(Photo credit: Hugo Glendinning) The Buxton International Festival has unveiled its 2025 season. This article features opera and choral events only. A full cast list will be announced at a later date. Ambroise Thomas’ “Hamlet” stars Gregory Feldmann in the title role. He is joined by Alastair Miles, Yewon Han, Richard Woodall, and Allison Cook, among others. Jack Furness directs {…}
The 2025 Buxton International Festival has announced “Shorts,” a collection of four new opera commissions. “Shorts” consists of four 20-minutes opera composed by Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, Jasper Dommett, Martin Green, Carmel Smickersgill and Yshani Perinpanayagam, with librettos by Zodwa Nyoni, Josh Overton and Jessica Walker. Directors include Marcus Desando and Rebecca Meltzer, with designer Elliott Squire and repetiteur Paul McKenzie. “Shorts” {…}
(Photo: Genevieve Girling) Born into an upper middle-class family in 1858, Ethyl Smyth went on to fashion a successful career as a composer, which was certainly no easy feat given the many obstacles facing women wishing to pursue almost any career in Victorian England; even her own father opposed her choice. Yet, she was able to push through the many {…}
(Photo: Genevieve Girling) Written in 1707 while living in Italy, Händel’s first oratorio, “Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno,” was a work that he would return to again and again over his career. Not only did he mine it for arias he could use in his operas, but he also created two further versions of the piece. In 1737, {…}
(Photo: Genevieve Girling) Set in early 14th century Spain, “Ernani” is a simple tale of three men competing for the love of the same woman, in which the society’s values and codes of chivalry dictate the course of the narrative. Providing that one accepts the context uncritically, it can be a gripping, quick-moving drama that rattles along with plenty of {…}
(Photo Credit: Richard Hubert Smith) New audience research conducted by the Norwich Theatre shows a strong demand and desire for opera to return after numerous cuts from Arts Council England. Norwich Theatre was one of the regular venues on Glyndebourne’s touring circuit for more than five decades. The company, with the English National Opera, the Welsh National Opera, and Glyndebourne, {…}
The Buxton International Festival has announced its 2024 season. Giuseppe Verdi’s “Ernani” will be conducted by Adrian Kelly with The Orchestra of Opera North. Performance Dates: July 6-17, 2024 George Frideric Handel’s “Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno” will join forces with The Early Opera Company for a new production conducted by Christian Curnyn. Performance Dates: July 7-18, 2024 Peter {…}
The Buxton International Festival has announced its 2023 slate. For the purposes of this article, our focus will be on vocal performances. Opera The first opera of the season will be “La Sonnambula” in a production by Harry Fehr. Adrian Kelly conducts. Performance Dates: July 8 – 22, 2023 Next up is “Il Re Pastore” with Katie Coventry, Ellie Neate, {…}
The Buxton International Festival has announced its 2023 season. The opening operatic production will be Bellini’s “La Sonnambula” with Adrian Kelly conducting. Harry Fehr will direct the Bel Canto masterpiece. Performance Dates: July 8-22, 2023 The semi-seria opera Mozart’s “Il re pastore” will be presented at the Buxton Opera House. Performance Dates: July 9-20, 2023 Handel’s baroque opera seria “Orlando” {…}
(Credit: Buxton International Festival official website) The Buxton International Festival in the United Kingdom has announced its 2022 slate, comprising of five operas, an oratorio, a musical, a brand-new jazz program, a books program, and a classical music series. Here is a look at the opera and vocal performances: Operas Adrian Kelly conducts the Northern Chamber Orchestra in Jacopo Spirei’s {…}
The Buxton International Festival has announces its 2020 season. For the purposes of this article we will only focus on the opera and oratorio performances announces for the festival. The operatic offerings begin with Rossini’s “La Donna del Lago” which will star Nico Darmanin, John Irvin and Catherine Carby. Jacopo Spirei directs the production conducted by Adrian Kelly. Performance Dates: {…}