The National Opera Studio is the leading opera training organization in the United Kingdom. The programme is tailored to the needs of young artists; singers and repetiteurs. It provides world-class preparation to young talents who have the potential to become leading performers of their generation. The National Opera Studio was hosted in Edinburgh on February the 1st in its 40th anniversary year. The show at King’s Theatre was the culmination of a week-long residency in collaboration with company staff and the Scottish Opera Orchestra lead by Anthony Moffat. The scenes were directed by the renowned Irish director Orpha Phelan.

The residency at the Scottish Opera is one of the programme’s highlights. The young artists learn to adapt and apply different skills at different venues as they will be ultimately required in the professional opera world. The February performance used the set of the Scottish Opera’s current production Anthropocene, by Stuart MacRae and Louise Welsh. The artists presented a number of extracts from renowned opera concerts. To name some of the most famous Così Fan Tutte, Le Nozze di Figaro, Fidelio and Carmen. All the scenes were linked by the recurrent theme of love and interaction with ropes included in the set.

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This was my first time ever attending an opera concert. But I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The decision to select only some scenes rather than acting a whole opera definitely paid off. For a more expert public, it was enjoyable to catch references and see opera classics re-enacted in a modern or semi-modern setting. Moreover, the emerging artists had the chance to prove to be eclectic while handling a multifaceted repertoire in various languages and interpreting diverse characters. For someone as inexperienced as myself, the format of this concert was ideal for a number of reasons. A relatively short show, lasting an hour and twenty minutes, was certainly more appealing to someone approaching the opera world for the first time. Moreover, the short scenes made me eager to watch the rest of each opera and learn how the stories would develop. The format made the concert dynamic and caught my attention thanks to the alternate tones of the scenes.

The National Opera Studio did a great job in creating a performance enjoyable for both the opera experts and less experienced audiences. I particularly appreciated the project because it made me discover that Opera is something I do actually enjoy. Quite possibly this performance will bring younger audiences closer to a kind of art often perceived as not easily accessible. Especially, as the artists are very young, like the talented soprano Ana-Maria Bacanu whose performance touched me immensely. I recommend this performance as a dynamic and enjoyable starting point to anyone curious to discover opera.

Sofia Cotrona
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