Operacast

All of the latest opera news.

Guest editor Emma Black is joined by Lorna James and Michael Betteridge to discuss potential moves for English National Opera, precarious pay, meta opera, and much more …

Including an exclusive interview with designer George Johnson-Leigh with details of Opera North’s first green season of 3 new sustainable productions.

Recorded in March 2023

Guest editor … Emma Black

Panellists … Michael Betteridge, Lorna James

Interview … George Johnson-Leigh

Produced by Northern Opera Group

All the latest news from the opera world

February 2023

1. News Round-Up

Glyndebourne, Welsh National Opera, and Metropolitan Opera new seasons

https://www.glyndebourne.com/autumn/glyndebournes-autumn-2023-programme-announced/

https://wno.org.uk/news/a-wnoderful-year-of-opera

https://www.metopera.org/season/2023-24-season/

Royal Opera House and BP part ways

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/jan/25/bp-sponsorship-of-royal-opera-house-ends-after-33-years

Opera coming up on the big screen

https://variety.com/2023/film/global/amanda-seyfried-atom-egoyan-seven-veils-1235515416/

https://deadline.com/2023/02/toni-collette-odessa-young-nathan-silver-revenge-thriller-the-prima-donna-cornerstone-efm-1235248749/

2. Interview - Flora McIntosh, Opera Up Close

https://www.operaupclose.com/

Recorded 22 February 2023

Host - David Ward

Interview - Flora McIntosh

Production by Northern Opera Group

In our first pod of 2023 we discuss cuts to opera funding, representations of female conductors, and is opera cool? …

Running order

1) Arts Council England funding – English National Opera, Glyndebourne, Welsh National Opera

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/nov/09/english-national-operas-funding-to-be-cut-to-zero-unless-it-moves-from-london

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/17/english-national-opera-arts-council-england-investment-eno

2) Mystery opera quiz …

3) Tar and female conductors

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/16/thank-you-cate-blanchett-for-taking-up-the-baton-for-female-conductors?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

4) New pay deal for theatre, but opera lags behind

https://twitter.com/EquityUK/status/1613477338729119745?s=20&t=0rn5rS67DfQ6TWEuRBYJ3Q

5) Classical music is cool … apparently

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230113-gen-z-and-young-millennials-surprising-obsession

6) Opera History Corner – the first UK opera subsidy, 1930

7) Hidden Gem – ‘Cabildo’ (Amy Beach)

8) Quiz – higher or lower?

Recorded on 23 January 2023

Guests - Emma Black, Helen Harrison

Host - David Ward

Produced by Northern Opera Group

All the latest opera news, reviews, interviews and general chit-chat

Running order

1) New season announcements – Opera North, Welsh National Opera, Metropolitan Opera

2) Olivier Award nominations

3) International Women’s Day

4) James Conway leaving English Touring Opera

5) Changes to UK arts funding

6) Interview – Amitai Pati

7) The war in Ukraine

8) Covid cancellations

9)“Is there any longer, more fruitless period of time than having to sit through the opera questions on University Challenge?”

10) Opera on TV, Radio, Film

11) Hidden Gem

12) Quiz

Recorded on 9 March 2022

Guests - Emma Black, Helen Harrison

Interview - Amitai Pati

Host - David Ward

Produced by Northern Opera Group

Operacast Film Club

Host, David Ward, is joined by Sophie Gilpin and Louise Garner to review the new Netflix film, ‘Falling for Figaro’.

An American hedge fund manager decides to pack it all in and realise her dream of becoming an opera singer; but first, she must train with the formidable former diva, Joanna Lumley in the Scottish Highlands …

Is it a good advert for opera? And is it a good film at all?

Let us know your thoughts!

Recorded on Thursday 25 November 2021

All of the latest opera news.

Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe on your favourite podcast platform.

Episode content

- Theatre Tax Relief and the Arts Premium

https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/news/budget-2021-theatre-tax-relief-doubled-until-2023

- Glyndebourne’s net zero ambition

https://smeclimatehub.org/uk-based-opera-house-glyndebourne-targets-net-zero-prioritizes-climate-action-throughout-business/

- Operalia competition

https://www.operaliacompetition.org/operalia-2021/

Handel singing competition

https://www.london-handel-festival.com/handel-singing-competition/2021-competition/

- Royal College of Music Museum

https://www.rcm.ac.uk/museum/

- Bernard Haitink, Amanda Holden and Carlisle Floyd

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/sep/16/opera-librettist-amanda-holden-obituary

- ‘Falling for Figaro’ watchalong

https://www.fallingforfigaro.movie/

- Nicky Spence and Emma Bell interview (ENO Valkyrie)

https://www.eno.org/whats-on/the-valkyrie/

- ETO orchestra

https://twitter.com/NicholasHellen/status/1437021589598613507

- “Exotic heritage”

https://twitter.com/Sitko_Soprano/status/1446913923853205520

- Royal Opera to review past productions

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/music/royal-opera-house-to-review-classic-works-as-it-makes-overture-to-black-lives-matter/ar-AAPIsEe

- If … Opera

https://www.ifopera.com/blog/blog-post-two-9gre5

- A Samoan Ring Cycle in Putney

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/oct/28/samoan-ring-cycle-wagner-gafa-ringafa?CMP=twt_a-culture_b-gdnculture

- What’s on TV, radio, cinema

https://www.glyndebourne.com/encore/

https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2021/event/opera-double-bill-bizet-and-viardot

https://operahollandpark.com/online/the-bear/

https://www.musictheatre.wales/

https://stream.roh.org.uk/free-titles?_ga=2.141711985.2119307038.1635923109-778179775.1633529647

- Quiz

Opera in film and television soundtracks

Recorded on 2 November 2021

Production by Northern Opera Group

Host … David Ward

Guests … Michael Betteridge, Emma Black

Interview … Emma Bell, Nicky Spence

Recorded as part of the Leeds Opera Festival, in this special podcast we discuss the history of opera in Britain - outside London.

Covering the great touring companies, the origins of the 'Big Six', and much more.

With Dr Jenny Daniel, Dr Andy King, Dr Kara McKechnie, and David Ward.

Visit http://leedsoperastory.co.uk/ for more information on the history of opera in Leeds.

Recorded on Sunday 29 August 2021

at Chapel FM, Leeds

All of the latest opera news.

Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe on your favourite podcast platform.

Episode content

1.17 Glyndebourne and Scottish Opera new seasons

https://www.scottishopera.org.uk/news/scottish-opera-announces-a-packed-programme-of-live-indoor-performances-this-autumn-including-the-gondoliers/

https://www.glyndebourne.com/festival/announcing-festival-2022/

9.0 VOpera win South Bank Opera Award

https://www.vopera20.com/

Cardiff Singer winner Gihoon Kim

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/4mTFYqwF9Grg7xryFMxv3t0/gihoon-kim

10.47 Graham Vick

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/10/graham-vick-opera-rps-awards-keynote-speech?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

13.51 Natalya Romaniw interview

https://eno.org/whats-on/tosca-crystal-palace/

49.35 Ongoing Covid challenges

54.45 On TV, film, radio

56.20 Hidden Gem

58.10 Quiz

Recorded on 10 August 2021

Produced by Northern Opera Group

Host - David Ward

Guests - Ben Crick, Helen Harrison

Interview - Natalya Romaniw

All of the latest opera news.

Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe on your favourite podcast platform.

Episode content

1.45 New season announcements

https://www.roh.org.uk/news/royal-opera-house-announces-packed-schedule-for-spring-and-summer-2021

https://www.roh.org.uk/news/the-royal-opera-house-reveals-highlights-of-its-first-full-season-since-2019

https://www.scottishopera.org.uk/news/scottish-opera-reveals-a-programme-of-filmed-and-outdoor-performances-for-springsummer-2021/

https://www.operanorth.co.uk/news/new-season-announced-for-2021-22/

12.20 Appointments

https://englishtouringopera.org.uk/news/english-touring-opera-announce-the-appointment-of-gerry-cornelius-as-music-director

19.10 Interview – Oliver Gooch and Michael Volpe (Iford Arts)

46.37 Fat-shaming and artists taking the lead

https://www.middleclassartist.com/post/fat-shaming-bullying-is-anyone-protecting-our-young-singers

https://freelancersmaketheatrework.com/

56.45 Death of James Levine

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/mar/18/james-levine-obituary

1.03.12 Classic FM Hall of Fame

https://halloffame.classicfm.com/2021/

1.10.15 Eco pavilion at Glyndebourne

https://www.dezeen.com/2021/03/30/glyndebourne-croquet-pavilion-opera-house-bakerbrown-studio/

1.14.00 Lois Kirschenbaum

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/07/arts/music/lois-kirschenbaum-dead.html

1.16.30 What’s on – Radio, TV, Online

https://www.malmoopera.se/circus-days-and-nights-in-english

http://www.operaawards.org/

https://www.metopera.org/about/press-releases/metropolitan-opera-announces-live-streaming-plans-for-its-national-council-auditions-final-rounds/

1.17.15 Hidden Gem

‘The Wreckers’, Ethyl Smyth

1.21.38 Quiz

Recorded on Sunday 25 April 2021

Produced by Northern Opera Group

Host – David Ward

Guests – Sophie Gilpin, Lea Shaw

All of the latest opera news.

Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe on your favourite podcast platform.

Episode content

- News round-up

- Interview, Stephen Langridge (Artistic Director, Glyndebourne Festival)

- Interview, James Clutton (CEO and Director of Opera, Opera Holland Park)

- Interview, Polly Graham (Artistic Director, Longborough Festival Opera)

Recorded on Sunday 14 March 2021

Produced by Northern Opera Group

Host – David Ward