MY VERSION OF EVENTS....

When we started Opera Holland Park in 1996, one of our primary aims (and in this we were not alone) was to feature the concept of "accessibility" at the heart of the company. In so many respects this concept becomes ever harder to maintain because, well, things don't get cheaper to provide and audiences are ever more demanding. And when a major newspaper reviews a show, the critic doesn't instinctively consider the cost of our tickets. It is further complicated by the great differences in opinion vis a vis what "accessibility" actually means. In our case, we have fallen back on the fact that we provide 1500 free tickets and a few thousand at £15 and nobody in their right mind would argue against the idea that these seats are very appealing. But after that, you pay £50 and more which in comparative terms is reasonable but in real terms is still pricey. Factor in the economic situation and our core audiences (who are not all wealthy) have to start mak...

It took us a while, but we finally announced the 2015 Investec Opera Holland Park season back in September. We were still dismantling the theatre from the last one and it is now a rush, believe it or not, to be ready for the summer. The autumn is filled with drawing up strategies, doing the budgets and yes, getting the money; lots of generous collars get felt. The 2015 line-up is a corker for sure. Il trittico represents the big challenge (I bet you thought it would be Aida huh?) because of the difficulties in sustaining a three hour evening featuring three very different pieces. Having Anne Sophie Duprels in two of them will help and knowing our 2012 Schicchi is a lovely production does too. As much as I love GS, I am thrilled by the prospect of Il tabarro and Suor Angelica, the latter opera's final half being profoundly moving. There is no question that Aida is something of a mountain for any opera company to climb but Verdi did give us some intimacy to work with too and...