Opera North Announces Journey Back From Lockdown

New live performances by Opera North have been announced today, with four performances of Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio, planned to be the first large scale production for over a year as the Leeds-based opera company builds back towards a fuller programme of public events.

Originally due to be performed in November 2020, a subsequent livestream of Fidelio filmed behind closed doors at Leeds Town Hall was a huge critical and audience success last year. The same cast will return to bring this ‘electrifying’ (The Guardian) performance to live, socially-distanced audiences for the first time, at Leeds Town Hall on Wed 9 and Sat 12 June, followed by The Lowry, Salford Quays on Tue 15 June and Royal Concert Hall Nottingham on Sat 19 June.

Staged by Matthew Eberhardt, these performances of Fidelio will be conducted by Paul Daniel, the Company’s Music Director from 1990-1997, with cast including Rachel Nicholls as Leonore, Toby Spence as Florestan, Robert Hayward as Don Pizarro, Brindley Sherratt as Rocco, Fflur Wyn as Marzelline and Oliver Johnston as Jaquino.

The filmed performance of Fidelio, originally streamed live on 12 December 2020, is additionally returning to Opera North’s ONDemand platform, where it can now be watched for £15.

Other performances and broadcasts over the spring and summer include:

A Night at the Opera gala concert at The Lowry, Salford Quays
Co-production of Sondheim’s A Little Night Music with Leeds Playhouse rescheduled for Summer 21
The Whitehall Road Sessions: a new series of livestreamed chamber concerts
As You Are: A Sound Walk for Leeds, reopening this Spring
Whistle Stop Opera: The Magic Flute touring across the North
Orpheus in the Record Shop: Opera North and Leeds Playhouse’s co-production broadcast on BBC Four as part of #BBCLightsUp
BBC Radio 3 broadcasts for Gluck’s opera Orfeo ed Euridice and the Orchestra of Opera North conducted by Richard Farnes