Embark on a journey of musical enchantment with Longborough Festival Opera as we explore their extraordinary 2024-2025 season. From festive carol celebrations to momentous operatic premieres, this season is a testament to the power of music to inspire and transform. Highlights include the charming 'Christmas at Longborough,' the educational Youth Chorus initiatives, UK premieres like 'Wahnfried,' and timeless classics like 'Il Barbiere Di Siviglia,' 'Pelléas Et Mélisande,' and 'Dido And Aeneas.' Join us in delving into this kaleidoscope of artistic brilliance that promises to captivate audiences young and old alike.

A Year of Musical Marvels: Highlights from Longborough Festival Opera's 2024-2025 Season

Dive into the harmonious world of Longborough Festival Opera's 2025 season, featuring a diverse array of events, from youth chorus opportunities to UK premieres and classic operas. This season invites audiences to experience music's transformative power through engaging performances, insightful discussions, and vibrant productions. Explore the talents of renowned artists and emerging voices in a setting where creativity flourishes, and operatic storytelling comes to life.

Exploring Longborough Festival Opera's 2025 Season: A Melodic Journey

The Longborough Festival Opera 2025 promises a remarkable lineup of performances that celebrate both classic and innovative interpretations of opera. Featuring the UK premiere of 'Wahnfried: The Birth Of The Wagner Cult,' a fresh take on 'Il Barbiere Di Siviglia,' the intricate 'Pelléas Et Mélisande,' and a vibrant new production of 'Dido And Aeneas,' this festival is set to enchant audiences with its diverse and rich offerings. With renowned conductors and directors at the helm, these events at Longborough Festival Opera are not to be missed.

Longborough Festival Opera 2025: A Celebration of Timeless Masterpieces

The Longborough Festival Opera 2025 season promises an opulent spectacle with the UK premiere of 'Wahnfried: The Birth of the Wagner Cult,' alongside fresh interpretations of classic operas like 'Il Barbiere Di Siviglia,' 'Pelléas Et Mélisande,' and 'Dido And Aeneas.' This season features captivating performances by accomplished conductors and artists, ensuring a vibrant celebration of operatic art. Dive into an array of emotional narratives and musical mastery, set against the picturesque backdrop of Longborough, United Kingdom.

Unveiling Operatic Masterpieces: Longborough Festival Opera 2025

Dive into a remarkable season at the Longborough Festival Opera in 2025, where four captivating productions come to life. From the UK premiere of 'Wahnfried: The Birth of the Wagner Cult', orchestrated by the esteemed Justin Brown, to the comedic charms of 'Il Barbiere di Siviglia' under Elaine Kelly's baton, there's something for every opera lover. Experience the haunting beauty of 'Pelléas et Mélisande', conducted by Anthony Negus, and conclude with the vibrant 'Dido and Aeneas', featuring Barokksolistene. Join us for a journey through these timeless operatic masterpieces.

A Season of Operatic Splendor: Longborough Festival Opera 2025

This summer, the Longborough Festival Opera presents an exceptional lineup featuring three masterpieces: Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, and Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. Each production promises to captivate audiences with its unique interpretation and incredible musical performances. Under the expert guidance of renowned conductors Elaine Kelly, Anthony Negus, and Bjarte Eike, this festival is set to be an unforgettable celebration of opera. Join us as we explore the enchanting world of operatic storytelling at Longborough.

A Summer of Operatic Excellence at Longborough Festival Opera

Closing the 2025 season will be a new production of Purcell’s masterpiece Dido and Aeneas, featuring one of the world’s leading baroque ensembles, Barokksolistene, and offering fresh and vibrant arrangements of Purcell’s score. For the Longborough Emerging Artists and Youth Chorus, the opportunity to take part in this project will be inspirational, and for audiences, this promises to be a barnstorming end to a thrilling season. The project will be led by Bjarte Eike, one of the leading exponents in Baroque fiddle, and directed by Norwegian stage director and choreographer Erlend Samnøen.

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Dido And Aeneas

Longborough Festival Opera

A fresh take on the enduring dramatic device of the love triangle: shimmering orchestral interludes and haunting vocal melodies unveil relationships in all their complexity and instability.

After the Ring, this opera is an ideal next step for the Longborough Festival Orchestra under the baton of our Music Director, Anthony Negus.

Pelléas Et Mélisande

We present a new production of Gioachino Rossini’s beloved comic opera, Il barbiere di Siviglia. Conducted by the resident conductor of Irish National Opera Elaine Kelly and directed by Louise Bakker, this production promises to delight audiences of all ages.

Il Barbiere Di Siviglia

We welcome back Justin Brown (“magnificently done - and comes straight from the heart” Jessica Duchen, 5* i News) to conduct the UK premiere of Avner Dorman’s Wahnfried: The Birth of the Wagner Cult (“wide-ranging, appealing, breathtakingly virtuosic” - Washington Post). Dorman delves into the story of the Wagner family and the politicisation of Wagner’s music in 20th-century Germany. Wahnfried was first performed in Germany in 2017 and was nominated for Best New Opera at the 2018 International Opera Awards. Our production will feature a cast of leading British singers including Susan Bullock CBE, and Mark Le Brocq, fresh from his roles as Loge and Siegmund in Longborough’s Ring and Aschenbach in WNO’s Death in Venice. This UK premiere will be directed by our artistic director Polly Graham.

Wahnfried: The Birth Of The Wagner Cult

An Insight Evening of words and music unpacking Wahnfried: The Birth of the Wagner Cult, with production director and festival Artistic Director Polly Graham, and conductor Justin Brown (Die tote Stadt 2022) who commissioned and gave the world premiere of the opera.  

Insights on Wahnfried

The Nicholas Boas Charitable Trust

Longborough Festival Opera’s Youth Chorus offers young people aged 7-18 the opportunity to develop their singing, creative skills and stage experience, coached by a team of vocal, drama and movement specialists.

Plans for 2024-2025 include a Christmas showcase in Longborough church on Sunday 8 December 2024, and participation in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas on the main stage at Longborough Festival Opera (26 July - 2 August 2025).

Youth Chorus 24-25 (instalment 2)

Youth Chorus 24-25 (instalment 1)

Join us at St James’ Church in Longborough for a festive celebration. Traditional carols will be performed by the Longborough Youth Chorus, supported by singers from Longborough Festival Opera, players from the Longborough Orchestra and children from Longborough Primary School.

Christmas at Longborough

St James Church Longborough

An Insight Evening focusing on Dido and Aeneas with leading baroque violinist and Music Director of Barokksolistene Bjarte Eike, in the European Art Gallery of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.

In anticipation of our collaboration with Barokksolistene and internationally acclaimed fiddle player Bjarte Eike, we are delighted to invite you to an evening of words and music celebrating our new production of Henry Purcell’s masterpiece Dido and Aeneas, which will feature Longborough's Emerging Artists and Youth Chorus. 

Longborough Festival Opera

Jul 26 - Aug 2, 2025

Dido And Aeneas

Jun 28 - Jul 10, 2025

Pelléas Et Mélisande

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Longborough Festival Opera