Young Talent showcased in Welsh National Opera's Summer & Autumn productions

WNO Youth Opera in Brundibár in 2019 (Photo Johan Persson)

Welsh National Opera has a busy Summer planned for members of the company's Youth Opera, with two new productions, and participation in one of WNO's main stage productions.

WNO Youth Opera (10-18 years) will perform the creepy, comic opera, The Black Spider, written by composer Judith Weir, at the Weston Studio, Wales Millennium Centre. The production will be performed by a company of 50 singers aged 10 to 18, reuniting for their first live production since Brundibár in 2019. Based on Jeremias Gotthelf’s dark medieval tale Die Schwarze Spinn. Judith Weir created The Black Spider specifically for young people, combining, history, horror and comedy and the production will be directed by Rhian Hutchings and conducted by Dan Perkin.

WNO Youth Opera (18-25 years) will be presenting a new production of Shostakovich’s Cheryomushki, on the main stage of the Donald Gordon Theatre as part of WNO's Autumn Season. The work is a satirical, light-hearted operetta focuses on the housing shortage and the challenge of securing habitable conditions in 1950s Soviet Russia. It will be presented as Cherry Town, Moscow,  directed by Daisy Evans and conducted by Alice Farnham.

Will Todd's Migrations receives its premiere as part of WNO's Summer Season and returns as part of the Autumn Season. Directed by Sir David Pountney, the opera will feature the forces of WNO’s orchestra and Chorus combined with The Renewal Gospel Choir, Bollywood dancers and traditional Indian musicians, plus a children's chorus featuring members of WNO Youth Opera (10-14).

The young people of WNO’s Youth Opera gain a fully professional and unique training experience working with WNO’s orchestra, designers, stage managers and technicians, helping develop and support their professional skills. The aspiring singers also receive mentoring and guidance from top industry professionals.

More about WNO Youth Opera at the WNO website, plus details of performances.