Podcasts about Welsh National Opera

Actor Jessica Lange discusses her latest film, an adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize winning play Long Day's Journey Into Night, in which she plays Mary Tyrone, a woman with a morphine addiction at the centre of a dysfunctional family, and a role for which she previously won a Tony Award on Broadway. Welsh National Opera's new joint CEOs Adele Thomas and Sarah Crabtree talk about their plans for the organisation. And acclaimed artist Alison Watt talks about her latest exhibition, From Light, inspired by 19th century architect Sir John Soane and showing in his former home, Pitzhanger Manor in London. Presenter: Kirsty Wark Producer: Mark Crossan

RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey is joined again by Vidar Hjardeng MBE, Inclusion and Diversity Consultant for ITV News across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands for his audio described theatre review of the year plus a couple of highlights of shows he is looking forward to seeing in 2025.  Audio described theatre highlights of 2024 included - The reimagining for the stage at the RSC of Mark Ravenhill's 2013 radio play' Ben and Imo', which told the true story of the passionate partnership between Benjamin Britten and Imogen Holst. The touring production of the Lawrence Olivier award winning comedy musical retelling of Jane Austen's ‘Pride and Prejudice (Sort Of)' with only a cast of five women on stage playing all the characters of Pride and Prejudice.  Welsh National Opera's production of Verdi's Rigoletto at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff which had a bit of a Jacobean feel to the costumes and maybe some influences of Shakespeare coming through too. At the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and a musical that is all about first love and finding your voice with ‘Becoming Nancy' based on the novel of the same name by author songwriter, music producer and singer Terry Ronald. Staying with Musicals at the Birmingham Hippodrome with Lin-Manuel Miranda's multi award-winning cultural phenomenon that is Hamilton.  Vidar also mentions a few highlights of shows that he is looking forward to seeing in 2025 too.  (Image shows RNIB logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'See differently' underneath)

India is renowned for its rich dance traditions, but rarely for ballet. Pia Sutaria is changing that. Pia's career has been immensely varied – from ballet to modern, from TedX talks to musical theatre. She's also an RAD dance teacher, and in 2018 set up the Institute of Classical & Modern Dance in her home city of Mumbai. It aims to broaden access to dance, and particularly ballet, for those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to pursue it. Students from the ICMD are already training in some of the world's best vocational schools. Pia tells us how Billy Elliott brought her to ballet, and why dance matters to her. Pia Sutaria is a registered teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance. She also received the Disney Theatrical Scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, London and performed in the UK tour of the musical Bombay Superstar, with Welsh National Opera and more. Her performances in India and beyond include touring internationally with Navdhara India Dance Theatre. She has represented global brands and gave a TEDx talk on dance and classical ballet in India. In 2018, Pia founded the Institute of Classical & Modern Dance (ICMD) to make vocational training in dance accessible to young artists in India. The school has successfully sent students on scholarships to top performing arts institutions in Europe, UK and USA. Institute of Classical & Modern Dance https://icmdindia.com/faculty/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey is joined again by Vidar Hjardeng MBE, Inclusion and Diversity Consultant for ITV News across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands for the next in his regular Connect Radio theatre reviews. This week Vidar was reviewing Welsh National Opera's production of Verdi's Rigoletto at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff with description by Professional Audio Describers Julia Grundy and Jonathan Nash. About Welsh National Opera's production of Verdi's Rigoletto Depravity and deceit: a life disintegrating... Step into the raucous court of the Duke of Mantua where Rigoletto, the court jester, uses vicious wit to conceal his tormented heart. In a world teetering on the edge of debauchery and deceit, his only joy is his daughter, Gilda. When the charming but womanising Duke sets his sights on Gilda, his actions set in motion a tragic chain of events where a father's love and treachery collide in a crescendo of passion and heartbreak. Set against the backdrop of a decadent and ruthless court, this heart-wrenching tale explores the intricate web of love, betrayal, and the consequences of power. Verdi wrote that Rigoletto was his best opera, and with its rich tapestry of emotions and unforgettable melodies – including opera's most famous quartet and the instantly recognisable La donna è mobile – it's easy to see why it transcends time and continues to resonate long after the curtain falls. Welsh National Opera's tour of Verdi's Rigoletto continues until 16 November 2024 and for more about the tour including details of audio described performances do visit the following pages of the WNO's website - https://wno.org.uk/whats-on/rigoletto#venues-and-tickets https://wno.org.uk/access (Image shows RNIB logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'See differently' underneath)

Today's episode is with Fleur Snow, Director and co-host, Jeremy Boulton. Fleur Snow is a stage director and musician from West Wales. For the 2023-2024 season, she is resident staff director in St Gallen, Switzerland, and she will take up her next position in the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz, Munich from September 2024. She is an organist and speaks English, Welsh, French, Italian, and German. As a director, recent projects have focused on contemporary opera and historical gesture. These include adaptations of Oscar Wilde's The Duchess of Padua (The Space, London), Jamila Gavin's Coram Boy (Atmospheres, RWCMD) and Dido and Aeneas (RWCMD). Other credits include Julia Plaut's new opera for children, The Y Knot (The Croft, Cardiff); a digital adaptation of Julius Caesar; Ristorante Don Alfonso; Postgraduate Scenes (RWCMD); and Under Milk Wood at Brasenose College. Fleur works in the UK and internationally as an assistant director. This year at St Gallen, Fleur was assistant director for Les Misérables (Josef Köpplinger), Ernani (Barbora Horáková) and Lili Elbe (Krystian Lada). Further afield, Fleur assisted on Evgenij Onegin (Julien Chavaz) at Teatro Massimo, Palermo; Gianni Schicchi (Damon Nestor Ploumis) at Alden-Biesen, Belgium; and the Swedish première of Du Är Min Nu (Gérard Watkins) in the Göteborgs Stadsteater as a 2023 European Theatre Convention Scholar. At home in the UK, she has worked with Welsh National Opera on Migrations (Sir David Pountney), Opera Holland Park for La Bohème (Natascha Metherell), and West Green House Opera for L'Elisir d'Amore (Victoria Newlyn). https://fleursnow.co.uk/ -- Hosted by Jessica Harper (soprano) & Jeremy Boulton (baritone), 'So You Think You Can Belto?' was created to empower emerging operatic practitioners across Australia and the world with access to the direct knowledge and relayed experiences of professionals. It aims to help inform emerging artists by holding a mirror to the opera system so that artists can make their own individually-informed decisions about auditions, competitions, engagements, and more. You'll hear everything from in-depth artist interviews, to long form panel discussions on topics concerning emerging artists. BUY JESSICA A COFFEE: ⁠⁠https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/32TKWJ6EQ7G8N⁠⁠ TWITTER: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/sytycanbelto⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ FACEBOOK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/soyouthinkyoucanbelto⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ INSTAGRAM: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/soyouthinkyoucanbelto⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HASHTAG: #SoYouThinkYouCanBelto JESSICA: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jessicaharpersoprano.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ JEREMY : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jeremyboulton.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the individuals that appear on the program, not the views of the organisations that they are employed by, nor who they represent in other capacities.

Carrièredrift, uitbuiting, ijdelheid: niks menselijks is de klassieke muziek vreemd. Platenlabels gooien jonge musici op de markt, via Instagram boetseert menigeen aan zijn imago. Hoog tijd dat Joris en Guido stilstaan bij marketing en hype. Wie voelde zich verantwoordelijk voor Janine Jansen? En is Lorenzo Viotti de ophef waard? Speellijst * Andrew Lloyd Webber, Pie Jesu, Charlotte Church (sopraan), Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera o.l.v. Sian Edwards * Sergej Rachmaninov, Prelude op. 23 nr. 5, Valentina Lisitsa (piano) * Jean Sibelius, Allegretto uit Vioolconcert, Janine Jansen (viool), Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra o.l.v. Klaus Mäkelä * Maurice Ravel, Pianoconcert voor de linkerhand, Bertrand Chamayou (piano), Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest o.l.v. Lorenzo Viotti * Frédéric Chopin, Etude  op. 10 nr. 12, Yunchan Lim (piano)

Neil Armfield AO is a leading Australian director of theatre, opera and film. Alongside Rachel Healy, Neil was Artistic Director of Adelaide Festival between 2017 and 2022. Prior to that, Neil was the inaugural Artistic Director of Belvoir St Theatre, which he also co-founded, for 17 years.   As Artistic Director of Belvoir, and for other companies, Neil has directed well over 100 productions, with a focus on new and Indigenous writing, Shakespeare, David Hare and Patrick White.  Some highlights include; The Tempest, Hamlet, Up the Road, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, Keating!, Toy Symphony, Dallas Winmar's Aliwa, Angels in America, A Cheery Soul, Signal Driver, The Blind Giant is Dancing and Things I KnowTo Be True. Neil's production of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman opened in late 2023 to glowing reviews. Produced by GWB Entertainment and Red Line Productions at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne, it starred Anthony LaPaglia and Alison Whyte. After the success of the Melbourne season, the play will be presented at the Theatre Royal Sydney in May/June 2024.   In 2022, Neil directed the world premiere of the oratorio Watershed: The Death of Dr Duncan by Joseph Twist at the Adelaide Festival, and Glyndebourne Festival's production of Brett Dean's Hamlet at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Neil directed the same production of Hamlet at Munich's Bayerische Staatsoper in July 2023. For the 2021 Adelaide Festival, Neil directed the Australian premiere of A German Life by Christopher Hampton, starring Robyn Nevin, as well as Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream in the Festival Theatre. Later that year he directed an acclaimed production of Rameau's comic masterpiece Platée for Pinchgut Opera. In addition to his extensive work in Australia, many of Neil's productions have played internationally. These include Cloudstreet (toured to London, Dublin, Zurich, New York), The Diary of a Madman (with Geoffrey Rush, toured to Moscow, St Petersburg, New York), Exit The King (Broadway), The Book of Everything (toured to New York), The Judas Kiss (toured Australia with Bille Brown, London, New York and Toronto with Rupert Everett), The Secret River (adapted by Andrew Bovell, toured to Edinburgh Festival and London) and the world premiere of David Hare's I'm Not Running for National Theatre in London. Neil frequently collaborates with major opera companies, having directed productions at The Metropolitan Opera, English National Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Chicago Lyric Opera, Zurich Opera, Bregenz Festival, Washington National Opera, Opera Australia, Pinchgut, Canadian Opera, Welsh National Opera, and Houston Grand Opera. In addition to classics by Mozart, Britten and Wagner, Neil directed the premieres of Frankie and The Eighth Wonder by Alan John, Whitsunday by Brian Howard, Love Burns by Graeme Koehne and Bliss and Hamlet by Brett Dean. For screen, Neil directed and co-wrote the feature film Candy, starring Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish, which screened at over twenty international films festivals including In Competition at the Berlinale. Neil was awarded Best Adapted Screenplay at the AFI Awards and an AWGIE for Best Screenplay. Neil's second feature film Holding the Man premiered at Sydney Film Festival in 2015. For television, Neil directed miniseries Edens Lost for ABC (AFI Award Best Director and Best Mini-Series), The Fisherman's Wake (by Andrew Bovell), which won an ATOM Award for Best Original TV Production, and Coral Island (by Nick Enright). Over his distinguished career, Neil has received 2 AFI Awards, 12 Helpmann Awards and several Sydney Theatre, Victorian Green Room and Sydney Theatre Critics Circle Awards. He holds Honorary Doctorates from Adelaide, Sydney and NSW Universities, and in 2007 was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts.

A much loved baritone from New Zealand, Teddy Tahu Rhodes has captured the hearts of audiences here in Australia and in many parts of the world. An ARIA, Helpmann, and Limelight award-winner, he has given renowned performances in classics such as Don Giovanni and Carmen, and premiere performances in new works including The End of the Affair and Dead Man Walking. He's performed for Opera Australia, the Metropolitan Opera, the Welsh National Opera and the Bavarian State Opera to name just a few, and regularly sings in concert. Limelight magazine said of his voice “there is a velvet richness, a great resonance, and a touching sense of fragility." Teddy takes us through his evolution as a singer, from boy soprano to opera star, and getting through his uncertainty and unwillingness in grasping his first big break. Teddy Tahu Rhodes performs Mendelssohn's Elijah with the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs under the artistic direction of Brett Weymark at the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House on 18 May. He then performs in La Rondine for the Victorian Opera from 8-10 August, and then returns to the role of Scarpia for performances of Tosca with the Wellington Opera, from the 11-15 September.

News now of a couple of opera productions from Scottish Opera that are coming up this spring and into early summer with audio described performances of Marx in London! and La traviata for blind and partially sighted people. RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey was joined by Scottish Opera's Audio Describer Catriona Gillies with an overview and insight into these two Scottish Opera productions. About Marx in London!: In London 1871, the spectre of communism might be haunting Europe, but Karl Marx's demons are far more mundane. Watched by a spy, chased by debt collectors, harried by his family (legitimate and not), and rescued repeatedly from financial ruin by Friedrich Engels, a single madcap day is the backdrop for a run of misadventures and mistakes. Marx might have envisioned an economic system that would restore order and equality to the workers of the world, but his own affairs are in chaos. Amidst this storm in a teacup, can he find an hour to write? Audio Described performances:  Theatre Royal Glasgow, Saturday 17 February Festival Theatre Edinburgh, Saturday 24 February, both performances at 7.15pm with touch tours at 6pm. About Verdi's La traviata: Violetta Valéry lives on borrowed time. In Paris' hedonistic high society, she wrings each day for its joys before her illness catches up with her. When the idealistic young Alfredo offers true love, happiness seems possible – but her past has exacted a price. Giuseppe Verdi's devastating tragedy – based on Alexander Dumas fils' novel, in turn inspired by a real woman – has inspired countless retellings, including cult favourite films Pretty Woman and Moulin Rouge!. With his characteristic eye for detail, Sir David McVicar (Il trittico, Falstaff, Pelléas et Mélisande) gets to the love and loss at the core of this doomed love affair in his passionate, gripping, and startlingly intimate production. Tanya McCallin's sumptuous designs centre Violetta's journey and enduring legacy despite her fleeting life. Verdi's magnificent score sweeps the characters through every shifting mood – from the wildly dramatic to the most vulnerable moments. This beloved production, which began life at Scottish Opera in 2008, has been seen at the houses of co-producers Teatro Real Madrid, Gran Teatre del Liceu, and Welsh National Opera.  Audio described performances: Theatre Royal Glasgow, Saturday 18 May Eden Court, Inverness, Saturday 25 May His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen, Saturday 1 June Festival Theatre Edinburgh Saturday 15 June, with all performances at 7.15pm and touch tours at 6pm. For more about Scottish Opera and audio described performances of their productions do visit their website - https://www.scottishopera.org.uk/access/audio-description-touch-tours (Image shows RNIB logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'See differently' underneath)

RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey is joined again by Vidar Hjardeng MBE, Inclusion and Diversity Consultant for ITV News across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands for a bit of a look back on his audio described theatre reviews of 2023 and some highlights for 2024 that Vidar may have already booked his tickets for! Vidar's highlights of 2023 included -  Matthew Bourne's Romeo and Juliet at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre,  Welsh National opera's production of Verdi's La Traviata at the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre, the musical My Fair Lady again at the Birmingham Hippodrome,  Hamlet at the Royal Shakespeare company in Stratford-upon-Avon,  For 2024 Vidar is looking forward to seeing - Birmingham Royal Ballet's production of The Nutcracker over the festive period, Hamilton at the Birmingham Hippodrome next summer, more Matthew Bourne and Welsh National Opera productions plus many more to look forward to next year. You can listen to all of Vidar Hjardeng MBE audio described theatre reviews from 2023 by searching For RNIB Connect Radio from where ever you get your podcasts. Image: RNIB Connect Radio Bright Green 20th Anniversary Logo

RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey is joined again by Vidar Hjardeng MBE, Inclusion and Diversity Consultant for ITV News across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands for the next in his regular Connect Radio theatre reviews. This week we had a heart-wrenching tale of thwarted love, scandal and self-sacrifice as Vidar was reviewing Welsh National Opera's production of Verdi's La Traviata at the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre on Thursday 9 November at 7.30pm with description by Professional Audio Describers Jonathan Nash and Julia Grundy. About Welsh National Opera's production of Verdi's La Traviata: Always the belle of the ball, Violetta, the most elegant courtesan in all of Paris, has her choice of wealthy admirers falling at her feet. She lives for the glamorous lifestyle of high society, but when she finds herself deeply in love with the penniless aristocratic poet Alfredo, she is willing to give everything up for him. Can she be accepted just as a woman who has fallen in love, or is she to remain a ‘fallen woman' whose love has no future? Based on Alexandre Dumas fils's novel, La Dame aux Camélias, Verdi's timeless opera features some of the most evocative arias and melodies including the instantly recognisable Brindisi (the drinking song) and the beautifully poignant finale, Addio del passato. Elegant and highly charged, WNO's five-star production will leave you in no doubt why this heart-wrenching tale of thwarted love, scandal and self-sacrifice makes La Traviata a favourite with audiences across the world. Sung in Italian, with English surtitles. For more about Welsh National Opera and audio described performances of their productions do visit the following pages of their website - https://wno.org.uk/take-part/access-performances Image: RNIB Connect Radio Bright Green 20th Anniversary Logo

In the thirty-fifth year of his career, Daniel Sumegi has sung over one hundred operatic roles on many of the world's major stages – including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Washington National Opera, Seattle Opera, as well as at Opera Australia.  He has also appeared in the opera houses of Bonn, Cologne, Frankfurt and Hamburg, as well as Paris, Barcelona, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Houston among many others. Regarded also for his dynamic acting, his broad repertoire encompasses all periods of music – from Monteverdi and Mozart to Britten, Tippett and Puts.  Equally comfortable as Strauss' Baron Ochs, Mozart's Sarastro and Commendatore, Verdi's Grand Inquisitor and Sparafucile, Offenbach's Four Villains or Puccini's Scarpia, he has participated in Ring Cycles in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Strasbourg, Cologne, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Seattle, Melbourne and Adelaide, most notably as Hagen.  He has additionally performed Hunding in concert for the Hong Kong, Atlanta, Stuttgart and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras. Daniel's 2021/2022 engagements included Die Walküre (Singapore), Salome (Victorian Opera), Fidelio (Dublin) and Bluebeard's Castle, Aida and Lohengrin (Opera Australia). Among other roles, he has sung Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Pogner) for Opera Australia, Salome (Jochanaan) for New Israeli Opera, Der fliegende Holländer (title role) for Malmö Opera in Sweden and Carmen (Zuniga) for Seattle Opera.  He also undertook his music theatre debut, as Judge Turpin in Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, seen in Sydney and Melbourne.   Past highlights include Don Carlo and Madama Butterfly (Metropolitan Opera), Der Rosenkavalier (Scottish and Welsh National Opera), Luisa Miller (San Francisco), Billy Budd and Rigoletto (Los Angeles), Parsifal (Hamburg, Barcelona, Adelaide), Salome (Washington, Hamburg, Leeds, Hong Kong), Der fliegende Holländer, Aida, Beatrice and Benedict and Barbiere (Seattle), Manchurian Candidate (Minnesota, Austin), and more than 25 principal roles for Opera Australia. He has collaborated with noted conductors such as James Conlon, Sir Andrew Davis, Charles Dutoit, Dan Ettinger, Asher Fisch, Valery Gergiev, Nicola Luisotti, Sir Charles Mackerras, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Renato Palumbo, Sir Simon Rattle, Carlo Rizzi, Donald Runnicles, Nello Santi, Sir Jeffrey Tate, Edo de Waart, Sebastian Weigle, and Simone Young. Daniel Sumegi appears on CD in Beatrice di Tenda and Seattle Opera's acclaimed Ring Cycle, and on DVD in the San Francisco Opera Production of Capriccio, Opera Australia's Don Giovanni, and the historic condensed Ring Cycle from Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires. In December, he makes his role début as Wotan/The Wanderer in OA's new production of Der Ring des Nibelungen. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au

For An Englishman Downunder , Fiona Watson interviews Ballarat based Tenor Jason Wasley, a principle performer for the Enduring Classics concert 'A touch of Spring. Held at Ballarat Anglican Catherdal, 2:30pm on Saturday 9 September. Australian tenor Jason Wasley received a scholarship in 1991 to attend the Victorian College of the Arts Opera Studio in Melbourne.  In 1993, Jason won the Herald-Sun Aria, which enabled him to further his studies in Europe.  The following year he represented Australia in the finals of the Placido Domingo World Operalia Competition in Vienna.  Jason then worked as an apprentice soloist with the Victorian State Opera, undertaking the roles of Sciarrone and The Gaoler in Tosca, Juan in Don Quichotte, Tarquinius in The Rape of Lucretia and Robin Oakapple in Ruddigore. After study at Bertrand Russell Institute of Languages in Italy, Jason moved to London where he was accepted into the National Opera Studio. There, he studied and performed in the roles of Figaro in The Barber of Seville, Silvio in Pagliacci, the title role in Billy Budd, Prince Tarquinius in The Rape of Lucretia, Sid in Albert Herring, Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, the title role in Eugene Onegin, Schaunard in La bohème and Belcore in L'Elisir d'Amore.  He worked for the Glyndebourne Festival and Touring opera companies performing in the chorus and covering the roles of the Second Prisoner in Fidelio, Patrocle in Iphigénie en Aulide, Morales in Carmen, the title roles in Eugene Onegin, Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni.  Jason has also worked with the Welsh National Opera's education programme, which included performing Don Giovanni and Escamillio from Carmen. He sang the Boatswain in H.M.S. Pinafore for D'Oyly Carte Opera, Figaro in The Barber of Seville for British Youth Opera, Peter in Hansel and Gretel for Clonter Opera and Belcore in L'elisir d'amore for Pegasus Opera Company.  He also sang Kullervo in the British premiere of Aulis Sallinen's Kullervo.  For Melbourne Opera, he has performed Papageno in The Magic Flute and Marullo in Rigoletto. For OzOpera, he sang Marcello in La bohème and Dancairo in Carmen. For Promac Productions he performed the roles of Pooh-Bah in The Mikado, The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance and Captain Corcoran in H.M.S. Pinafore.  In 2006, he moved from baritone to tenor and sang the tenor solos in Verdi's Requiem for the Melbourne Chorale, the roles of Don José in Carmen and Cavaradossi in Tosca for Melbourne Opera, the title role in Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex for Victorian Opera and Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly for OzOpera's national tour. Most recently, Jason Wasley has sung Alfredo in Opera Australia's touring production of La traviata, the tenor solos in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with Sydney Philharmonia, Florestan in Fidelio, Max in Der Freicschütz and the title role in Rienzi for Melbourne Opera, Verdi's Requiem with Sydney University Chamber Choir and Rodrigo in Otello for State Opera of South Australia. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kevin-harper1/message

Lindy Hume, AM, is one of Australia's leading directors, acknowledged internationally for fresh interpretations of a wide variety of repertoire, and for progressive artistic leadership of a number of Australian arts organisations, including Opera Queensland (2012-2017), Sydney Festival (2010-2012) and Perth International Arts Festival (2004-2007). She was also the first Artistic Director of West Australian Opera (1992-96), Artistic Director of Victoria State Opera and then OzOpera (1996-2001). Lindy has most recently been Creative Director of the Four Winds Easter Festival, Bermagui and is currently Artistic Director of the 10 Days on the Island Festival, Tasmania 2019-2023. In 2021 Lindy Hume was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the performing arts, particularly to opera. After a hugely successful year in 2021, during which Lindy directed The Marriage of Figaro for New Zealand Opera, Madama Butterfly for Welsh National Opera and The Barber of Seville for State Opera South Australia, 2022 saw her continuing in her roles as Creative Director of the Four Winds Easter Festival and Artistic Director of the 10 Days on the Island Festival, Tasmania as well as developing a new staged presentation of Schubert's Die Winterreise for Musica Viva's national tour of the work with Alan Clayton, which was also seen at the Barbican, in London. Lindy's production of Rigoletto was also presented by Opera Philadelphia. As a director, Lindy has created more than 50 major productions across Australasia including Carmen, Don Giovanni, Fledermaus, La Périchole and Les pêcheurs de perles (Opera Australia), Orlando, Trouble in Tahiti and The Barber of Seville (OzOpera), Alcina and Orpheus in the Underworld (West Australian Opera), Carmina Burana (State Opera of South Australia/The Australian Ballet), Idomeneo (Pinchgut Opera), Rigoletto and Lucia di Lammermoor (NBR New Zealand Opera). European productions include La bohème (Deutsche Staatsoper in Berlin, which was telecast live throughout Europe), Tolomeo (Musiektheater Transparant in Belgium), Radamisto (Handel Festspiele and Opernhaus Halle), A Streetcar Named Desire and Norma (Opera Theatre St Gallen in Switzerland), Così fan tutte (Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London), and Albert Herring and Phaedra (Aldeburgh Festival in the UK). She made her American debut in 2004 directing The Barber of Seville for Houston Grand Opera, returning in 2009 and 2013 to direct Rigoletto and Die Fledermaus respectively. Her production of “Cenerentola” was produced by NBR New Zealand Opera in 2015 and presented by Oper Leipzig and in San Diego in 2016. Lindy is recognised as a champion of new Australian work across a range of genres. As Artistic Director of OzOpera, she commissioned the MDTV project, award-winning screen operas with ABC TV, and major Australian works including Paul Grabowsky's Love in the Age of Therapy and Richard Mills' Batavia (with Opera Australia and the Melbourne Centenary of Federation Festival). In 2007, she commissioned and directed the world première of Richard Mills/Timberlake Wertenbaker's opera The Love of the Nightingale. New Australian work, a focus on contemporary Indigenous culture, the development of a distinctive regional identity and celebration of local communities have been fortes of her tenure as Artistic Director of the Perth International Arts Festival 2004-2007 and as Festival Director of the 2010-2012 Sydney Festival. Lindy has just directed a new production of Mozart's Idomeneo, in a co-production between Victorian Opera and Opera Australia. The production has just finished a season at the Palais theatre in Melbourne and will be seen in Sydney from February 20th to March 15th in 2024.It will be a part of the thrilling Summer season programmed by Lindy as Guest Creative Director. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts.

Learn about Wendy's Class About Wendy: Wendy Allnutt trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. She held the post of Head of Movement at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for 25 years and is a founder member of L'Oltrarno, Acting School in Florence. Other teaching credits include Colorado College USA, Conservatoire Stratford Ontario, Canada, Penn State summer schools, Laboratorio Internationale Teatro Degli Astrussi in Montalcino/St Mineato, l'Accademia SilviovD'Amico, Rome, LAMDA, Colby London Programme, BESG, and BADA. Movement Director: Sky TV's Fungus the Bogeyman (2016), BBC's Walking with Cavemen, and The Iceman Murderer. Wendy has been the Master of Movement at Shakespeare's Globe 1st season and recently Henry V1 parts 1, 2, and 3. Revival choreographer for Welsh National Opera's Magic Flute (Out of Joint / RNT) She Stoops to Conquer and A Laughing Matter, Romeo, and Juliet & Private Lives (Mercury) Brothers Karamazov, Maybe and Private Lives (Manchester Royal Exchange) India Song (Clywd), Goliath, Voyage in The Dark, and A Wedding Story (Sphinx). Bad Habits Slumping Animals into people Being in your body as an actor Just standing in the space. It takes quite a lot of understanding where your weight is in the space. Do you lean forward, which gives maybe an air of anxiety or enthusiasm? I would hate to say that if you stand in a certain way, it is a certain thing. Right. But we do read bodies. I work on trying to find a neutrality Neutral plus, so that your body is relaxed in line and ready to go. Your body and your voice, and your everything are ready to go. That's why you see so many British actors that you think are mind-blowing because they're ready. Musicians train every day. The actors don't, and if you're lucky enough, you need to be ready to play Hamlet now. Not in five weeks when you've done the work. No. Now. Yeah. And I think actors are a bit lazy about that. Are you keeping up with your instrument? It's about finding your inner self, your inner balance, and how your body works. It's a tough old business. It's not a nice game to play. We mustn't do mindless movement. Maybe you should challenge yourself on the treadmill, run towards something, or somebody's chasing you. It alters the way you run on the treadmill. I love it because it's talking about being conscious in your movement. I think that if we can apply a little bit of thought to why we do something about finding the weight in a movement. We have to keep the mind alive. There are so many things that block the mind off. You're going to be exploring conscious movement, that one to warm up the body, but also that can be used in learning what the conscious movement of your characters would be. I think you have to start with yourself. And discover maybe that your rib cage is very tight and that perhaps you can find a way to make it move a bit more. And also, if you change the thought, the quality of the movement changes. So again, if I reach up and I want to hail someone over there, it's a different kind of reach. That's what interests me about movement. How we move and why we move rather than just, it's an exercise. So that is actually if you are going to play an old person just for argument's sake. Why is their body decreed? What is it about their body? What are they? What are they working against? I mean, fears, for instance, in the Cherry Orchard. What is his body like? Is it just arthritis? What is it that makes his movements? And if you know the why and the how, then it's easier to inhabit the body of fears. To be bringing questions to you. The language changes the body. A physical imagination. Just try it. And try not to judge. Variation is what's interesting. It's not about being a clone.

Alison Gillies is an ArrangeMe power-user, cellist with the Welsh National Opera, and founder of quartetpad.com, the premiere sources of wedding music for string quartet. We had a fantastic conversation about adapting pop music, writing for strings, and connecting with your audience. Check out Alison's music at quartpad.com and youtube/quartetpad. Visit garrettbreeze.com for episode transcripts, arranging resources, and links to Garrett's music. Subscribe to the Garrett Breeze YouTube channel for video versions of the podcast. --- Support the podcast on Patreon. Give your choir the gift of new music this Christmas from holidaychoirmusic.com! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/garrett-breeze/support

Joe Roach......On this episode I chat to Operatic Tenor and Trainee Music Therapist Joe Roach from his favourite place in Clonmel, St Patrick's Well. Joe reminisces  about his days growing up in Dillon Street, being part of St Mary's Choral Society, but also working with Welsh National Opera and meeting King Charles. Also this week Dean McGrath joins me for Historic Clonmel, Forest Bathing comes to Crotty's Lake, news on a bike fundraiser, furniture upcycling and lots more. https://www.theclonmelpodcast.com

On St David's Day Front Row is coming from Cardiff with Huw Stephens bringing the latest arts and culture stories of Wales. Welsh National Opera's latest production is Blaze of Glory. The librettist Emma Jenkins and composer David Hackbridge Johnson talk to Huw Stephens about their new opera. Set in a Welsh Valleys' village in the 1950s, it follows the a group of miners who raise spirits following a pit disaster by reforming their male voice choir. Dawn Bowden, Deputy Minister for Arts and Sports, and Chief Whip in the Welsh Government, discusses cultural policy in Wales. Gary Owen talks about his new play Romeo and Julie, the story of young lovers in the Cardiff district of Splott. They're faced with circumstances that threaten to separate them but there the similarity to Shakespeare ends. And the Barry Male Voice choir, who are involved in the production of Blaze of Glory, perform live in the Front Row studio. Presenter: Huw Stephens Producer: Julian May and Rebecca Stratford

All the latest news from the opera world February 2023 1. News Round-Up Glyndebourne, Welsh National Opera, and Metropolitan Opera new seasons https://www.glyndebourne.com/autumn/glyndebournes-autumn-2023-programme-announced/ https://wno.org.uk/news/a-wnoderful-year-of-opera https://www.metopera.org/season/2023-24-season/ Royal Opera House and BP part ways https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/jan/25/bp-sponsorship-of-royal-opera-house-ends-after-33-years Opera coming up on the big screen https://variety.com/2023/film/global/amanda-seyfried-atom-egoyan-seven-veils-1235515416/ https://deadline.com/2023/02/toni-collette-odessa-young-nathan-silver-revenge-thriller-the-prima-donna-cornerstone-efm-1235248749/ 2. Interview - Flora McIntosh, Opera Up Close https://www.operaupclose.com/ Recorded 22 February 2023 Host - David Ward Interview - Flora McIntosh Production by Northern Opera Group

Puccini's El Trittico - three one act operas in one performance by Scottish opera in a co-production with Welsh National Opera of ‘El Trittico' directed by Sir David McVicar in Glasgow and Edinburgh with audio description. Puccini's El Trittico a trio of one-act operas of love and loss, El Trittico runs the gamut from high drama and heart-breaking tragedy to devilish black comedy and farce. Il Tabarro (The Cloak) sees a wife trapped in a marriage she yearns to escape, Suor Angelica (Sister Angelica) an outsider forced into a life for which she has no vocation, and Gianni Schicchi a dysfunctional family caught in the snare of a shameless conman. RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey was joined by Helen Lambert one of Scottish Opera's Audio Describers to find out a bit more about the two up-coming described performances of El Trittico.  Hellen began by giving Toby a bit of background to the story of each of the three operas, an idea of how the set and costumes will look and what the whole Scottish opera audio described experience would be like for blind and partially sighted people coming to the two up-coming described performances in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Puccini's El Trittico will be audio described at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow on Saturday 18 March and also at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh on Saturday 25 March with both performances at 6pm with Touch Tours starting at 4.30pm. More details about these and other Scottish Opera audio described performances can be found by visiting- https://www.scottishopera.org.uk/access Image: Scottish Opera logo

This week Ash + Avi chatted with Mezzo-Soprano Sophie Dicks. Sophie has been working in the UK opera industry since she was a student at Conservatoire . She has performed with Opera Holland Park, English Touring Opera, Welsh National Opera, and more. Sophie opened up to us about her vocal health journey as well as her newest journey of becoming a mother while continuing to pursue a career onstage. And as she says "everyone else has to just get on board with it." We know you will love Sophie and visits from her daughter Bowie just as much as we do. Enjoy! Sophie's links: Website | Instagram Our Links: Website | Instagram | Buy us a Coffee

Bogdan Rudnytski interviewed Ukrainian baritone Andrei Kymach who is making his debut in Australia in the title role in Don Giovanni at the Sydney Opera House (Jan 5 - Feb 17,2023). Mr Kymach moved his wife and children to Wales this year due to Russia's invasion and is devasted by the destruction and loss to his country. His Don Giovanni for Welsh National Opera earlier this year was described as “arresting, dangerous, even violent”. - З того часу, як він переміг у престижному світовому конкурсі "Кардіффські голоси", який проводиться раз на два роки у Британії, багато чого змінилося у долі вінничанина. А мова про талановитого Андрія Кимача, який уже за кілька тижнів дебютуватиме на австралійській оперній сцені в ролі Дон Жуана. І цікаво, що хоча наш співрозмовник ніколи не ходив до музичної школи, але зумів здобути освіту в консерваторії. І стрімко увірватися до плеяди найкращих професіоналів оперного мистецтва з усього світу...

Kate Molleson talks to Icelandic pianist Vikingur Ólafsson about his concerts at the opening weekend of the Southbank Centre's new season, and about his new double album, From Afar, on which all the pieces are recorded twice, on two different pianos. And, as a new production of Verdi's Aida opens at the Royal Opera House, Kate talks to director Robert Carsen, and to opera historian Flora Willson about how the famous ancient Egypt-set opera by an Italian composer is viewed by Egyptians. We also hear from Egyptian mezzo-soprano Gala El Hadidi, and from Cairo-based journalist Ati Metwaly about music education in Egyptian schools. Plus, Tom Service visits the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff to investigate Welsh National Opera's new production of Janacek's opera about immortality, The Makropulos Affair. Producer: Graham Rogers

Welcome to E&T Season William Robert Allenby Bass-baritone celebrated 40 years on stage in 2020, since his debut as Kurt in 'the Sound of Music' with the Northern Theatre Company, at the Hull New Theatre, in 1980. His career has taken him around the world in a variety of musical styles from Puccini through to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Rogers and Hammerstein. William was recently awarded Associateship (ARAM) in the Royal Academy of Music 2020 honours list for a significant contribution to the music profession.William's considerable vocal and comedic talents have taken him to major opera houses in many leading comic and dramatic roles, garnering universal critical acclaim. He has appeared at the Royal Opera Covent Garden, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, and Opera Holland Park, to name but a few.Following his days as a juvenile lead with the Northern Theatre Company in musicals and variety shows, William's major break-through came when he was engaged as a soloist for BBC Radio 2 in 1989. He has since appeared many times as a star singer on 'Friday Night is Music Night' in a variety of broadcasts of musicals and operetta and in international tours of 'Jesus Christ Superstar' with Westend International. William has also achieved considerable success in over 400 performances of his extremely popular one-man shows, 'An Enchanted Evening of Song' and 'The Music of the Night' in theatres around the UK and as a headline act aboard many of the luxury cruise lines in the US and Europe.I worked with Will on Luxury Cruise Liners and we have enjoyed a spot together in my first produced show in a theatre in 2005 when a character of mine named Jilly Pepper bravely duetted with this master of vocals, you can hear this later in this show.Although Eyes & Teeth is not purely music based, each guest is always linked to Variety in some way and Wills love for the art of Comedy and Variety goes deep and you hear this in his work as well as what he is bringing at Chichester University passing it on to students of Cabaret and Variety. He's paying it forward, so sit back and enjoy the work of the one and only Will Allenby

We continue to share some interviews that we did with members of MOLA, An Association of Performance Librarians, at their annual conference in June. We're calling these brief conversations "Scoring Half Notes". In this segment, we talk with Mark Fabulich, an assistant librarian at the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Mark is the chair of MOLA's Technology Committee. In that role, he guides its members as they stay on top of the latest digital developments and disseminate that information to the general MOLA membership. At the MOLA conference, Mark co-delivered a presentation entitled “(Y)Our Future with Digital Sheet Music” with Georgina Govier, head of music library at the Welsh National Opera, as well as with none other than Scoring Notes podcast co-host David MacDonald. We talk about the content of that presentation, as well as other technologies like Photoshop, spreadsheets, and, of course, music notation software — all of which today's performance librarian needs to have at their disposal in their modern digital toolbox. More from Scoring Notes: MOLA 2022: Advancements in music notation software MOLA 2022 conference wrap-up Half Notes: Jane Cross, keeping music files safe

Tom Service talks to composer Max Richter about his latest project, ‘The New Four Seasons', a new version of his critically acclaimed take on Vivaldi's piece, played this time on period instruments by Chineke! Orchestra and soloist Elena Urioste. Why period instruments and what new did he learn from the experience? We visit Welsh National Opera, in Cardiff, to see rehearsals for the epic production of Migrations, to open this month, exploring the good and bad of both humans' and birds' movements across centuries - from a slave in Bristol, to NHS doctors arriving from India, to the challenges refugees face today. Tom hears from composer Will Todd and some of the 6 librettists, among them Sir David Pountney, Eric Ngalle Charles, Shreya Sen-Handley and Miles Chambers. There's news of a concert next month called ‘Looking Forward: the Orchestral Music of Afghanistan', blending traditional folk instruments with Western instruments, featuring the Oxford Philharmonic and Afghan soloists. The repertoire includes new pieces by Afghan composers, in exile or still living in hiding. Tom talks to curators of this event, the conductor Cayenna Ponchione-Bailey and composer and conductor Arson Fahim, and also to two of the composers taking part: flute virtuoso Zalai Pakta, who's in Kabul, and Elaha Soroor, who lives in the UK. Vera Wolkowicz talks to Tom about her book Inca Music Reimagined, published this month, examining how South America looked to the ancient past, in the early 20th-Century, to rebuild national cultural identities, in a fascinating cultural process. We learn about the opposing approaches by two composers in Perú: Daniel Alomía Robles and José María Valle Riestra, and also how popular music appropriated this legacy.

A nosy trombonist (Melissa Brown) chats to fellow brass professionals about their careers, how they got there, and what music they'd happily put in the bin. In this episode Max Garrard (4th horn, Welsh National Opera) tells us about the move from a freelance career into the world of opera orchestras, we hear about his non-musical studies, and he gives some great performance anxiety advice. All episodes recorded during COVID-19 lockdown via video call programmes. There are occasional technical glitches - please bear with us! Facebook: Bold as Brass Podcast Instagram: @boldasbrasspodcast Website: boldasbrasspodcast.com Show artwork: Stuart Crane Music credit: Upbeat Forever by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5011-upbeat-forever License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey is joined again by Vidar Hjarding MBE, Inclusion and Diversity Consultant for ITV News across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands for the next in his regular Connect Radio audio described theatre reviews. This week Vidar was reviewing the audio described performance of Welsh National Opera's production of Puccini's Madam Butterfly at the Birmingham Hippodrome on Saturday 23 April 2022 with audio description by professional Describers Julia Grundy and Jonathan Nash. Madam Butterfly is a powerful story of unrequited love, human pain and suffering which is intensified by Puccini's glorious music, promising a night of drama and emotion. Inspired by Puccini's fantasy landscape of exotic pleasures, Lindy Hume's new production interprets Butterfly's famous story through a dystopian prism. On the surface a dream-like wedding for a groom and his young, beautiful bride – but behind the façade is a cruel reality. Abandoned and betrayed, Butterfly finds her world crashing around her as her one chance for freedom becomes her prison. Her desperation and pain escalate as she fights for survival with devastating consequences. Vidar began by telling Toby that the audio described performance of WNO's Madam Butterfly was certainly an evening of drama and emotion for him. Vidar has seen a number of productions of Madam Butterfly but the WNO production was the best that he has seen so fa and it was for him almost like seeing Madam Butterfly for the first time. The beautiful singing and really good acting too that came through so well from Julia and Jonathan's description. This was the first AD performance that Vidar has seen with a touch tour since the beginning of the Covid pandemic and although not a full touch tour on stage but the opportunity to explore some of the costumes and props including the marriage certificate and adoption certificate. As Vidar is a big Puccini fan, with La Bohem being his favourite Puccini opera, Toby asked Vidar how Madam Butterfly compared to La Bohem. Then Vidar and Toby talked about how some people might think that Opera is a bit elitist but that is certainly not the case with many companies such as WNO and of course with great audio description, introductory notes, touch tours and live audio description, a trip to the opera can make for a great, enjoyable theatrical experience. To find out more about Welsh National Opera and their productions with audio description do visit the access pages of their website - https://wno.org.uk/access (Image shows RNIB logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'See differently' underneath)

All the latest opera news, reviews, interviews and general chit-chat Running order 1) New season announcements – Opera North, Welsh National Opera, Metropolitan Opera 2) Olivier Award nominations 3) International Women's Day 4) James Conway leaving English Touring Opera 5) Changes to UK arts funding 6) Interview – Amitai Pati 7) The war in Ukraine 8) Covid cancellations 9)“Is there any longer, more fruitless period of time than having to sit through the opera questions on University Challenge?” 10) Opera on TV, Radio, Film 11) Hidden Gem 12) Quiz Recorded on 9 March 2022 Guests - Emma Black, Helen Harrison Interview - Amitai Pati Host - David Ward Produced by Northern Opera Group

In today's episode, Conductor Alice Farnham will share her journey to the podium with us.Farnham started her career as a church musician playing organ and trumpet. She was an Organ Scholar at St. Hugh's College, Oxford University and trained for three years with the legendary pedagogue Ilya Musin in St. Petersburg. Alice is Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Women Conductors with the Royal Philharmonic Society.  She is listed in the Classic FM Today's Ten Best Women Conductors and in the BBC Woman's Hour Music Power List. Recent conducting engagements include the BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Opera House, Mariinsky Theatre, Calgary Opera, Singapore Lyric Opera, and English Touring Opera.  Upcoming engagements include productions with Welsh National Opera, Belfast Ensemble, Opéra de Rouen, to name a few. She has been a Guest Conductor with the Royal Ballet Covent Garden, Birmingham Royal Ballet, English National Ballet and Danish Royal Ballet.

In the final episode of our three-part series exploring the music of Dubai's Expo: the story of Al Wasl Opera, an original opera commissioned by Expo 2020 Dubai.   Al Wasl is the first ever Emirati opera, produced in partnership with the world-renowned Welsh National Opera. Its story spans the past, present, and future of the United Arab Emirates and asks the questions: what is Al Wasl - the link - between us as humans? Between us and our planet? Between connecting today's minds and creating the future?   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Acclaimed as one of the world's great living composers, Sir James MacMillan last appeared on All Things Considered when he was in Cardiff rehearsing for the premiere of a work he'd written for Welsh National Opera. Fourteen years later, his reputation has not diminished. His new work, 'When Soft Voices Die' was premiered in the opening night of the Proms last month. His percussion concerto 'Veni, Veni Emmanuel' has now had more than 500 performances around the world, and his 'Stabat Mater' was streamed from the Sistine Chapel in Rome. And there's a steady stream of work for orchestras, choirs and soloists heard extensively at international music festivals, including an annual event he launched in the former coalmining community of Cumnock in Ayrshire, where he was brought up. It was also there that his deep commitment to the Roman Catholic faith was nurtured. Roy Jenkins interviews Sir James about his life, work and deep Catholic faith.

We're back! After a brief hiatus our new episode features Thomas Verity, Principal Clarinet of Welsh National Opera in conversation with Peter Banks. Thomas & Peter talk about what it's like to work in a touring orchestra, putting down roots as a musician, the search for the "right sound" and how to approach auditions!You can apply for Thomas's upcoming online masterclass by visiting: https://www.vaco.org.uk/event-info/vaco-clarinet-masterclass-with-thomas-verityYou can get involved in the conversation by leaving us some feedback through our social media pages or by sending us an email!Get in Touch:• email us at: podcast@vaco.org.uk• find us on Facebook• follow us on Instagram: @VaCOrchestras• send us a tweet: @VaCOrchestras

In deze aflevering vertelt Francis hoe Benjamin Britten als eenling opstond tegen de massa. Over Brittens' geweldige muziek én over een van zijn opera's die ze tientallen keren zelf heeft gezongen. The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra  BBC Symphony Orchestra o.l.v. Andrew Davis Four Sea Interludes – Deel I “Dawn”  BBC Symphony Orchestra o.l.v. Andrew Davis  Albert Herring – Florence!  Royal Northern Sinfonia o.l.v. Steuart Bedford Frank Bridge - The Sea – deel II “Sea-Foam. Allegro Vivo” BBC National Orchestra of Wales o.l.v. Richard Hickox  Peter Grimes – Interlude “Dawn” Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House o.l.v. Benjamin Britten Peter Grimes – Mr. Swallow! I Want the Lawyer Swallow! Lauris Elms, Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden o.l.v. Benjamin Britten Peter Grimes – Who Holds Himself Apart Lauris Elms, David Kelly, Geraint Evans, Marion Studholme, Raymond Nilsson, Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden o.l.v. Benjamin Britten Peter Grimes – To Those Who Pass the Borough James Pease, Owen Brannigan, Raymond Nilsson, Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden o.l.v. Benjamin Britten The Rape of Lucretia – Lucretia! O, Never Again Must We Two Dare to Part Christopher Purves, Angelika Kirchschlager, Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble o.l.v. Oliver Knussen Albert Herring – Well tried Albert!  Peter Savidge, Royal Northern Sinfonia o.l.v. Steuart Bedford  A Midsummer Night's Dream – Over Hill, Over Dale Choirs of Downside School & Emanuel School, London Symphony Orchestra o.l.v. Benjamin Britten Owen Wingrave – Sirrah! How Dare you! Opera Trionfo, Nieuw Ensemble o.l.v. Ed Spanjaard Death in Venice – Ouverture  English Chamber Orchestra o.l.v. Steuart Bedford Gloriana – Prelude  Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera o.l.v. Charles Mackerras

Bird and LJ talk to Aileen Richards, who was the first women on the board of directors of Welsh Rugby Union.Here are the questions posed to Aileen:Growing up what were thoughts on a career - did any female role models influence you on your journey?Why rugby?What is the most memorable event in your career?How did you progress to the role of senior exec at Mars? What life experiences provided you with the skills to do this role? You've been a Welsh rugby fan for over 50 years do you think there are any lessons to learn from the men's game at community, club and International level? From your experience of working in Mars a global company. In terms of brand what do you think needs to happen for women's rugby to secure more financial backing and access mainstream media?What was it like being the first woman on the board of the WRU? How did it happen?  Where do you feel your influence has created the greatest change in Welsh rugby? What would be your advice to any female with a passion for rugby, who wants to support and make rugby a game for everyone about how to get involved at a strategic level in the game? What qualities/skills would they need?You've just become chair of the new cricket team Welsh Fire. Can you tell us a bit more about this role and set up? What can rugby learn from other sports such a cricketWhat one tip you would give to a young person looking to succeed? What is your next big goal that you would like to achieve?Aileen Richards is a non-executive Director of WRU. She was a senior Executive with Mars Incorporated until 2015. As executive vice president of Mars, she was responsible for the Human Resources strategy for the company's 85,000 employees and she also led Mars Global Services (Mars IT, Mars Financial Services and Mars Associate Services). In her 30 years with Mars, she also held senior international roles in Procurement and Manufacturing and lived in Washington DC and Brussels. She is currently an independent non-executive director on several boards, including Mars Nederland, Jacob Douwe Egberts, Pret A Manger and Welsh National Opera. She was also the first woman on the board of directors of the Welsh Rugby Union and chairs the Board of the new Cricket Team Welsh Fire. She  has been a Welsh rugby fan for over 50 years, has travelled to many World Cups. Married with two children, all of whom played rugby.

"Life is not a steady tempo"She is the Conductor-In-Residence with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, the inaugural Female-Conductor-In-Residence at the Welsh National Opera and principal conductor of the St. Woolos Sinfonia. She was the first woman to win the Guido Cantelli, won the Sir Georg Solti International and is our latest guest on the Do More Good podcast. Kenneth immediately takes the opportunity to audition whilst James relives some further embarrassment from his youth, before Tianyi tells us why she loves Wales and clocking up the airmiles. There’s the pressure of creating a masterpiece on the fly, developing resilience and the power of compassion. We talk teaching methods, how to command a room and becoming a trailblazing rolemodel for future generations. The boys bag a ticket to Tianyi’s next performance, Kenneth takes the dog walk high-brow and we hear Mozart’s latest hit in an absolute classic of a DMG.---You can find us on www.domoregood.uk or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Get in touch if you'd like to feature or star on the show. It goes without saying really but the episodes contains our opinions - essentially things we overheard in meetings, stole from presentations and read in magazines. Thanks for listening.

It goes without saying that young people will become the leaders of tomorrow’s creative industries…but what are we doing to ensure that children and young people from all backgrounds are not only included… but given a voice? Nurturing and listening to youth voice was the focus of the latest MC2 event organised by Sage Gateshead, a mini-conference for music Leaders, music teachers, project workers and musicians working with children and young people who are experiencing challenging circumstances. In this episode we hear from one of the speakers, Esther Lenda Bokuma, who records and performs under the name Estée Blu and also helps young people build career pathways in the music industry. We hear too from a couple of the delegates who attended the conference: Michael Graham who works for Welsh National Opera, and Hannah West of Encore, which runs the Herefordshire Music Service.

In this session Oscar Castellino shares his inspiring story. Oscar is an opera singer from India and the composer of the Mars Anthem "Rise to Mars!". Hailed as "a rising star in the opera world" (BBC News), he was once a software programmer in Mumbai who made an unusual journey into the world of opera. Having made his debut with Welsh National Opera in 2019, he will now be playing the lead role in Rossini's opera "Il Turco in Italia" in the UK. Listen to his fascinating story and journey.

Today I am talking to mezzo-soprano Carolyn Dobbin. In our chat we discuss Carolyn's career trajectory from art teacher to opera singer, and how her creativity carried her through loss and grief during the Covid-19 pandemic.Northern Irish mezzo-soprano and Samling Scholar, Carolyn began her career as a teacher of Art and Design before graduating from the Opera course at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Carolyn was Associate Artist at Welsh National Opera in 2010 and spent two years at Luzern opera house, Switzerland in 2012-2014.She has performed extensively in opera, oratorio and in solo recitals, including appearances at the Royal Opera House Linbury Studio, English National Opera, Grange Park Opera, Opera Holland Park, Luzerner Theatre, Stadttheater Bern, and the Royal Albert Hall. She has performed the roles of Carmen, Annio, Penelope, Bradamante, Polina, Meg Page, Dritte Dame, Lucretia, Amastre, Octavia, Nicklausse, Magdalena, Dorabella, Charlotte, Teodata, Concepcion, Scipio, Idamante and Angelina. She recorded the role of Madeleine in R. Loders rare opera ‘Raymond and Agnes'  with Richard Bonynge and Retrospect Opera, and Ethel Smythe's 'Fete Gallant' with Odaline de la Martinez. She released a solo CD ‘Caleno' with Delphian Records and Iain Burnside of songs by composers from Northern Ireland in 2018 and has appeared on BBC Radio 3 and BBC TV. She set up the Northern Irish song project which aims to collect and record many forgotten songs by Northern Irish composers and new song cycles by current composers.  Recent and future roles include Madam Popova in The Bear, Mary in Wagners Der Fliegende Höllander, Smeton in Anna Bolena for Longborough Festival Opera, Fenena in Nabucco and Alise In Lucia Di Lammermoor for Dorset Opera Festival , Mrs Peachum in Mrs Peachums School for Lovers and ‘ The Witch'  in Hansel and Gretel for Irish National Opera. Future roles include Siegrune in Wagner's Walküre 2020/23, Mary in Der Fliegende Höllander with Sir Bryn Terfel in 2022,  Northern Ireland Opera's Wallace Film Project, the premier of a new Harvey Weinstein based opera for the Belfast Festival,  Handels Alexander's Feast for the new Le Foyer des Artistes and Recitals of her Northern Ireland song project.Website: www.carolyndobbin.comInstagram: @carolyn_dobbin_mezzoTwitter: @carolyndobbin

Taken to galleries, theatres and the opera by her parents, Christine Chibnall's love for music was also nurtured at South Hampstead High School for girls, before she moved to Brighton and found herself planning the cultural schedule of her friends.  After studying English at University, she realised she could combine her career with her passion by finding a job in the performing arts. After sending countless letters, Christine found herself interviewing for a PA role at Welsh National Opera despite having no typing skills. She ended up not only as a PA but doing almost everything else, from payroll, to chaperoning children, to starting the Education department, to development and fundraising and organizing small-scale tours. Having worked from the ground up, Christine was well-placed to move into her role as Director of Planning for Opera North, where she founded the department from scratch, bringing schedules and structure to the work around her. Christine chats with Nina about negotiating her way through the industry, her in-depth experience of the British operatic scene and shares her tips for what not to do in her auditions.

Dr John Rigby studied orchestral conducting at the University of Huddersfield and the Royal Northern College of Music. He gained his PhD from King's College London having researched the cultural resonances of Franz Lehár's ‘Berlin' operettas during the Weimar Republic. He also holds an honorary Doctor of Arts from Edge Hill University in recognition of his work in musical theatre and conducting.As a musical supervisor his credits include: JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT (Palladium); SCHOOL OF ROCK (London, US Tour, Australia, Korea); THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (25th Anniversary UK and US Tours); JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (World Arena Tour & DVD); LES MISERABLES (Korea); MISS SAIGON (London, cinema release & DVD); THE PRODUCERS (UK Tour) and THE KING AND I (UK Tour). As a musical director his West End credits include: Christopher Wheeldon's AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (Dominion & cinema release) BEAUTIFUL AND DAMNED (Lyric); THE DROWSY CHAPERONE (Novello); THE KING AND I (Palladium); THE LAST EMPRESS (Apollo, Hammersmith); MARGUERITE (Theatre Royal, Haymarket); LES MISÉRABLES (Palace & Queens); THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Her Majesty's); PETER PAN (Savoy); THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE (Savoy); THE PRODUCERS (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane) and SINATRA (Palladium). Additionally, he was musical director for the German productions of MISS SAIGON (Stuttgart) and STARLIGHT EXPRESS (Bochum). He also recently conducted and supervised the workshops for Andrew Lloyd Webber's 2018 reworking of STARLIGHT EXPRESS at The Other Palace, London.His opera credits include: Judith Weir's THE BLACK SPIDER(Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival); CARMEN JONES (Royal Festival Hall); CAROUSEL (Opera North); DIE FLEDERMAUS (Opera Holland Park); MADAMA BUTTERFLY (Lyric Opera, Dublin); and most recently CHESS (English National Opera).John is extremely active on the concert platform as both a conductor and presenter and the numerous orchestras he has worked with include: the Berliner Symphoniker, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, CBSO, Dublin Concert Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra, Manchester Concert Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, RSNO, Scottish Concert Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, RTÉ Symphony Orchestra and the orchestras of both Welsh National Opera and Opera North. He has appeared as a conductor of BBC Radio 2's FRIDAY NIGHT IS MUSIC NIGHT and is also conductor of the famous CLASSICAL SPECTAUCULAR concerts for Raymond Gubbay. He recently conducted the sell-out concerts of 2 CELLOS at the London Palladium and the Royal Albert Hall, as well as ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S 70th BIRTHDAY CONCERT with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.Future plans include supervising the Russian premiere of CHESS in Moscow in October 2020, Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical, CINDERELLA, which will open in London in spring 2021, and the return of JOSEPH to the London Palladium in summer 2021.He has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts from Edge Hill University in recognition of his work in musical theatre and conducting.

This is Critically Speaking Season 2 - difficult conversations about systemic racism and white privilege in the arts in Wales. In Episode 6, Jafar talks to Aidan Lang, the General Director of Welsh National Opera. Our creative contribution for the episode is called 'Have You Heard of the City' written by Radha Patel. You can follow more of Radha's work by following her on social media. For more information about Welsh National Opera' work, visit the website: www.wno.org.uk. This episode was produced by Jasmine Grace Okai. Sound design by Fez Miah. The original soundtrack was produced by Eädyth. Research by Aki Gurung. This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Arts Council Wales.

Michael England was born in Colchester and went on to study at Huddersfield University. Since then he has embarked on a highly successful career as conductor, composer and musical director.In London's West End, Michael has been Musical Director for Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Spamalot, The Producers, Jerry Springer – The Opera (also BBC TV) and Doctor Dolittle. On tour he has been Musical Director for The Sound of Music, Evita, Les Misérables, Aspects of Love and Grease. He has also been Assistant MD on Cats, Miss Saigon and West Side Story.He has been Musical Supervisor for productions of Company; The Drowsy Chaperone; the all male productions of H.M.S. Pinafore (Hackney/UK tour), Iolanthe (Wilton's), Patience (Union Theatre) and The Pirates of Penzance (Australia Tour/Sydney Theatre).He has worked as an accompanist in London, Paris, Sydney and New York and has been musical director for John Barrowman, Tony Award winner Liliane Montevecchi and Olivier Award winner Ruthie Henshall.In 2010 Michael was invited to conduct the opening weeks of Cameron Mackintosh's 25th anniversary production of Les Misérables, he conducted the new live cast album, and worked on the recent film version.Orchestral conducting credits include The Philharmonia Orchestra, (Buckingham Palace), Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, the National Symphony Orchestra, Stockholm Sinfonietta, and the Slovenia Radio Symphony Orchestra (televised).He has worked as Cover Conductor for the Royal Ballet productions of The Rite of Spring; Giselle; Chroma; Concerto; The Judas Tree; Monotones; La Valse and Marguerite & Armand.He has composed music for film, TV, theatre, and the concert platform, as well as writing and conducting orchestrations for Ruthie Henshall's album, Pilgrim. He has also orchestrated The Ballad of Little Jo, Company and the new production Judy & Liza. He attended the Film Music Institute Orchestration Course in Los Angeles and composed the score for the film Night Junkies, released in the USA in 2007.Michael has twice composed music for the Royal Ballet, Draft Works (Clore) and New Works (Linbury). His 40 minute ballet, La Destinée, commissioned by the Royal Ballet School, premiered at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in July 2013.www.michaelengland.info

Transcript: "Why are all the arts leaders white?" "Well…" "Do I think that being a white man makes either getting my job, or some of the parts of my job, easier? Absolutely." (Lorne Campbell, National Theatre Wales) "I think it was simply a lack of awareness, "from my point of view, of the need to connect with those artists and the need to get those artists on to our stages." (Joe Murphy, Sherman Theatre) "I hope - I believe - that that’s not the way that I function; but I am in a moment, of course, where I’m challenging all of those things about myself." (Tamara Harvey, Theatr Clwyd) "Everyone was making the same sort of statement, and it was a conscious decision not to follow the path of everybody else." (Aidan Lang, Welsh National Opera) "Fi’n llawer iawn mwy ymwybodol o’r breintiau rheina sydd gandda i, er bod fi ddim yn falch - dw i ddim yn falch bo’ fi’n ddyn, dw i ddim yn falch bo’ fi’n wyn." (I’m a lot more more aware of the privileges that I have, even though I’m not proud - I’m not proud that I’m a man, I’m not proud that I’m white.)(Arwel Gruffydd, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru) "I don’t think we built enough trust historically anyway - I don’t think we lost it at any stage, I just think that we hadn’t built it enough." (Graeme Farrow, Wales Millennium Centre) Difficult conversations about white privilege and systemic racism in Wales. This is the Critically Speaking podcast, Season Two.

In this 4rd episode, Laleh Hancock invites a dance conversation with Caroline Lamb, a Choreographer, movement director and dancer Join us in this pleasant conversation where the grace, the vitality, the physical wisdom of our body, has nothing to do with our age! While you are listening ... what about also moving your body? About our Guest: Caroline Lamb has a wealth of experience working as a freelance choreographer, movement director and performer in dance, opera, theatre, TV and film. Her work has been seen in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Caroline's choreographic opera work includes Carmen for Vancouver Opera, Canada and for Welsh National Opera, Falstaff with Bryn Terfel, Orfeo ed Euridice, Parsifal, La Favorite, La Traviata, Peter Grimes, Don Giovanni, Mazeppa, Il seraglio and choreographic coaching for Salome. She choreographed A Night At The Chinese Opera for British Youth Opera, London and created the original choreography for Carl Rosa's Mikado shown at the Barbican and Hackney Empire, London and touring internationally. In 2016 Caroline choreographed Don Giovanni - Carmen Jacobi's production for Winslow Hall Opera. Caroline is artistic director of Striking Attitudes, a dance theatre company that works with dancers who act and actors who dance. www.marilynbradford.com www.rightrecoveryforyou.com FOLLOW US: Facebook Instagram Youtube Pinterest Spotify Telegram Official Website

Tom Service talks to soprano, Claire Booth about a filmed production for Welsh National Opera of Poulenc’s La voix humaine. The monodrama was written in 1958 but the themes of isolation and lost connectivity are equally relevant today. As Radio 3 marks a decade of New Generation Thinkers, Dr Daisy Fancourt describes how music and the arts are necessary for mental and physical health. Dr Joseph Sonnabend, one of the leading doctors during the early years of the AIDS pandemic, talks to Tom about those times in New York as well has his life as a composer and his love of music by Alban Berg. Suzi Digby, Artistic Director & Founder of ORA Singers talks about what the future holds for our professional choirs and composers. And, Judith Webster, Chief Executive of Music for Youth, explains how young people are making innovative choices about how to celebrate music-making both live and online. Producer: Marie-Claire Doris

Joining us in the bar - or rather Seb’s living room this week - is trombone Adonis, Christopher Augustine.Chris is currently based in Cardiff where he is sub principal trombonist with WNO. Seb and Verity catch up with him as a small window appears in his busy schedule whilst he is briefly in London for a Chineke! project.They chat about early inspirations, Chris’ unlikely transition from soprano recorder to trombone and his dream of an idyllic retirement in Cornwall.Chris talks Seb and Verity through his daily routine, which includes an intense fitness regime and serious levels of discipline (4 boiled eggs for a breakfast side dish anyone?!). They also discuss his personal experiences as a black classical musician and whether it has affected his career/musical education.This episode is brought to you under the influence of high levels of sugar as all involved had consumed Seb’s notorious Curly Whirly cake.....words per minute are through the roof.///Show notesChineke! at the Royal Festival Hall, Radio 3 Broadcast Welsh National OperaChineke! Click here to join the Members' Club on Patreon! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, we're re-visiting the unprecedented impact of social distancing on the arts, with a specific focus on opera. Our very special guest is one of the UK's leading sopranos, whose credits include major roles at the Welsh National Opera, Glyndebourne, the Royal Opera House and Opera North - Meeta Raval. In her 20s, Meeta was the inaugural prize-winner of the Basil Turner Prize for her work with British Youth Opera, later going on to receive the first Royal Academy of Music's Pavarotti Prize. She was also the recipient of the Independent Opera Award and was awarded The Sybill Tutton Opera Award by the Musician's Benevolent Fund. In 2012, Meeta was named Patron of the Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust and her voice has been heard many times on BBC 2 and Radio 3 in recent years. Richard spoke to Meeta in August 2020, about the limbo that many artists find themselves in with the global lockdown easing but with theatres still closed. They talk about the future of opera and whether this is an opportunity to do things differently - particularly the way performers and technical staffing the UK arts sector have the most complex and misunderstood payment systems that have left them more exposed than most at this time. --- Useful links: Meeta's Royal Opera House profile - http://www.roh.org.uk/people/meeta-raval Meeta on Twitter - https://twitter.com/meetarology Daily Telegraph: New Faces - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/opera/9694409/Meeta-Raval-New-Faces.html --- We'll be debating the issues raised at www.thepossibilityclub.org, a free network of professionals with something to say and ideas to test - and we really want to know what you think. Don't forget to join right now, for free. The Possibility Club is an always possible podcast, produced by Chris Thorpe Tracey for Lo Fi Arts.

My Guest today is Actress/Singer Zoë Rainey who I met while working on the Musical Noël, written by Eoin Colfer and Liam Bates.Zoë's stage credits include; Lois in Kiss Me, Kate for Opera North & Welsh National Opera, Milo Davenport in An American in Paris at the Dominion Theatre, The Winter's Tale and Romeo & Juliet, both directed by Kenneth Branagh at the Garrick Theatre, She Stoops To Conquer at the National Theatre, Guys and Dolls and Parade both at the Donmar Warehouse.Recent film credits include Mr Holmes for Bill Condon and Walt Disney's live action remakes of Cinderella and Beauty & the Beast, directed by Kenneth Branagh and Bill Condon respectively.PLEASE SUBSCRIBE!Musici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of Musici IrelandTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website www.musici.ieBe sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

A stellar example of a Jamaican who has navigated some unusual and exciting international spaces, my guest for ep. 22 of #MikesMomentOf is The Hon. Sir Willard White. A Jamaican-born British operatic bass baritone.  #UKOpera ##BassBaritone #AgeAnimo https://www.michaelseanharris.com/podcast   Sir Willard Wentworth White, world renowned bass-baritone, was born on October 10, 1946, in Ewarton, Jamaica. Willard White, a graduate of Excelsior High School in Kingston and founding member of the Jamaican Folk Singers, commenced formal musical training at the Jamaica School of Music and continued his studies at The Julliard School in New York where he received several scholarships during his studies at the conservatory.   He made his professional operatic debut with New York City Opera, where he played the character of Colline in La Bohème in 1974. His European debut was with Welsh National Opera in Cardiff, Wales, where he played Osmin in Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio.  He has since gone on to perform in the world's major opera houses, and his powerful voice and commanding stage presence have made him a popular and admired singer across a wide range of musical styles. White is best known for performing as Mephistopheles in The Damnation of Faust, a role he has played many times. Besides his traditional classical repertoire, he is celebrated for his performances as Porgy in Porgy and Bess.  In recognition of his extraordinary contribution to classical music, Sir Willard has received several awards during his career: In 1995, he was awarded the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) and the Gold Musgrave Medal by the Institute of Jamaica. He was presented with the Order of Merit (OM) in 2000 by the Government of Jamaica. Sir Willard was knighted  in the Birthday Honours of Queen Elizabeth II in 2004. in 2015 Sir Willard White received the National Chorale of Jamaica Medal of Excellence. Bio from: https://www.musicunitesjamaica.com Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willard_White A day in the life of Sir Willard White  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-lJEjmqyG0  

Stephan is a Welsh Italian Tenor who trained at The Royal Academy of Music London, graduating with a Masters Degree in Opera, under the tutelage of Ryland Davies. Prior to this, he gained his initial degree in Music from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & DanceHis operatic works to date include The Barber of Seville (Glyndebourne), The Magic Flute (Glyndebourne), La Damnation de Faust (Glyndebourne), Cendrillon (Glyndebourne), La Traviata (Glyndebourne), Der Rosenkavalier (Glyndebourne), Madama Butterfly (Glyndebourne), Saul (Glyndebourne), Vanessa (Glyndebourne), Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Glyndebourne), The Cunning Little Vixen (Glyndebourne), The Rake's Progress (Royal Academy Opera), La Traviata (GO Opera), La Cenerentola and Eugene Onegin (Bury Court Opera).Stephan has performed with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Glyndebourne and has undertaken master classes with Susan Bullock, Matthew Rose, Sarah Connolly, Dennis O'Neill and Gerald Finley. He has also performed in various venues across the UK and Europe, including the Wigmore Hall, Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields, the Monasterio de SanLorenzo del Escorial, Madrid and The Royal Palace of La Almudaina, Mallorca.Stephan made his BBC Proms debut in 2016 performing Rossini's Semiramide at the Royal Albert Hall with Opera Rara, conducted by Sir Mark Elder. He also performed in Glyndebourne's The Magic Flute at the BBC Proms 2019. Stephan is also a member of the extra chorus at English National Opera.Stephan's most recent engagements have included Handel's Saul at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, and also traveling the world as a lead production vocalist on board the luxury cruise line Silversea.

Aidan Lang tells the Good Charity Bad Charity team that running a world beating opera company is a challenge at the best of times, but surviving the effects of Covid-19 has made him re-assess what the audience wants.

New Zealand-born Samoan baritone Benson Wilson is the winner of the prestigious 64th Kathleen Ferrier Award.  Benson is a 2019/2020 National Opera Studio Young Artist.He was awarded the Most Outstanding Overseas Performer of the Royal Overseas League Competition, the Worshipful Company of Musicians Award, and was the 2018 winner of the Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Foundation Award and the People’s Choice Award.  Recent and forthcoming engagements include company and role debuts as John Shears Paul Bunyan for English National Opera, John Sorel The Consul at Welsh National Opera (cover), Mirza Der Gesang Der Zauberinsel at the Salzburger Festspiele as a 2019 Salzburg Young Singer, and Marullo Rigoletto for Glyndebourne on Tour. On the concert platform he gives recitals for North Norfolk and Oxford Lieder Festivals with pianists Sholto Kynoch and Lucy Colquhoun.  Previous operatic roles include Guglielmo Così fan Tutte and Count Almaviva Le nozze di Figaro (Bloomsbury Opera), Schabernack Le Grand Macabre with London Symphony Orchestra, Schaunard La boheme (Festival Opera Napier), and Guglielmo Così Fan Tutte, Demetrius A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Assan The Consul as a scholar on the Guildhall School of Music & Drama Opera Course.

In this episode, From the Producer's Office teams up with Welsh National Opera's The O Word, as Gareth Jones hosts James Clutton and Aidan Lang (General Director, Welsh National Opera) to discuss the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the future of opera. From the Producer's Office is a series of informal podcasts with Opera Holland Park's Director of Opera, James Clutton. In conversation with creatives and collaborators across the industry, we explore the process of putting opera on stage, and how the artists approach their craft. To listen to Welsh National Opera's podcast, The O Word, visit their website at https://wno.org.uk/podcast.

A nosy trombonist (Melissa Brown) chats to other brass professionals about their careers, how they got there and what music they'd happily put in the bin. In this episode, Chris Augustine tells us how he progressed from the recorder through to taking a job with the Welsh National Opera. Find out about a week in his life, his opinions on Disney and what he's doing during lockdown. All episodes recorded during COVID-19 lockdown via video call programmes. There are occasional technical glitches - please bear with us! Facebook: Bold as Brass Podcast Instagram: @boldasbrasspodcast Submit Q&A questions via Facebook, Instagram and LibSyn! Show artwork: Stuart Crane Music credit: Upbeat Forever by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5011-upbeat-forever License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

What is Brabant's dark secret? A man arrives in the city of Cardiff, haunted by his past – he tells the chilling story of the deeds of Count Telramund and his sorceress wife, Ortrud. Few have survived the events that have befallen the people. But has the story ended, or has it followed him here? The story of Lohengrin is a medieval Arthurian legend from Germany, it was famously turned into an opera by Wagner. But here, the story is retold from the perspective of an eye-witness who has lived through the events – and as is true true of many fairy and folk tales, the closer you get, the darker the story becomes… Lohengrin Retold with Welsh National Opera Working with DJs: DJ Switch (aka Tony Culverwell), DJ Rakabeat (aka Adam Volsen), Josh Tucker of Realsound Studios, Bristol, and composer Pete M. Wyer Lohengrin Remixed was produced by Welsh National Opera Max Dept. Welsh National Opera orchestra were conducted by Thomas Blunt Excerpts of the music were remixed and re-imagined by pupils from: St. Mary Redcliffe School, City Academy – Bristol, North Leamington School – Leamington Spa, Saltleigh School – Birmingham Written By: Pete M WyerMusic By : Welsh National Opera MaxEditing facilities were provided by The Station, Bristol and Blue Whale Studios, Birmingham, Producers for Welsh National Opera Max were Caroline Alford and Åsa MalmsteLohengrin Retold was written by Pete M. Wyer, Narrated by Roger Watson with Sydney Rae White as ElsaArrangement and production of the final recording was by Pete M. WyerLohengrin Retold was supported by The Owen Family Trust, Baron Davenports Charity, Saintbury Trust and The Lark Trust More Dark Tales

All of the latest opera news. Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. Episode content 0.50 Opera Awards shortlist and vote in audience award - http://bit.ly/2Pc4FPS 2.25 Met 2020-21 season announcement - http://bit.ly/2PclvOp 7.17 Welsh National Opera 2020-21 season announcement - http://bit.ly/2HKRS2S 10.44 Opera North 2020-21 season announcements - http://bit.ly/39RmxHB 17.53 Leeds Conducting Competition making a return - http://bit.ly/37GQoB6 20.05 Arts Council England survey and statistics 29.45 Glyndebourne Opera Cup semi finalists - http://bit.ly/2SJf9Z4 30.20 Cost of young artist programmes - http://bit.ly/2Va45pG 41.55 Interview with Guy Withers 54.14 Elizabeth Llewelyn interview – reviews for Luisa Miller 1.09.00 Subsidy for opera companies - http://bit.ly/37RrGOJ 1.21.50 Mirella Freni - http://bit.ly/32kwUkH 1.23.15 St Louis’ $45m gift - https://abcn.ws/2wvsV92 1.24.55 $5,000 to appear on stage with Opera Australia - http://bit.ly/2vVCMEI 1.28.13 Opera on TV, Radio and Film 1.29.05 Hidden Gem 1.30.58 Quiz Recorded in Leeds, UK on 20 February 2020 Produced by Northern Opera Group Host – David Ward Guests – Lorna James, Chris Pelly

Tune in to Year 5’s wonderful joint broadcast! Volga teach us a few French phrases, tell us all about the Victorian times in terms of equality and pollution, Fractions and the joys of knitting and reading in class. Orinoco give us their opinions on current affairs, Philosophy in class and give us solutions to feel less worried and explain to us what Tik Tok is. Featured music from this week’s broadcast includes: - A Foggy Day - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - Unsquare Dance - The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Fractions - Gabriel Parker - On Hearing The First Cuckoo In Spring - Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera & Sir Charles Mackerras - Sea of Wine – Teleman - Something Happened on the way to Heaven – Phil Collins - Clocks – Coldplay

In this episode, I’m talking with Penny James, Cardiff-based freelance press and PR specialist who’s held PR Manager roles with organisations such as Welsh National Opera and St David’s Hall, and has gained national and in some cases international coverage for Wales Millennium Centre, Music Theatre Wales, Black Rat Productions, Artes Mundi and many others ||| We talk about * how to prepare for approaching journalists * why you need a content calendar and a media toolkit and what they contain * thinking creatively about where you place your stories * the importance of documenting your work * preparing a press release * what you can create or prepare for print, radio and TV journalists * nurturing relationships * whether exclusives are a good thing * how education/community departments can get gain support from their marketing departments * the importance of personal stories.

Charlotte began her career by studying at the Royal Academy of Music, training as a classical singer and actress. Before entering the world of musical theatre Charlotte has starred in a variety of operas as the principle lead with the Welsh National Opera, D’Oyly Carte and Carl Rosa Opera. Charlotte then joined the company of The Phantom of the Opera as Christine Daaé at Her Majesty's Theatre London and it was there that her musical theatre career began. Since then she has played Sally in Follies in France's second largest theatre; Opéra de Toulon and more recently Alice Beineke in the UK Tour of The Addams Family. As a classically trained singer that is used to performing as the leading lady, eight times a week in opera with no microphone and a full orchestra, Charlotte gives you tips on looking after and maintaining your voice. Theme music by Simon Oskarsson and Alex Cardall for ACT Music Ldn.

All of the latest opera news Support our crowdfunder to grow Operacast in 2019 – http://bit.ly/2UOT9ds If you want to get in touch about any of the topics covered this month please email info@operacast.co.uk Episode content 0:53 International Opera Awards shortlist - http://bit.ly/2DjqdmW 3:35 Welsh National Opera 19/20 season announcement - http://bit.ly/2BtifYm 8:53 Buxton Festival announce summer season - http://bit.ly/2GyZB4v 11:08 English translations and riff-raff at ENO - http://bit.ly/2WJcZZs http://bit.ly/2RNMY7R 28:20 Sian Edwards and ‘Katya Kabanova’ - http://bit.ly/2MX1x7W 1:09:50 Under-18s at ENO - http://bit.ly/2SG0PkU 1:17:58 Casting ‘Porgy and Bess’ - http://bit.ly/2Bs4ZDf [paywall] http://bit.ly/2WR5P5F 1:23:32 'Winterreise' in Pizza Express - http://bit.ly/2Gxf3hJ 1:26:30 ‘The Magic Flute’ as ‘Star Wars’ - http://bit.ly/2SIM6pD 1:29:50 Hidden Gem – ‘Merlin’, Albeniz 1:32:18 Opera quiz – Puccini P.S. Thinking about it, we don’t know which is better suited to kids … it was pretty harrowing at times … http://bit.ly/2RLOhUE (P.P.S. Are you ready to Verdi? …) Spotify playlist to accompany the episode – http://bit.ly/operacastfeb19 Recorded at Chapel FM, Leeds, on 7 February 2019 Produced by Northern Opera Group Host – David Ward Guests – Lorna James, Emma Black Interview – Sian Edwards

ITV's Vidar Hjardeng talks to us about the Welsh National Opera’s audio described production of ‘La Traviata’.  Giuseppe Verdi’s three act opera tells the story of a doomed love affair between a famous courtesan and a young man from the provinces. Vidar is speaking with RNIB Connect Radio's Simon Pauley.

Panel session "How can small nations, regions and cities use their soft power capital to strengthen global engagement?" and closing remarks from Jenny Scott, Director, British Council Wales From the IWA & British Council event on Thursday 26th April 2018 at Principality Stadium, Cardiff.  - Chair: Sara Pepper, Director of Creative Economy, Cardiff University  - Geraint Talfan Davies, Former Chair, Welsh National Opera  - Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society  - Shain Shapiro, CEO, Sound Diplomacy  - Nic van der Marliere, Representative of the Government of Flanders in London Closing remarks and launch of British Council series Imagining Wales' Global Future  - Jenny Scott, Director, British Council Wales

Katie Mitchell talks about her time directing Opera. Katie Mitchell is one of the few senior women working in opera in Britain and mainland Europe today. She has worked here at English National Opera, The Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne Festival and Welsh National Opera. She is currently opening the revival of George Benjamin’s Written on Skin at the Royal Opera House whilst preparing for George Benjamin’s second commission scheduled for 2018. She has also worked extensively in Germany, France, Austria and Scandinavia at houses like The Staatsoper, Berlin, The Salzburg Festival and Royal Danish Opera. She is currently a resident artist at The Aix en Provence Festival where she has directed five operas including Pelleas and Melisande and Handel’s Alcina. IN her first ‘Conversation’, she will describe her background in theatre and how she fell into opera to become one of its leading international lights.

Tom Service asks conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla about her plans for the City of Birmingham Orchestra, looks at the slave trade with composer Thierry Pécou, and explores the rarely-performed opera-oratorio, Le vin herbé. Tom visits Symphony Hall to talk to the exciting young conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla about her ambitions for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and music education in Birmingham. He also discusses the challenges faced by the CBSO with Chief Executive Stephen Maddock following recent funding cuts from Birmingham City Council, plus an update from Julian Lloyd-Webber, Principal of the Birmingham Conservatoire, on the progress of their cutting-edge new building which is due to open its doors to students in September this year. Tom also talks to the French composer, Thierry Pécou, about Outre-mémoire, written for his friend, the pianist Alexandre Tharaud, which delves into the heavy history of the Carribbean island of Martinique and its slave trade, from where Pécou's own family is descended. Plus, as Welsh National Opera prepare to stage a performance of the rarely-performed opera-oratorio, Le vin herbé, Tom finds out why this work was pivotal in the compositional career of its creator, the Swiss composer Frank Martin, and puts forward a case for why we should hear more from this unique voice of 20th Century music. He talks to Nigel Simeone, who is an expert champion of Frank Martin's music, plus the director and conductor of Welsh National Opera's production of Le vin herbé, Polly Graham and James Southall.

Recorded before an audience at the Welsh National Opera in Cardiff before the premiere of Iain Bell's opera inspired by the poem Philip Dodd presents a Landmark edition of Free Thinking devoted to David Jones' epic In Parenthesis. The discussion hears from the composer Iain Bell, the writer, Iain Sinclair, one of the librettists Emma Jenkins and Paul Hills, curator of a touring exhibition of Jones' pictures and the co-author with Ariane Bankes of the most recent book about the artist.Iain Bell's In Parenthesis is at WNO in Carcdiff from 13th May -3 June, in Birmhingham on 10 June and then at the Royal Opera House in London from 29 June -1 July It will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on July 2nd. David Jones's In Parenthesis is published by Faber David Jones - Vision and Memory - is at the Djanogly Gallery in Nottingham until 5 June. It was previously on show at the Pallant House Gallery in Chichester. His art is also on show at the Martin Tinney Gallery in Cardiff in May and June.

Director Sam Brown explains why Welsh National Opera's hilarious production of The Barber of Seville is the perfect choice if you are new to opera.

The third episode of the arts and culture podcast looks at the 70th anniversary season from Welsh National Opera, defined by the theme of Madness, with guest, music editor Steph Power. But there is so much more... we talk to I Speak Machine, reflect on Banksy's Dismaland phenomenon, and take a look at the greatest representation of madness in the arts, from Heironymous Bosch to Syd Barrett.

“The most spectacular and lavish panto in all of the country!”, panto favorite Julian Clary is just one of the big stars chatting to Heart FM’s Ed James in our latest Stagecast. Ed also catches up with Annie’s Craig Revel Horwood who is currently spending his days hating children and lusting after men (when he’s in character as Miss Hannigan of course). Plus Ed chats with Welsh National Opera’s Aled Hall aka the nasty Beadle Bamford from WNO’s new production of Sweeney Todd; and hear from Strictly dancer Flavia Cacace ahead Vincent & Flavia’s final tour The Last Tango.

Artistic director of Welsh National Opera, David Pountney shares his choral passions.

Soprano Sarah Coburn opens the 2011 Washington National Opera season in the title role of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.  Ms. Coburn drops in on Patrick D. McCoy-The African-American Voice in Classical Music on THE OPERA DIVA SERIES.  Past guests have included:  Christine Brewer, Carmen Balthrop, Nicole Cabell and Angela Brown. Sarah Coburn’s engagements in the 2010-11 season include Gilda in Rigoletto with Los Angeles Opera and L’Opéra de Montréal, Amina in La Sonnambula with the Wiener Staatsoper, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Seattle Opera, Handel’s L’Allegro with the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, a recital at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., and a return to Cincinnati Opera in the summer of 2011 as Gilda in Rigoletto.  Engagements in the 2009-10 season included Asteria in Tamerlano and Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, both with Los Angeles Opera; also Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia for Florida Grand Opera; the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor with Tulsa Opera; Gilda in Rigoletto with Welsh National Opera; performing in recital for Oklahoma State University's Allied Arts series, and singing as featured artist in an evening of bel canto arias with both the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra.

There's a distinctly operatic feel about this latest edition of the Classic Newsnight podcast. Not only will we be hearing from Jane McCullough, who's directing Lehár's The Merry Widow for Opera UK, but also from Donald Nally, Chorus Master at Welsh National Opera. And if opera goes over your head, don't worry; we'll also be meeting a lady called Pam Westwood, who's just produced a remarkable new keyboard tutor: “It's never too late to play piano”. And Pam insists we can take the title at face value – so no excuses! Classic FM's resident doctor, Rob Hicks, is also here, talking about that scourge of the winter months, the common cold.

Linda Esther Gray, the Scots soprano, made her operatic debut as Mimi in La Boheme with Glyndebourne Touring Opera in 1972, and she went on to win the Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship and the John Christie Award. But her first big success was as Isolde with the Welsh National Opera in 1978. She also tackles the role of Brunhilde in Valkyrie with the English National Opera.In conversation with Roy Plomley, she talks about her career and chooses the eight records she would take to the mythical island.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Die Walkure Act 3 by Richard Wagner Book: Anthology of poetry Luxury: Garlic, chocolate and wine

Linda Esther Gray, the Scots soprano, made her operatic debut as Mimi in La Boheme with Glyndebourne Touring Opera in 1972, and she went on to win the Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship and the John Christie Award. But her first big success was as Isolde with the Welsh National Opera in 1978. She also tackles the role of Brunhilde in Valkyrie with the English National Opera. In conversation with Roy Plomley, she talks about her career and chooses the eight records she would take to the mythical island. [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Die Walkure Act 3 by Richard Wagner Book: Anthology of poetry Luxury: Garlic, chocolate and wine