Longborough Festival Opera Audience Members Raise over £300,000

By Francisco Salazar

The Longborough Festival Opera has announced that 1,000 audience members have chosen to donate the value of their tickets, generating a fund of over £300,000.

In a press release Executive Director Jennifer Smith said, “We are overwhelmed by the number of people who have chosen to donate some or all of the value of their tickets. We are so grateful to our audience and members for their incredible generosity at this difficult time.”

The festival announced that of the £300,000 raised, £200,000 will go directly to the freelance artists involved in each of the 2020 festival’s four productions.

The remainder will be used to develop further work for artists this year, as well as to help the organization mitigate upcoming financial uncertainty.

Bass-baritone Paul Carey Jones, who would was set to make his Longborough debut as Wotan in “Die Walküre” this year, said, “This immensely thoughtful contribution is of such value, in terms of both financial and moral support, at this challenging time. Thank you so much to all who have contributed so generously in money, time and thought to the fund – your efforts are greatly appreciated.”

Longborough Festival Opera canceled the 2020 edition earlier this month. The festival was set to showcase “Die Walküre,” “The Elixir of Love,” “The Return of Ulysses,” and “The Cunning Little Vixen.”

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