Opera North *

http://www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/siegfried Associate Director, Joe Austin gives us and update from Siegfried rehearsals. Of all the operas in Wagner's monumental music drama 'Der Ring des Nibelungen', the third, Siegfried, tells a story that most resembles a fairy tale. Bold and fearless, the young hero Siegfried seeks ever increasing challenges and adventures. Forging an unbreakable sword from the shards of the weapon that belonged to his father, he slays the dragon Fafner and seizes from the dragon's hoard the ring that gives its bearer power over the world. But when he awakens the sleeping Brünnhilde after penetrating the magic fire surrounding her, he encounters his greatest challenge -- to win over her love. Wagner's unparalleled orchestral scene-painting reaches new heights in this work, and the closing love duet for Siegfried and Brünnhilde, completed after Wagner had composed Tristan und Isolde, has a blazing erotic intensity in common with that work. Siegfried is conducted by Richard Farnes, who, following the first two instalments of Opera North's Ring, has been praised as the country's eminent Wagnerian. The unrivalled power and vividness of Wagner's music will again be translated into evocative and atmospheric lighting and film projections by Peter Mumford. An international cast is headed by the Estonian tenor Mati Turi and the Swedish soprano Annalena Persson; and Michael Druiett returns to sing the role of The Wanderer following his acclaimed performances of Wotan in Das Rheingold in 2011. Bringing alive the full scale and splendour of Wagner's magnificent conception, this is the perfect occasion to celebrate Wagner's bicentenary. Cast Brünnhilde - Annalena Persson Siegfried - Mati Turi Mime - Richard Roberts The Wanderer - Michael Druiett Alberich - Jo Pohlheim Fafner - Mats Almgren Voice of the Forest Bird - Fflur Wyn Erda - Ceri Williams Creative Team Conductor - Richard Farnes Concert Staging - Peter Mumford Lighting / Projection Designer - Peter Mumford Associate Director - Joe Austin

Johnny Lynch performs 'Little Yellow Fly' as part of our ongoing Lullaby Project.

http://www.operanorth.co.uk Opera North is England's national opera company and a leading European arts organisation. The Company is committed to producing work of the highest quality that excites, challenges and entertains. It performs not only throughout the north of England and in London, but also at opera houses on the continent and at major international festivals. An innovative approach to programming and performance style has been widely acknowledged through a number of prestigious awards, including four for its Eight Little Greats season in 2004, and for Peter Grimes, the 2007 South Bank Show Opera Award, Royal Philharmonic Society Opera and Music Theatre Award and TMA Theatre Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera. Recently, the Company won the award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera at the 2012 Theatre Awards UK for its production of Norma. Acclaimed for its imaginative programming and innovative productions on the main stage, the Company also creates smaller scale Projects that bring together music, words and theatre in new and surprising combinations, and programmes its own venue, the Howard Assembly Room in Leeds, with an enormous diversity of activities that make connections between the classical and the contemporary. The Company's core artistic ensembles, the Chorus and Orchestra of Opera North, are renowned for the consistent excellence of their work, and the Orchestra, under the inspired leadership of its Music Director Richard Farnes, also leads an energetic life on the concert platform and in the recording studio. Opera North Education takes the Company into the heart of the community and demonstrates, year after year, the power of the arts in general, and opera in particular, to transform lives. The work of Opera North is made possible by direct support from Arts Council England, local authorities led by a close and sustained relationship with Leeds City Council, sponsorship from the private sector, the Friends of Opera North, the Opera North Fund, The Future Fund, The Patron's Initiative and the box office income from its audiences. The Company is grateful to the many business sponsors, charitable trusts and individuals who together assist Opera North to continue to mount its award-winning programmes.

http://www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/albert-herring Set and costume designer, Leslie Travers discusses designing for a site-specific production, and looks forward to the piece being performed in such an intimate venue.

http://www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/joshua Opening night audiences react to Opera North's new production of Handel's Joshua

Dharambir Singh performs as part of our ongoing Lullaby Project.

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet performs 'Wiegenlied (Chant du berceau)' by Franz Liszt

http://www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/joshua Director & Set and Lighting Designer, Charles Edwards discusses the "extraordinary, visceral impact" of Handel's mighty oratorio, Joshua. Cast Joshua - Daniel Norman Achsah - Fflur Wyn Othniel - Jake Arditti Caleb - Henry Waddington Creative Team Conductor - Stephen Layton (ex 3 May) Conductor - Anthony Kraus (3 May) Director - Charles Edwards Set and Lighting Designer - Charles Edwards Costume Designer - Gabrielle Dalton

http://www.fireworkmaker.co.uk Audience members react to The Firework-Maker's Daughter following opening night at Hull Truck Theatre. Cast Lila/ Goddess/ Young Girl - Mary Bevan Hamlet/ Pirate/ Ghost/ Firework 1 - James Laing Chulak/ Pirate/ Ghost/ Firework 2 - Amar Muchhala Lalchand/ Sprite/ Pirate/ Razvani - Wyn Pencarreg Rambashi/ Keeper/ Ghost/ King - Andrew Slater Creative Team Composer - David Bruce Librettist - Glyn Maxwell Director - John Fulljames Conductor - Geoffrey Paterson Designer - Dick Bird Puppetry - Steve Tiplady and Sally Todd of Indefinite Articles Lighting Designer - Guy Hoare Orchestra - CHROMA Co-produced by The Opera Group and Opera North in association with ROH2 and Watford Palace Theatre. Co-commissioned by The Opera Group and ROH2. Orchestral partner: CHROMA

www.operanorth.co.uk Acclaimed for innovation and creativity, Opera North is England's national opera company based in the North of England.

http://www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/the-firework-maker-s-daughter An explosive musical adventure Based on the story by Philip Pullman Lila desperately wants to be a firework-maker like her father. But when he refuses to teach her, Lila runs away from home to discover the three gifts of firework-making for herself. With the help of her friends, Chulak and Hamlet, the love-sick elephant, Lila faces pirates, tigers and the terrifying Fire-Fiend on her perilous quest to find out what the three gifts really mean. This new opera is a vivid re-telling of the award-winning children's novel by author Philip Pullman, with a libretto by Glyn Maxwell. David Bruce's music, bursting with colour and energy, sparkles with humour and musical fireworks of its own and is brought to life by magical puppetry. Discover this gripping tale of friendship, determination and adventure that will be an explosive theatrical experience for all the family. Co-produced by The Opera Group and Opera North in association with ROH2 and Watford Palace Theatre. Co-commissioned by The Opera Group and ROH2. Orchestral partner: CHROMA

http://www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/la-voix-humaine We follow Lesley Garrett as she returns to the operatic stage as 'Elle' in Opera North's new production of La voix humaine. Cast: Elle - Lesley Garrett Creative Team: Conductor - Wyn Davies Director - Aletta Collins Set Designer - Giles Cadle Costume Designer - Gabrielle Dalton Lighting Designer - Andreas Fuchs

http://www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/la-voix-humaine Lesley Garrett makes her return to the operatic stage in a work of rare originality and stark emotional honesty. A woman is sprawled alone on her bed. 'It looks like the scene of a murder' said Jean Cocteau, who wrote the play on which Poulenc's opera is based. But the woman isn't dead. She gets up and makes to leave, when the phone rings. It is her ex-lover. During the next 40 minutes we hear one side of an increasingly desperate conversation in which the woman tries anything to win him back. But it's no use -- she can't get through to him. He hangs up, and she's left whispering 'Je t'aime' to nobody. La voix humaine is short in length, but not on emotional impact. Through the lone voice of the woman, Poulenc expresses all the pain and fear of rejection in the rawest fashion, whilst enveloping her voice in music of caressing warmth and sensuality. Aletta Collins returns to Opera North to direct this one woman show, which will showcase Lesley Garrett's talent in this heartbreaking portrayal of a relationship's breakdown. Cast Elle - Lesley Garrett Creative Team Conductor - Wyn Davies Director - Aletta Collins Set Designer - Giles Cadle Costume Designer - Gabrielle Dalton Lighting Designer - Andreas Fuchs

http://www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/otello Opera North's new production of Verdi's Otello Iago, an ensign in the Venetian army, is a man who bears a grudge. When his general, Otello, passes him over for promotion in favour of Cassio, Iago's festering resentment quickly turns to downright malice. He poisons Otello's mind with suspicion, and step by step, leads Otello to believe that his young wife Desdemona is in love with the young and handsome Cassio. And so Iago, a man consumed by envy, makes Otello into a monster of murderous jealousy. Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth, this breathtaking new production brings Shakespeare's great tragedy to life through Verdi's most exquisite, passionate and profoundly moving music. A tale of betrayed friendship, suspicion and jealousy, it is widely regarded as the crowning glory of Italian opera. This new production reunites the production team of Tim Albery and designer Leslie Travers who created Opera North's recent, widely acclaimed Giulio Cesare; Music Director Richard Farnes conducts. Supported by The Peter Moores Foundation and the Opera North Future Fund Cast Otello - Ronald Samm Desdemona - Elena Kelessidi Iago - David Kempster Cassio - Michael Wade Lee Emilia - Ann Taylor Roderigo - Christopher Turner Lodovico - Henry Waddington Montano - Dean Robinson Herald - Paul Gibson Creative Team Conductor - Richard Farnes Director - Tim Albery Set and Costume Designer - Leslie Travers Lighting Designer - Thomas C Hase Choreographer - Laila Diallo Fight Director - Will Tristam

http://www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/otello Conductor, Richard Farnes explores Verdi's masterpiece, Otello. Giuseppe Verdi (1887) New production Iago, an ensign in the Venetian army, is a man who bears a grudge. When his general, Otello, passes him over for promotion in favour of Cassio, Iago's festering resentment quickly turns to downright malice. He poisons Otello's mind with suspicion, and step by step, leads Otello to believe that his young wife Desdemona is in love with the young and handsome Cassio. And so Iago, a man consumed by envy, makes Otello into a monster of murderous jealousy. Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth, this breathtaking new production brings Shakespeare's great tragedy to life through Verdi's most exquisite, passionate and profoundly moving music. A tale of betrayed friendship, suspicion and jealousy, it is widely regarded as the crowning glory of Italian opera. This new production reunites the production team of Tim Albery and designer Leslie Travers who created Opera North's recent, widely acclaimed Giulio Cesare; Music Director Richard Farnes conducts. Sung in Italian with English titles Lasts approximately 2 hours 45 minutes Supported by The Peter Moores Foundation and the Opera North Future Fund Cast Otello - Ronald Samm Desdemona - Elena Kelessidi Iago - David Kempster Cassio - Michael Wade Lee Emilia - Ann Taylor Roderigo - Christopher Turner Lodovico - Henry Waddington Montano - Dean Robinson Herald - Paul Gibson Creative Team Conductor - Richard Farnes Director - Tim Albery Set and Costume Designer - Leslie Travers Lighting Designer - Thomas C Hase Choreographer - Laila Diallo

http://www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/otello David Kempster explores the character of Iago and how the opera differs from Shakespeare's play. Opera North's new production of Otello, conducted by Richard Farnes and directed by Tim Albery opens at Leeds Grand Theatre on Wednesday 16 January 2013. Iago, an ensign in the Venetian army, is a man who bears a grudge. When his general, Otello, passes him over for promotion in favour of Cassio, Iago's festering resentment quickly turns to downright malice. He poisons Otello's mind with suspicion, and step by step, leads Otello to believe that his young wife Desdemona is in love with the young and handsome Cassio. And so Iago, a man consumed by envy, makes Otello into a monster of murderous jealousy. Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth, this breathtaking new production brings Shakespeare's great tragedy to life through Verdi's most exquisite, passionate and profoundly moving music. A tale of betrayed friendship, suspicion and jealousy, it is widely regarded as the crowning glory of Italian opera. This new production reunites the production team of Tim Albery and designer Leslie Travers who created Opera North's recent, widely acclaimed Giulio Cesare; Music Director Richard Farnes conducts. Sung in Italian with English titles Lasts approximately 2 hours 45 minutes Supported by The Peter Moores Foundation and the Opera North Future Fund Cast Otello - Ronald Samm Desdemona - Elena Kelessidi Iago - David Kempster Cassio - Michael Wade Lee Emilia - Ann Taylor Roderigo - Christopher Turner Lodovico - Henry Waddington Montano - Dean Robinson Herald - Paul Gibson Creative Team Conductor - Richard Farnes Director - Tim Albery Set and Costume Designer - Leslie Travers Lighting Designer - Thomas C Hase Choreographer - Laila Diallo