Hannah Fiddy/ Photo by Nick Rutter

Fresh off the success of its web-based application, Concert Roulette, Alternative Classical (AC) will release Opera Roulette in Sept. 2021. Created by AC’s Co-founder Hannah Fiddy, Opera Roulette presents users with high-definition scenes at random from over 200 operas recorded at venues large and small. The fun will be available for free and provide the opera curious, as well as opera buffs, with an easy and novel way to discover and grow their knowledge of the art form.

The AC team curated the videos from YouTube to create a “classical jukebox” that takes a cue from popular dating apps. Viewers can either watch a scene or hit the ‘Another’ button to move on to a different selection. Opera Roulette will feature live recordings from Glyndebourne, Garsington Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Opéra national de Paris, Komische Oper Berlin, English National Opera, and British Youth Opera.

Scene selections span opera history, from the Renaissance to the present day, and include excerpts from works by Monteverdi, Purcell, Mozart, Joseph Bologne, Puccini, Janáček, Ethel Smyth, Judith Weir, and Jeanine Tesori.

AC’s Concert Roulette garnered thousands of views from around the world, and was described by Culture Whisper as “the most fun since lockdown began.” Fiddy, along with Co-founder Hanna Grzeskiewicz, created Alternative Classical to attract new audiences and promote fresh approaches to classical music and programming.