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1. Explore the history of opera ?

Discover how opera came into being with this potted history explored through a dozen of our favourite works... We''ve got a handy A-Z guide to opera too!

2. Take a sound journey ?

Grab your headphones and tune into our unique series of sound journeys composed by five musicians during lockdown.

3. Join us for a pop-up performance ?

We''re at Leeds'' Hyde Park Book Club on Sunday with a pop-up performance of Humperdinck''s Hansel and Gretel. Limited tickets are available.

4. Marvel at this talented pianist ?

Our skilful Chorus Master and pianist Oliver Rundell performs an 8-hand arrangement of Mozart''s overture to The Magic Flute...

5. Download a podcast ?

From Monteverdi to Monty Python, delve into the thrilling world of opera with our new podcast series.

6. Hear your favourite aria ?

Be transported to the opera house with this playlist featuring over four hours of arias, curated by you, our wonderful audience!

7. Put a Ring on it ?

No list would be complete without Wagner''s epic Ring cycle! Watch our acclaimed staging of the mythological masterpiece online, for free - it''s the ultimate TV marathon!

A breathtaking aria from Tosca

Relive acclaimed tenor Rafael Rojas'' 2018 performance of the incredibly moving aria ''E lucevan le stelle'' from Puccini''s Tosca.

Party with Jimmy Somerville

Grab some glow sticks and set up your dancefloor at home to recreate Jimmy Somerville''s performance of ''Don''t Leave Me This Way'' at last summer''s 80s Classical.

See you in 2021!

80s Classical, Club Classical Anthems and Raiders of the Lost Ark in Concert have been rescheduled to 23, 24 and 25 July 2021 respectively. We hope to see you there!

Save ?10 when you book both 80s Classical and Club Classical Anthems.

Return of the orchestra...

Playing together for the first time since 15 March, our orchestra have been adjusting to a new way of working, with their new socially-distanced layout spreading them out across the entire floor of Leeds Town Hall. 

Want a sneak peek of us playing Brahms'' Second Symphony?

We hope you are enjoying our weekly delivery of fun, light-hearted content! Check out our website for online access to some of our productions and performances. If you use social media, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and use the hashtag #OperaNorthAtHome.

Tonight''s programme

Hosted by BBC Radio 3's Suzy Klein, the concert ranges from a heartrending duet from Act III of Puccini's La boh?me, to an extract from Jasdeep Singh Degun's concerto for sitar and orchestra, Arya. To see the full programme, visit our website.

Watch the concert live on YouTube at 7pm. The concert is free to stream, but we''d love it if you could make a small donation to show your support.

Switch ON Season Announcement

New events have been added to our Switch ON season. Taking place this Autumn, we are delighted to announce a double bill of Handel's Acis and Galatea and Weill's Seven Deadly Sins, a concert tour of Beethoven's only opera Fidelio, and a festive Whistle Stop tour of Cinderella. 

Visit our website to find out more, including a sneak peek of which singers, directors and creatives are returning for Switch ON.

On sale soon

Keep an eye out in your inbox over the next few weeks for some very exciting announcements from us, including tickets going on sale for La petite boh?me, As You Are and Whistle Stop Opera: Cinderella. Tickets are limited availability so you''ll need to get in there quick!

Fidelio | Concert Performance
Ludwig van Beethoven
29 Nov - 12 Dec | Leeds Town Hall

Fidelio is actually Leonore, a noblewoman who risks everything to save her husband who is unjustly imprisoned by a tyrannical political opponent... Inspired by a true story from the French Revolution, the themes of liberty and freedom that run through Beethoven''s only opera are poignant to the world we live in today.

Acis & Galatea | Double Bill

George Frideric Handel
11 - 21 Nov | Leeds Playhouse

The double bill opens with a contemporary take on Handel's light-hearted short opera. The nymph Galatea and the shepherd Acis are falling in love but when the monstrously jealous Polyphemus appears on the scene, their happiness is threatened...

The Seven Deadly Sins | Double Bill

Kurt Weill
11 - 21 Nov | Leeds Playhouse

After the interval, we meet Anna and Anna in Weill''s playfully shimmering ''sung ballet''. Sent away for seven years to make money for their struggling family, they journey between seven cities from Philadelphia to San Francisco, encountering the seven deadly sins... 

COVID-19 audience guidance

Your safety and comfort are really important to us. Leeds Playhouse and Leeds Town Hall have measures in place to ensure everyone feels safe as we return to live performance. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

What''s the story?

Find out everything you need to know about the story, music, trivia and more with The Seven Deadly Sins in a nutshell...

From our friends...

From 18 Nov - 23 Dec, The Sixteen will be presenting A Choral Odyssey, a six-part series of programmes presented by Simon Russell Beale and featuring 1,000 years of choral music performed in iconic surroundings.

Orpheus in the Record Shop

2 - 17 October, 4.30pm & 9pm

Acclaimed rapper Testament takes inspiration from the Greek myth of Orpheus, in a show that fuses spoken word and beatboxing with music from the Orchestra of Opera North.

Dead and Wake

16 & 17 October, 2.30pm & 7pm

Join literary activist and theatre maker Khadijah Ibrahiim for an exploration of Caribbean rituals around death through poetry, music and ghost [duppy] stories.

Reflections on La voix humaine

2 & 3 October, 2.30pm & 7pm

A woman lingers in a hotel room, waiting for her lover to return to her. She reflects on the true cost of love... With music from vocalist Keertan Kaur Rehal and award-winning sitarist Jasdeep Singh Degun.

Reflections on Krapp''s Last Tape

9 & 10 October, 2.30pm & 7pm

A man wakes up each night, looks out of his window, before lighting a lamp and staring at a blank wall. This reflection on Beckett''s extraordinary monologue features actor Robert Pickavance and folk musician Alasdair Roberts.

La voix humaine

2 - 17 October, 1.30pm & 6pm (limited availability)

Poulenc''s 40-minute opera exploring the pain and fear of rejection. Gillene Butterfield (Street Scene) brings to life this harrowing portrayal of a relationship's breakdown.

Krapp''s Last Tape

2 - 17 October, 3.30pm & 8pm

A 69 year-old man listens to the voice of his 39 year-old self. Looking back on his loves, failures and losses, Krapp rewinds through his life in Beckett''s extraordinary monologue.

All about Fidelio

It took Beethoven over ten years to perfect Fidelio, during which time three versions of the opera were premiered! With musical highlights and an insight into the story, find out everything you need to know about Beethoven''s only opera, in a nutshell!

Rehearsals in progress

Our epic concert performance will be live in four days, so let''s take a look at how things are shaping up.

Want to delve deeper behind the scenes? Set a reminder for our chat with the cast and creative team at 6pm tomorrow...

Head to the city

Our free Leeds soundwalk will be opening on Saturday 12 December, with audiences limited to six per walk and social distancing in place. Collect your headphones from Victoria Gate and prepare to experience something special.

A cosy night in

Enjoy a night at the concert hall without leaving the house! Stream our dramatic concert performance of Beethoven''s Fidelio on Saturday 12 December. You won''t want to miss this uplifting tale of liberty, justice and love.

Festive fun for all the family

We''re making our magical film of Whistle Stop Opera: Cinderella available to view ONDemand from Thursday 17 December. This family-friendly fairy tale is a must-watch for the holiday season!

Take a virtual trip to Paris

Join us in wintery Paris later this month, for our animated re-imagination of Act III from Puccini''s La boh?me! The 20-minute film brings two pairs of lovers to life as they sing passionately of their jealousy and desire.

Light Up Lives

This Christmas, help us use music to bring people together. Why not make a donation to help us Light Up Lives across our region this festive season? You can also support our work by:

• Purchasing a ticket
• Buying a gift membership or gift voucher
• Becoming a Friend
  
  

However you choose to support us, you''re helping to create extraordinary experiences every day for and with the communities we serve.

The Seven Deadly Sins

Livestream: Sat 21 Nov, 6pm GMT
?10

Brecht and Weill's jazzy ''sung ballet'' is directed by Gary Clarke and features Wallis Giunta (Trouble in Tahiti) and dancer Shelley Eva Haden as the two Annas.

Fidelio

Livestream: Sat 12 Dec, 7pm GMT
?15

This dramatic concert performance of Beethoven's only opera is conducted by Mark Wigglesworth and features a cast of internationally-renowned singers.

It''s time to get festive!

There''s still time to sign up to From Couch to Chorus: The Festive Edition. Learn the best singing tips and tricks from a professional choral director and finish the course by singing carols with the Chorus of Opera North!

Perfect for lockdown 2.0...

We are delighted to be able to share some of our previous productions and performances online, from our dramatic concert staging of Wagner''s Ring cycle, to Britten''s The Turn of the Screw...

A sensational experience...

Get acquainted with the power of a concert performance by enjoying our ????? production of Wagner''s Ring cycle. Since lockdown, over 138,000 viewers have tuned in to watch this 15-hour epic for free!

The triumphant music...

From love duets to a male chorus singing for freedom, the dramatic themes of love and liberty that run through Fidelio are magnified by Beethoven''s powerfully poignant score.

Two festive shows to stream

Watch a family-friendly operatic take on a famous fairy tale, and a unique new animation set to Puccini''s score for La boh?me. Buy now (?4.99 each) and stream from 17 Dec.

Whistle Stop Opera: Cinderella ?
La petite boh?me ?

As You Are: a Leeds soundwalk

Running until 22 Dec, see the city of Leeds in a new light with composer Abel Selaocoe''s uplifting African-inspired soundtrack. Book your slot and pay as you feel!

"I can't tell you how it filled my soul with hope" - @anya_madhvani

Discover The Seven Deadly Sins

This new production is set in the 1930s and full of cultural and political references of the time, from the Dying Swan of Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, to the films of Charlie Chaplin...

Find out everything you need to know about the story, music, trivia and more with our handy guide.

Pre-show talk

You''re invited to join us on YouTube for a pre-show talk with director Gary Clarke, conductor Jim Holmes, mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta (Anna I) and dancer Shelley Eva Haden (Anna II) on Wednesday 18 November at 6pm.

Percussion Academy

Welcoming passionate musicians aged 12 to 18 studying grades 4 to 8 in percussion. The academy is a fantastic opportunity for musicians to learn more about percussion history and playing techniques, develop technical skills and understanding, and work closely with percussionists from the Orchestra of Opera North.