A busy summer: from touring The Marriage of Figaro directed by Danielle de Niese to recording Iain Farrington's version of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, Wild Arts goes from strength to strength

Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin - Emily Hodkinson, Xavier Hetherington - Wild Arts 2025 (Photo: Allan Titmuss)

Wild Arts, the Essex-based musical charity headed by Orlando Jopling, has a busy summer ahead. Their new production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro is not only set to be performed at over 20 venues across the south of England but the production will be directed by soprano Danielle de Niese who is making her directorial debut. The tour begins at Layer Marney Tower in Essex and then wends its way across England, with a performance at Opera Holland Park on 22 August, two performances at the Minack Theatre in Cornwall (3 and 4 September), and a performance at Norwich Theatre Royal on 8 September. Alongside this tour, the company is presenting its annual summer Opera Evening with four singers and a string quartet popping up at over 20 venues. Later on in the year, the company's dramatic presentation of Handel's Messiah will be returning [see my review of the original 2023 performances].

We first caught the company in Donizetti's The Elixir of Love in 2023 [see my review of their performance at the Thaxted Festival]. Last year they presented Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin in a production directed by Dominic Dromgoole [see my review] 

In addition to this, the company has plans for its first recording. Tenor Xavier Hetherington (who played Lensky in last year's performances of Eugene Onegin) and mezzo-soprano Marta Fontanals-Simmons will be joining Orlando Jopling and the Wild Arts Ensemble in the recording studio this autumn for Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde in Iain Farrington's chamber orchestration. Farrington's version makes a full orchestral picture from only sixteen players, using only the instruments in Mahler’s score. It attempts to capture the timbre and balance of the original, as much as the spirit and energy.

We had a lovely preview of the recording at a private event on Thursday 19 February when Orlando Jopling, at the piano, accompanied Hetherington and Fontanals-Simmons in a performance of the work and chatted about the piece. Wild Arts is presenting two performances of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde in Iain Farrington's version at St Peter ad Vincula Church, Coggleshall on 22 March, and at Smith Square Hall on 31 March. Both concerts are raising money for the recording, and you can also support the recording via the company's donation page.

Founded as a charity in 2022, Wild Arts has grown rapidly and in 2025 reached audiences of over 15,000 people through over 70 performances at 60 venues with 200 performers and creatives. 36% of their 2025 audiences was made up of first time opera goers.  Their Emerging Artist programme supports talented young performers as well as those interested in the technical and managerial aspects of the production. As part of the company's education and outreach they reached some 500 children nationwide including six weeks of lessons, twelve workshops and two schools performances. 

Full details of Wild Arts presentation of Das Lied von der Erde from the company's website.