Edited text of the talk I gave yesterday at the Opera and politics Symposium – Trinity Laban May 2019 It is very good to be here today to talk to you on a subject that – hard as it is to believe – I have been banging on about for thirty long years. Let me begin at the beginning. I work in what is widely regarded as the most mysterious, inaccessible, white, middle-aged, middle-class art form known to humankind – opera. Except, opera isn't itself any of those things. The audiences can be, although there is a huge misconception about the vast bulk of those who enjoy the art form. I myself come from a working class, immigrant background but I had the chance to attend what was called the 'poor man's Eton', a school called Woolverstone Hall, an ILEA school that took poor, bright inner city kids and gave them an Eton style boarding education. It also put culture and performing arts at the heart of its cur
Michael Volpe Thoughts and opinions including the odd review of places. My personal views are expressed here. Inappropriate comments will be removed, including my own. "Noisy at the wrong times" new edition published in September 2015 on Two Roads