The Grange Festival is set to present “The Soul of Opera” on July 2 and 3, 2026. The concert, set to take the stage at at The Grange Festival in Hampshire, blends opera with soul, jazz, and gospel, drawing inspiration from Aretha Franklin’s 1998 Grammy Awards performance of “Nessun Dorma,” in which she stepped in for Luciano Pavarotti. The performance {…}
(Credit: Connor Apps) The Grange Festival will open its doors to families for its annual “Family Open Day” on Saturday, May 16, offering children and their families a behind-the-scenes look at one of the UK’s leading summer opera festivals. Supported by Phillips Law and set against the backdrop of The Grange’s historic house and gardens in Hampshire, the event is {…}
A new organization representing the UK’s opera sector, the UK Opera Association (UKOA), has officially launched, uniting 20 founding companies to advocate for opera’s future and strengthen its presence across the country. UKOA, which was founded by Birmingham Opera Company, British Youth Opera, Buxton International Festival, English National Opera, English Touring Opera, Garsington Opera, The Grange Festival, Glyndebourne, Longborough Festival {…}
(© Silvana Robert & Máximo Parpagnol) The Grange Festival today unveiled its 2026 season. This article only features opera events. Opera First up is Handel’s “Giulio Cesare” by director David Alden. Tim Mead makes his festival debut in the title role. Sarah Brady, Hugh Cutting, Jess Dandy, Zheng Jiang, James Atkinson, and Owen Willetts are among the cast. Christian Curnyn {…}
The Grange Festival has announced the retirement of Sir Richard Mantle OBE, who has been Chair of the Board since 2023. Mantle will leave his post at the end of the 2026 Grange Festival, allowing sufficient time to find his successor and ensure a seamless transition. In the meantime, Malcolm Le May has been appointed as Deputy Chair and Chair {…}
The Grange Festival has announced that Guy Verrall-Withers will be the company’s new Director of Audiences and Impact. In his new role, Verrall-Withers, who is the Artistic Director and CEO of Waterperry Opera Festival, will focus on developing audiences and public engagement as well as expanding the festival’s reach. Supporting him in this effort will be Artistic Director Michael Chance {…}
(Photo credit: Lara Johnson-Perkins) Mezzo-soprano Ellen Pearson has won first prize in the 2024 Hurn Court Opera Singer of the Year Competition. Pearson took home the Nigel Beale Grange Festival First Prize as well as the Anthony Lowrey Audience Prize. Coming in second place was baritone Stephen Whitford. The baritone also received the Wendy Blamire Award for outstanding linguistic and {…}
The Grange Festival has announced the appointment of Tyler Stoops as the new CEO. He will take over the position on June 3, 2024 in time for the 2024 Festival. In a statement, Stoops said, “I’m thrilled to be joining The Grange Festival at this pivotal moment, to build on its success and lead development of an exciting, shared vision {…}
Richard Mantle has been appointed to the position of interim chair of the board of the UK’s Grange Festival. Mantle is set to step down from his current position as General Director of Opera North in December and will succeed Tim Parker, who joined the board of the Grange Festival in March 2017 and has held the role of chair {…}
(Credit: Annelies van der Vegt) On June 9, the Grange Festival in Hampshire will open its fifth annual season. The festival will present three operatic masterpieces including “Macbeth,” “Tamerlano” and “The Yeoman of the Guard” as well as a Jazz and a Dance program. The festival, which was founded in 2016 by Michael Chance, Rachel Pearson, and Michael Moody, opened {…}
The Grange Festival has announced its 2022 edition. The season will kick off with Verdi’s “Macbeth” in a production by Maxine Braham. Conductor Francesco Cilluffo leads a cast starring Gëzym Myshketa and Judith Howarth as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, respectively. Other cast members include Jonathan Lemalu, Samuel Sakker, and Andrés Presno. Performance Dates: June 9-July 5, 2022 Händel’s “Tamerlano” will {…}