Northern Opera Group to Commission New Work, Seeks South Asian Composers

By Logan Martell

North Opera Group has announced that it will be partnering up with South Asian Arts-uk to commission a musical theatre work based on “Savitri,” Gustav Holst’s short opera which adapts text from the “Mahabharata.”

Supported by The Arts Council, this upcoming work will be recorded for online broadcast and performed live at the 2021 Leeds Opera Festival. Working alongside SAA-uk, North Opera Group is looking to highlight composers from South Asian backgrounds.

“Now is not a time to fall back on what we know, but push to make opera exciting and relevant to new audiences in new ways,” writes Artistic Director David Ward in a press release. “This new commission marks the launch of a long-term programme to broaden who is encouraged to write for opera, and explore how these artists respond to, embrace, and reject, opera’s past. Creating experiences for our audiences that offer authentic responses is crucial, so we’re delighted to be collaborating with South Asian Arts-uk to identify composers and lyricists to work with us on this commission.”

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