎂🎉🍾 4️⃣0️⃣ 🍾🎉🎂
Happy 40th Birthday to us!
#OnThisDay
in 1978, Opera North was launched. Keep your eyes peeled today for archive photos of the inaugural performance, and more...
#OperaNorthAt40
What are your favourite Opera North memories?
NEWS: Announcing
@laurafcanning
as Opera North's new General Director & CEO, succeeding Richard Mantle OBE:
"I am looking forward to working with this exceptional team to continue to bring the joy of opera to our communities"👇
We were pleased to welcome our patron HRH The Duke of Kent to Opera North not long ago.
HRH watched the Orchestra rehearse, visited Costume and Wigs, saw our Education team in action, dropped into
@Howard_Assembly
and our restaurant Kino, joined us for
#ONPearlFishers
and more!
It is with huge sadness that Opera North has learned of the death of our much-loved Company Manager, Jane Bonner.
Jane worked for the Company for more than 40 years with true dedication, passion and great care for all of our artists.
She will be remembered very fondly by us,
The first notes played after 17 weeks & two days for the strings of Orchestra
@Opera_North
@LeedsTownHall
A seminal moment & the first step in the long road back to performing. Tomorrow we add the rest of the Orchestra.
So... which musical instrument will YOUR pancakes be in the shape of?
(You may have seen these before, but we think they're *flipping* amazing!)
#PancakeDay
#ShroveTuesday
It's officially
#PianoDay
— the 88th day of the year 🎹
Celebrating with two fabulous pianists here (Chorus Master Olly Rundell and Repetiteur Philip Voldman) and The Magic Flute overture (this will wake you up!)
Congratulations, you've made it through today! 💪🤗
Here's a gift from us — our Ravel's Bolero
#flashmob
from the Orchestra of Opera North
@TrinityLeeds
. It never gets old...
From the beginning »
Great news! We have now been granted planning permission for our ambitious redevelopment project.
This will create a world-class centre for the arts in the heart of
#Leeds
:
🎉 Huge congratulations to our General Director (of nearly 30 years!) Richard Mantle, who has been awarded a knighthood for services to opera in the King's first Birthday Honours
#SirRichardMantle
Introducing
#OperaNorthAtHome
: Over the next few weeks, you'll get to know our Orchestra and Chorus better as they each share something special.
First up, here's Andrew Mason, who misses being part of our
#clarinet
section, so... 😂😂😂
Following the news that
@E_N_O
will be moving their operational base to Greater Manchester, we look forward to working with ENO to build the future of opera and classical music, sharing innovative operatic experiences with audiences here in the North:
We are incredibly sad to learn that tenor Rafael Rojas has passed away. A key member of the Opera North family, Rafael sang many roles here throughout his hugely distinguished career.
We are privileged to have known and worked with him. A full tribute will follow.
Celebrating
#WorldOperaDay
with Mascagni's soaring Easter Hymn from
@SopranicBrit
and Opera North ensembles. Goosebumps!
This day was created to raise awareness of the power of opera and the arts to entertain and touch lives. Right now, that message is more important than ever.
Between Christmas and New Year (when time can seem to lose all meaning...), dive into the Rhine and explore Wagner's Ring cycle, in full, for free!
#ONRing
Watch »
🎻👷Bach on a building site — it's a thing... Here's Orchestra leader David Greed with Partita No. 2 in what will be our new music rehearsal studio!
#Violin
Explore the
#ONMusicWorks
redevelopment »
Guess what? Whether you're from the North, or the South, or anywhere, it's possible to love opera AND football!
In fact, here's our Orchestra with a little something recorded for
@LUFC
earlier this year...
#LUFC
#MOT
📢We’re seeking emerging female
#conductors
for our annual intensive nine-week training scheme.
This traineeship was launched in recognition of the fact that talented female conductors are less likely to find a way into the industry:
NEWS: Delighted that
@GarryWalker74
will be Opera North's new Music Director, opening the 2019/20 season conducting
#ONGreekPassion
, and taking up post officially in August 2020:
📢 Excited to announce our 2020–21 season today! New productions, returning audience favourites, exciting collaborations and more...
#ON2021
Read all about it »
This will potentially deny tens of thousands of people in London and beyond the chance to experience opera.
We believe audiences everywhere deserve this opportunity, right across the country. (2/3)
With great sadness, we have learned of the death of our founding Music Director, David Lloyd-Jones.
During his tenure (1978-1990), David was the powerhouse of the Company, and we wouldn't be who we are today without his passion and determination.
A full tribute will follow.
All the best to
@katieemilybray
, who competes for England in
@cardiffsinger
tonight!
Here are just some of Katie's roles with us over the past few years. Watch it here or catch the live stream:
Happy
@WorldOperaDay
🎉
On the final opening night of his 30-year tenure, General Director Sir Richard Mantle brought the *whole company* of Opera North on stage
@GrandTheatreLS1
for a special moment. Watch for the curtain raise!
Celebrating you all today 👏
#WorldOperaDay
We love an infographic!
While our Parsifal (scheduled for this Spring) has had to be postponed, you can still get your
#Wagner
fix via
#ONRing
online.
Watch »
📢We’re seeking emerging female
#conductors
for an intensive new ten-week training scheme.
This scheme is in recognition of the fact that talented female conductors are less likely to find a way into the industry than their male counterparts.
Before the end of the year, we plan to mount concert performances of FIDELIO with an outstanding British cast, opening
@LeedsTownHall
before touring venues in the North
#Beethoven250
Dates and venues will be announced ASAP.
More »
We're excited to be hosting England's first 'dementia-friendly' opera performance today, welcoming 300 people (those living with
#dementia
+ their families and carers) to
@GrandTheatreLS1
.
Looking forward to making it a special experience for all!
@DementiaFriends
@DementiaUK
🦊 Can't wait to give hundreds of school pupils their first
#opera
experience with our School Matinees of The Cunning Little Vixen this season — at every venue!
For Upper KS2+ and includes resource pack.
Sign up »
🎻 Happy
#WorldViolinDay
!
Here's Bach's Concerto for Two Violins played by
@jack_liebeck
and our recently retired Orchestra Leader of 44 years, David Greed. More »
What are YOUR favourite
#violin
pieces?
"Can I call on Baba Bach, and on my ancestors to collaborate in the same space?"
@Abel_Cellist
, as both classical musician and African musician, asks 'Where is home?' in his recording for
#ONResonance
(our residency that supports BAME artists)
In full »
🎉Richard
#Wagner
was born
#OnThisDay
208 years ago. Make sure any celebratory singing is harmonised like so... ⬇️
Do you have a favourite Wagner opera?!
📢 Delighted to announce
@StillmanKatie
as our new Orchestra Leader (only the second ever Leader in Opera North's history!) 👉
“I’m thrilled that Katie will be joining us following David Greed’s decision to step back after over 40 years with the Company.
🥞Here's your challenge for
#PancakeDay
2021. What will it be? Contrabassoon? Tubular bells?!
(Disclaimer: We didn't make these pancakes ourselves but think they're *flipping amazing*)
Lament for lost love — Paula Murrihy sings 'Che farò senza Euridice' from our new film documenting the recording of Gluck's
#ONOrfeo
@LeedsTownHall
earlier this year.
Available to watch in full later today, and catch the
@BBCRadio3
broadcast tomorrow »
😍New atrium! We'll be welcoming the first audiences into this beautiful public space this week — our
@Howard_Assembly
in
#Leeds
reopens...
Still a few tickets left for tomorrow's test event »
📸:
@TomArber
📢 NEWS: The Orchestra of Opera North will return to
@LeedsTownHall
next Friday for their first live concert in five months! A milestone on our return from lockdown 💪
Feat. Mendelssohn, Schubert, and Mozart. Tickets go on sale Monday:
All the best to
@Abel_Cellist
for
@bbcproms
tonight! Programme includes an excerpt of 'As You Are', commissioned by Opera North for our soundwalk last year. Here's a snippet of the original recording...
Listen live on
@BBCRadio3
7pm »
We are hugely grateful to
@ace_national
and
@DCMS
for their continued support for our work.
This investment in our future is a vote of confidence which enables us to plan with certainty for 2023-26.
Full statement »
#Singing
can do so much for our wellbeing, including:
😊Releasing endorphins
🫀Introducing more oxygen into the blood
🫁Improving lung capacity
🧠Helping mental alertness
💪Letting you express yourself
...and so much more!
#FromCouchToChorus
Not long ago, our 60 strong chorus – and trumpets – raised the roof of
@TrinityLeeds
with a special pop-up performance of AIDA's Act II finale. If you missed it, here's what happened...
#Leeds
In full:
🎂 Happy 140th birthday to
@GrandTheatreLS1
!
This beautiful building opened
#OnThisDay
in 1878, and has been our home since Opera North began (100 years later) in 1978.
Share your
#Leeds
Grand Theatre memories with us!
#LeedsGrandAt140
🎭🎉 Missed this view! Delighted to say we'll be making a return to
@GrandTheatreLS1
(our home venue of more than 40 years) in Jan-Feb 2021. Season of work to be announced...
“Everything is new and strange”...
But we’re all very excited to be back in front of an audience for the first time in 5 months at
@LeedsTownHall
tonight
After over 30 years of involvement with Opera North (many as our Head of Music), we say goodbye to the wonderful
@pickard_martin
👋
Here's a little something recorded during lockdown...
Martin conducts tonight's final
#ONFalstaff
@The_Lowry
💪
"We are concerned to learn of the Government’s intention to impose a 50% funding cut on the provision of arts training at HE level.
The success of our creative industries depends on a good arts education at all levels being accessible to everyone."
Happy
#WorldTheatreDay
. Can't wait for this view.
Keep your eyes peeled for exciting announcements (there might even be some news this coming week!) as we move back towards LIVE events...
What are you most looking forward to about being back in a
#theatre
?