Britten, Poulenc, Dove, Humperdinck: Spring opera at the colleges

Spring at the London colleges sees opera popping up, with works by Poulenc, Britten and Jonathan Dove popping up, with Humperdinck in Manchester There are celebrations too, as the Royal College of Music's new Flentrop organ is unveiled, and the Royal Academy of Music completes the re-build of its theatre. But all have a lively programme of other events, well worth exploring.

The Guildhall School of Music and Drama's Spring opera is Poulenc's Les Dialogues des Carmélites which is being directed by Martin Lloyd Evans and conducted by Dominic Wheeler. Other events include an immersive light and sound installation at Tower Bridge’s Bascule Chamber created by video design artists from the Guildhall School, in the Alumni Recital Series pianist Clare Hammond, winner of the 2016 Royal Philharmonic Society’s Young Artist Award, will be performing a programme of Haydn, Unsuk Chin, Guildhall professor Julian Anderson, Beethoven, Scriabin, Stravinsky and a new work by Guildhall alumnus Edmund Finnis.

Over at the Royal College of Music they are celebrating their new organ with a special festival. Built by Flentrop Orgelbouw, the new organ will be showcased in music by RCM alumni Vaughan Williams, Parry and Stanford are performed alongside new works by RCM composers, and Thomas Trotter will be finishing the festival with a recital. Liam Steel will be directing Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

The Royal Academy of Music also has something to celebrate with the opening of the re-built theatre and a new recital hall. The theatre is being christened with Jonathan Dove's Flight which Martin Duncan directs, and Gareth Hancock conducts. The British Chamber Music Series is showcasing British music from the 20th and 21st centuries with works by 13 living composers.

The Royal Northern College of Music's Spring opera is Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel which is directed by Stephen Medcalf and conducted by Anthony Kraus.. (My apologies for managing to miss this off the original posting). They also have a Christmas opera, and Olivia Fuchs' production of Massenet's Cendrillon opens tomorrow (10 December 2017).