The Welsh National Opera has announced a new podcast that it will launch in English and Welsh. The English-language series, entitled “The O Word,” will be presented by journalist Gareth Jones, a broadcaster for such organizations as BBC and the United Nations in Geneva. Meanwhile, the Welsh-language series, called “Cipolwg,” will be led by comedian and journalist Lorna Prichard, who {…}
The Welsh National Opera has canceled its Autumn 2020 tour due to the ongoing pandemic. In a press statement, the company said, “it has become clear in recent weeks that it will be impossible for us to prepare for, rehearse and stage any large-scale production over the summer and it is increasingly unlikely tour partner venues will be open to {…}
(Credit Betina Skovbro) The Welsh National Opera has announced that Tomáš Hanus will extend his contract as Music Director to 2026. Hanus began as Music director in 2016 and has since received popular and critical acclaim for his conducting of operas such as “Der Rosenkavalier,” “Khovanshchina,” “From the House of the Dead” and “The Cunning Little Vixen.” “Following a fantastic {…}
(Credit: Johan Person) “Les vêpres siciliennes” is one of Verdi’s few substantive forays into the bloated dimensions of Meyerbeerian grand opera, and less frequently performed than its iconic companions “Aida” and “Don Carlo.” David Pountney’s new production of Verdi’s 1855 story of revolution, love and duty, created in collaboration with the Theater Bonn, was hotly anticipated as it marked the {…}
The Welsh National Opera has announced its 2020-21 season featuring six productions on the main stage. Here is a look at what to expect. Autumn 2020 The season opens with a revival of Janáček and Preissová’s “Jenůfa” starring Amanda Majeski in the title role. She is joined by a cast that includes Peter Berger, Helena Zubanovich, Ed Lyon and Rhodri {…}
The Welsh National Opera has announced that Yvette Vaughan Jones has been appointed as Chair of the Board of Directors, with immediate effect. Jones has extensive experience of working in the arts both in the UK and internationally and is the first woman in the Company’s history to hold the role of Chair of WNO. Jones has worked for independent {…}
(Credit: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Official Website) The Welsh National Opera has announced that Tianyi Lu will be the first Female Conductor in Residence with the company. Lu was born in Shanghai but was raised in New Zealand. She eventually completed her Master of Music in Orchestra Conducting at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. She is currently the {…}
Young opera stars are set to make their debut at a prestigious international music festival. Singers from Youth Opera North Wales are set to take part at the finale of this year’s North Wales International Music Festival. The singers will be made up of youngsters aged eight to 18 from across North Wales and will sing alongside Welsh National Opera’s Festival {…}
The winners of the 23rd South Bank Sky Awards were announced on July 7, 2019 during a ceremony at the Savoy Hotel in London. The Sky Awards are unique in that they “celebrate every genre of the arts, including pop, dance, opera, comedy, and TV,” according to Sky News. “British culture is really thriving right now, and this year’s Awards nominees reflect the {…}
(Photo: Johan Perrson) Following the end of the Second World War, Europe experienced huge population movements as the displaced peoples throughout the continent sought refuge from its ravages and its aftermath. Some were stateless, others fled retribution, while many from Eastern Europe wanted to escape the Russian occupation and its imposition of the communist dream. All were refugees seeking a {…}
(Photo: Johan Persson) Welsh National Opera’s imaginative and ambitious summer program of operas, exhibition, and talks, under the banner headline of “Freedom,” is dedicated to exploring the theme of human rights. Four operas were scheduled, all of which focused on an individual who sought to protect, release or comfort a prisoner or someone under threat. In Menotti’s “The Consul,” it {…}