Keyword "Royal Opera House" - List of latest news (120 results)

06:32 ‘Touching the soul is all that matters!’ The outrageous genius of Barrie Kosky and his Wagner phantasmagoria

He put Carmen in a gorilla suit and had Das Rheingold’s Erda represented by an 82-year-old naked woman. What are the the director’s plans for his edge-of-the-seat Die Walküre?

10/04 Carmen review – Akhmetshina and Elder make this an outstanding evening

Damiano Michieletto’s staging gets its first revival with Aigul Akhmetshina returning to the title role with panache and conviction

06/04 Opera director Netia Jones: ‘AI is not going away. Either you batten down the hatches or you ride the wave’

Royal Opera’s new associate director on her obsession with Peter Grimes, winning over tech-sceptics and the joy of school matinee shows

02/04 Royal Ballet to perform Justin Peck’s Everywhere We Go, with music by Sufjan Stevens

Director Kevin O’Hare announces staging of NYCB choreographer Peck’s 2014 piece, as well as new works by Akram Khan and Cathy Marston

02/03 Light of Passage – a mesmerising meditation on loss, grief and hope

The Royal Ballet’s dazzling interpretation of Crystal Pite’s triptych sends our emotions soaring and swooping

12/02 Festen review – Turnage’s taut new opera grips, appals and moves

Mark-Anthony Turnage’s varied musical palette, Lee Hall’s unfussy libretto and Richard Jones’s focused staging of the tragedy of a family deeply scarred by abuse drives the drama inexorably in a remarkable production

29/01 Aida review – parades and totalitarianism rather than pyramids and triumphal marches

Royal Opera House, LondonRobert Carsen’s abstract 2022 production of Verdi’s controversial opera has no trace of its Egyptian setting which brings a schism between staging and score

29/01 Northern Ballet: Three Short Ballets review – star-crossed lovers, a sunny party and a 20th-century classic

Mthuthuzeli November expertly fuses ballet, contemporary and South African dance in Fools. Plus five minutes of fun from Kristen McNally and Rudi van Dantzig’s Four Last Songs

27/01 ‘None of this wouldn’t be on Netflix’: Festen, the explosive opera based on the dinner-party-from-hell film

The Danish film about racism, child abuse and self-harm caused jaws to drop in the 90s. Can it work as opera? Absolutely, say lyricist Lee Hall and composer Mark-Anthony Turnage

26/01 Royal Ballet: Onegin review – Marianela Nuñez is a marvel of desperation and desire

John Cranko’s 1965 take on Pushkin’s romance demands real artistry, and an outstanding cast delivers it

16/01 Jenůfa review – this opera is in Hrůša’s DNA, his account is not to be missed

The Royal Opera’s incoming music director conducts a performance of rare intensity and authority, with Corrine Winters and Karita Mattila compelling in the two central roles

23/12 Hansel and Gretel review – manic energy and festive roars of fury keep kids enrapt

Conductor Giedrė Šlekytė makes a promising UK debut with Humperdinck’s luxuriant score but there isn’t much space for adult enchantment

23/12 Classical music: Fiona Maddocks’s 10 best concerts and operas of 2024

A last-minute stand-in saves the day; an unusual artistic double act dazzles; plus, electrifying Strauss, Finnish firepower and high-flying Britten…

18/12 Heart-wrenching, joy-inducing and irrepressibly thrilling: our classical critics’ highlights of the year

Welsh National Opera hit the heights with Britten – only to be brought low by funding cuts, Barenboim returned to the Proms and Edinburgh’s Usher Hall radiated with sheer ferocious energy in a spectacular year of live music

17/12 New heights, fond farewells and daring acrobatics – the year in classical music

It was a thrilling year with glittering new works, an electrifying Proms season, Puccini in a laundry and Britten on a trapeze

17/12 La Bohème review – action rather than angst in lively revival

Richard Jones’s 2017 staging returns to Covent Garden with a young and light-hearted group of bohemians. In the pit Speranza Scappucci keeps things moving musically

27/11 Tosca review – Bryn Terfel’s lustful Scarpia returns to intimidate and compel

Natalya Romaniw brings vulnerability and depth to Tosca and, in the pit, Eun Sun Kim conducts with subtlety and delicacy in this revival of Jonathan Kent’s staging

26/11 ‘Opera should be an unstoppable art form’: Royal Opera announce Netia Jones as associate director

The Royal Ballet and Opera have created a new role, allowing Jones to drive development and new commissions

24/11 The week in dance: MaddAddam; Gigenis: the Generation of the Earth – review

Margaret Atwood’s dystopian vision provides rich inspiration for Wayne McGregor, while Akram Khan goes back to his Indian classical roots to transfixing effect

15/11 ‘Take anything, but please not my voice!’: the Royal Opera’s Sound Voice Project

In a space that usually rings with opera, a poignant and moving video installation examines the intimate connection between our voices and our selves

15/11 MaddAddam review – an epic dance through Margaret Atwood’s dystopia

Wayne McGregor’s take on the novelist’s complex tale is ambitious, beautiful and, though wanting in some parts, redeemed by incredible performances

08/11 Ballet Black: Heroes review – double bill explores everyday heroism and the purgatory of daily life

Sophie Laplane’s If at First switches so fast stylistically that it might be garbled, while Mthuthuzeli November’s The Waiting Game stages an existential crisis

08/11 The Tales of Hoffmann review – fun, carnivalesque staging goes to the dark side

Damiano Michieletto’s production of Offenbach’s opéra fantastique is full of warped wit and devilish touches with a fine cast bringing this colourful fever-dream to life

23/10 Encounters: Royal Ballet review – classic hip-hop, Spider-Man antics and whip-smart satire

From the flowing beauty of Kyle Abraham to the choppy poker-faced humour of Pam Tanowitz, these four contemporary ballets are excellently danced

10/10 Fidelio review – Kratzer’s iconoclastic take turns Beethoven into something it’s not

Directorial tweaks weaken the opera’s fervour and idealism, but Jennifer Davis’s Leonore and Chrstina Gansch’s Marzelline both impressed and in the pit, Alexander Soddy keeps things brisk

30/09 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland review – all stops are pulled out for Wheeldon ballet

Vivid designs, frog and fish footmen and a comedy dame bring good energy to the Royal Ballet’s Alice, with beautiful dancing from the leads

25/09 Eugene Onegin review – stripped back staging is compelling and probing

Ted Huffman’s unfussy new production of Tchaikovsky’s opera is detailed and insightful. Kristina Mkhitaryan’s Tatyana is a particular highlight among a strong cast

23/09 ‘It is so painful to know that people pity me’: Tchaikovsky, unrequited love and me

Tormented by a sexuality he could never openly express, the composer poured his anguish into his opera Eugene Onegin. As a new production hits the stage, its director reveals why it speaks to his own impossible romance

22/09 QDance Company: Re:Incarnation; The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party review – curiouser and curiouser

Qudus Onikeku’s dancers jerk, bustle and glide through a puzzling tale of rebirth, while Kate Prince’s ZooNation returns to Wonderland in sensational style

03/09 The Marriage of Figaro review – revival sparkles with young cast

David McVicar’s detailed staging of Mozart’s comedy opens Covent Garden’s new season, with conductor Julia Jones bringing energy and drive and Ying Fang, making her house debut, as an exquisite Susanna

02/08 Sandwich pest outed

The Telegraph’s weekly Peterborough diary column offers an unparalleled insight into what’s really going on at Westminster and beyond

16/06 Ashton Celebrated review – Royal Ballet turns traditional into timeless

Frederick Ashton’s musicality, footwork and storytelling are showcased in a programme of gracefully danced favourites

03/06 Anguished arias and Anna Nicole Smith: Antonio Pappano’s heart-stopping Royal Opera highs

From the pole-dancing, expletive-strewn Anna Nicole to the lung-popping underwater wonders of Wozzeck, the Royal Opera House’s music director relives five sublime shows from 22 rollercoaster years

31/05 Andrea Chénier review – Pappano ends on a high with this sensational, thrilling revival

David McVicar’s 2015 staging of Giordano’s French Revolution opera is the final production of Antonio Pappano’s tenure as music director of the Royal Opera. With leads Jonas Kaufmann and Sondra Radvanovsky, it is an exciting, affecting evening

25/05 The week in classical: Carmen; Celebrating 22 Years of Antonio Pappano – review

Glyndebourne hits 90 with Bizet’s sultry crowd-pleaser. Elsewhere, a starry farewell to a much loved maestro, and the fight to save Welsh National Opera

20/05 King's 'reassuring' public move shows he's in 'good spirits' during battle

EXCLUSIVE: King Charles is thrilled to be return to public-facing duties and the public is happy to see him back, says royal reporter.

20/05 King's message through his 'strong' move at Royal Opera House

EXCLUSIVE: King Charles has been out and about, carrying out his public-facing duties, and he's really enjoying himself, says a body language expert.

18/05 National Trust uses ‘anti-white’ rhetoric, claims Kemi Badenoch

Organisation has adopted guidelines and phrases such as ‘global majority’ says minister for women and equalities

17/05 Charles issues three-word cancer update as he beams during late night opera trip

King Charles was paying tribute to the out-going Music Director, Sir Antonio Pappano, last night.

30/04 Royal Opera House to change name to include the ballet

Research shows that very few people know the ballet is performed at the Royal Opera House

28/04 Larmes de Couteau/Full Moon in March review – two supremely weird operas

Bohuslav Martinů’s 1928 work is a strip-lighted nightmare whirlwind, while Harbison’s is highly stylised post-tonal sitcom unfolding around a four-poster bed

27/04 The week in classical: Lucia di Lammermoor; Nash Ensemble; Anthony McGill and Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective – review

A fearless central performance anchors Katie Mitchell’s busy yet insightful Donizetti revival. And two chamber concerts serve as a vibrant prelude to this year’s BBC Proms…

21/04 Lucia di Lammermoor review – a vocally breathtaking, disturbing to witness descent into madness

Nadine Sierra is sensationally good as Lucia in this revival of Katie Mitchell’s production of Donizetti’s romantic tragedy – a dark, thoughtful and sometimes shocking interpretation for the post-#MeToo era

07/04 Carmen review – Aigul Akhmetshina is electrifying in simmering, naturalistic staging

Conjuring the oppressive Mediterranean heat and the claustrophobia of a fraying close-knit community, Damiano Michieletto’s new production of Bizet’s tragedy is rich with drama and potent

31/03 Carmen; California Connections review – sharp moves

Johan Inger’s cool take on Bizet’s tragic heroine is given its UK premiere by English National Ballet, while LA’s Yorke Dance Project celebrates three California dance pioneers

23/03 The week in classical: Our Mother; Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha; Madama Butterfly – review

Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater is reimagined for the stage; the South African soprano scales the heights from Strauss to The Sound of Music; and Asmik Grigorian is a shattering Butterfly

22/03 California Connections: Three Pioneering Women review – superb salute to trailblazing trio

Yorke Dance Project celebrate Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham and Bella Lewitzky in a mixed bill that offers a valuable lesson

09/03 The week in classical: LSO/ Rattle; The Rake’s Progress; The Flying Dutchman; Elena Urioste and Tom Poster – review

Dread runs through John Adams’s pulsating new ‘short symphony’; Stravinsky’s Rake has plenty of company at ETO; Bryn Terfel returns as the mythical Dutchman; and two lockdown favourites bring the house down

05/03 The Flying Dutchman review – Terfel still owns this role, and Elisabet Strid’s Senta soars

Tim Albery’s production feels a little lukewarm in this revival but soprano Strid, in her Covent Garden debut, is a compelling presence

18/02 The week in dance: Nelken; Dark With Excessive Bright; São Paulo Dance Company – review

A revival of Pina Bausch’s 1982 work is still finding its feet. Plus, full immersion with the Royal Ballet and a rich addition to the international dance scene

16/02 Festival of New Choreography review – the Royal Ballet spreads its wings

Impressive new work from Joshua Junker and Mthuthuzeli November pushes dancers well beyond the classical repertoire

06/02 Tosca review – full of thrills but star soprano Ausrine Stundyte doesn’t quite rise to this challenge

The Lithuanian singer is a superb actor but was not on her best form vocally here. She is strongly supported by Marcelo Puente and Gabriele Viviani and terrific conducting from Karen Kamensek

22/01 ‘I am not scary!’ A thrilling audience with super-charged soprano Angela Gheorghiu

She calls herself ‘the world’s most glamorous opera star’, and knew, from kindergarten, that her destiny was to be on stage. Can the Romanian diva possibly live up to her reputation? You bet …

20/01 The week in classical: Elektra; Jenůfa; Scottish Ensemble with Jasdeep Singh Degun – review

In the hands of two great conductors, high drama and outstanding playing converge in Strauss’s unyielding tragedy and Janáček’s dark masterpiece

14/01 Elektra review – Nina Stemme lost in rage at Pappano’s farewell

Although the orchestra bring out every detail in Strauss’s score under Antonio Pappano, his last show in charge lacks drama from star leads Stemme and Karita Mattila

05/01 Princess Mary proves Meghan Markle wrong

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25/12 Readers’ favourite stage shows of 2023

This year, our readers were blown away by productions from Machinal to Free Your Mind – with one theatregoer returning to watch Groundhog Day four times

24/12 Classical music: Fiona Maddocks’s 10 best concerts and operas of 2023

Two tragic new operas, Mussorgsky with bells on and rousing community endeavours inspired and moved, while ENO hit highs despite a year of turmoil

23/12 The week in classical: Hansel and Gretel; London Handel Players; La Nativité du Seigneur – review

Humperdinck’s sweet-toothed favourite wins at least one new fan; the joy is contagious in Bach’s Magnificat; and the Christmas story as imagined by Messiaen

17/12 Hansel and Gretel review – vivacious staging of Humperdinck’s benign fairytale

Mark Wigglesworth’s conducting and the playing of the ROH orchestra are top drawer, with Antony McDonald’s production reclaiming the innocence in the dark Grimm tale

14/12 Bittersweet symphonies: UK classical music 2023 in review

Amid the funding woes there were still bright spots this year, from Bach to Byrd, and the Rite to Rachmaninov, while the streaming world continued to evolve and expand

09/12 The week in classical: Cavalleria rusticana/ Pagliacci; OAE/ Suzuki: Christmas Oratorio; The Sixteen: Messiah – review

Hot-blooded double bill Cav and Pag hits home in a fine Royal Opera revival, while the OAE and the Sixteen thrill in seasonal Bach and Handel. Plus, the human cost of ENO’s move to Manchester

01/12 Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci review – compelling and compassionate theatre

Damiano Michieletto’s 2015 pairing of the two short operas returns for its third revival with a superb cast including Roberto Alagna, and carefully if sometimes solidly paced by Daniel Oren

30/11 Enduring greatness: five essential Maria Callas recordings on her centenary

Born 100 years ago this week, the great soprano left an extensive recording legacy. From Puccini’s doomed Tosca to Wagner’s demonic Kundry, we pick the five roles that saw her hailed as the greatest voice of the age

26/11 The week in dance: The Dante Project; Lay Down Your Burdens – review

Everything comes together in an exhilarating Royal Ballet revival of The Dante Project, while Rhiannon Faith’s new work is all about sharing…

17/11 Taylor Swift’s bestie Jack Antonoff slammed for ‘rude’ interview with comedian

Jack Antonoff is facing backlash for being “rude” to comedian Amelia Dimoldenberg during an interview at the 2023 GQ Man of the Year Awards.

13/11 It’s a shame that opera remains stuck in the past | Letters

Letters: Edward Lambert calls for a renewal of the genre to attract new audiences. Plus a letter from Helen Rooker on funding cuts to Mid Wales Opera

11/11 The week in classical: Jephtha; 7 Deaths of Maria Callas; Perfection, of a Kind: Britten vs Auden – review

Handel’s majestic final oratorio holds its own in Oliver Mears’s searching new production; Marina Abramović channels Maria Callas; and a well-told tale of when Britten met Auden

09/11 Jephtha review – Clayton is magnificent as a wide-eyed zealot

Oliver Mears’s powerful but flawed staging of Handel’s biblical oratorio boasts very fine singing and performances, with Jennifer France’s Iphis and Allan Clayton’s Jephtha standouts

08/11 Queen Camilla turns heads in stunning royal blue dress for ballet performance

All the details on Queen Camilla's stunning look tonight as she made a new appearance with King Charles after his first State Opening of Parliament Speech.

08/11 Charles and Camilla enjoy night out at the Royal Ballet after King's Speech

King Charles made his first speech to Parliament in the House of Commons today.

07/11 Allan Clayton: ‘I’m your tortured tenor for hire’

His committed performances and expressive voice have made him one of today’s most admired singers. As he prepares for Jephtha at Covent Garden, Allan Clayton ponders creativity, pigeonholes and facial hair

24/10 The Limit review – oppressed pair make words and steps count

Sam Steiner’s play, set in a world of rationed speech, lends itself to movement, and the dancers here also retain the dialogue, fusing the forms with quiet grace

22/10 The week in classical: Under the Little Red Moon; Helen Charlston & Sholto Kynoch; Rigoletto – review

An ‘opera for tinies’ captivates its target audience; the mezzo of the moment dazzles at Oxford’s renamed song festival; and Oliver Mears’s #MeToo Verdi still resonates

17/10 Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons: the cult play about words becomes a ballet

When a principal at the Royal Ballet asked to adapt his drama about imposed verbal limits, playwright Sam Steiner was all in. ‘There are things dance does better,’ he says

24/09 Picture a day like this review – Benjamin’s opera is a modern fairytale of sparse and moving beauty

George Benjamin and Martin Crimp’s enigmatic new work tells of a mother mourning the death of her child. If the dramatic pace is a little unvaried, its musical world is luminous and utterly distinctive

23/09 The week in classical: La forza del destino; Bayerisches Staatsorchester/ Jurowksi; Chouchane Siranossian – review

Ignore the fanciful plot and submit to the musical glories of the Royal Opera’s bravura revival of unwieldy Verdi. And to the top of the mountain with Vladimir Jurowski and co

20/09 Opera actor, 82, furious with critic for saying she looked a fright on first night

‘The “fright” look is all naturally mine,’ riposted Rose Knox-Peebles after FT reviewer assumed she had makeup on in Das Rheingold

20/09 La Forza del Destino review – superb voices and slick dance routines for Loy’s reimagined Verdi

Christoph Loy’s 2019 staging staging feels more cogent in this, its first revival, and baritone Etienne Dupuis is stunning as Carlo

19/09 Financial Times calls 81-year-old actress’ make-up ‘frightful’... but she wasn’t wearing any

Rose Knox-Peebles playing Erda, the earth goddess, in Das Rheingold tells newspaper ‘the “fright” look is all naturally mine’

15/09 Vogue World to donate £2m to London-based arts organisations

National Theatre and Royal Ballet among 21 groups to receive grants from new fund

14/09 Review: This London ‘Ring’ Is on the Met Opera’s Radar

It’s not stage-filling spectacle, but Barrie Kosky’s version of Wagner’s “Das Rheingold,” the start of a four-opera epic, is eerie, vivid and intense.

13/09 ‘I threw my pop records in the bin’: George Benjamin on his defining moments – and his latest opera

As Picture a Day Like This comes to the London stage, the composer speaks about finding his dream collaborator, entering ‘a different dimension’ with Olivier Messiaen – and the day Disney changed his life

12/09 Das Rheingold review – uncluttered staging is a compelling start to Kosky’s Ring cycle

With the figure of earth goddess Erda present throughout, the message – of the despoliation of the natural world – is clear. There’s no weak link in a uniformly strong cast, and in the pit Pappano has the measure of Wagner’s grandeur and intimacy

06/09 ‘The most dangerous stage I’ve ever been on’: the wildest performances of Wagner’s Ring

Gods! Dragons! Horned helmets! Valkyries! Incest! The 15-hour apocalyptic epic is about to explode onto the Royal Opera stage. But what’s the best way to tackle ‘the ultimate opera’?

06/08 Carlos at 50 review – Acosta’s gorgeous birthday bash with friends and family

There’s less gravity defying, more gravitas as the Cuban star makes a dazzling return to the Royal Opera House in a seamless show of crowd-pleasing highs

02/08 Theatre to stage first UK Turandot with all Asian cast after Royal Opera House 'whitewash' scandal

Arcola Theatre aims to ‘challenge racist stereotypes’ with its production of Puccini’s opera that will run from August 23

27/07 Carlos at 50 review – stunning tricks and charisma to burn

Of course Acosta has lost a little bounce after half a century, but the Cuban master still dances with care, specificity and dramatic flair

27/07 Arts Council backtracks on plan to move English National Opera out of London and cut its funding

'Ill-thought-out and impractical scheme’ was condemned by the classical music community for tearing at ‘the flesh of our culture’

16/07 Carlos Acosta: ‘At 50, I have to dance in a way that I can still walk off, and not call an ambulance’

The Cuban star on returning to the Royal Opera House stage, commissioning a heavy metal ballet and diversity in the arts

05/07 Wayne Sleep at 75: ‘Did Rudolf Nureyev pinch my bum? More than that’

He danced with ballet’s legends, partied with Freddie Mercury, and became a household name. As he celebrates his birthday with a gala performance, the 5ft 2in dynamo looks back at an action-packed life

02/07 Don Carlo review – Lise Davidsen shines in routine revival

The rising star, in her first major Verdi role, gives a tour de force of glorious singing in an otherwise unfocused production which struggles with character and dramatic intensity

21/06 Werther review – Kaufmann heads strong cast in stylishly sung and fabulously played revival

This revival of Benoît Jacquot’s 2004 staging of Massenet’s tragedy sees Antonio Pappano and his orchestra on top form. Kaufmann was not at full strength but Aigul Akhmetshina’s Charlotte shone

10/06 Il trovatore; The Planets; Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed at the Orchestra review – from Bosch to Bash Street

Spellbinding Jamie Barton and company excel in Adele Thomas’s clear-sighted take on volatile Verdi; to the final frontier via Peckham; and kazoos at the ready for a Beano Concerto

04/06 Il trovatore review – cruelty played out with anarchic imagination

Adele Thomas’s visually arresting production mixes levity with tragedy, as fervent orchestral play is matched by expressive singing from a fine cast

03/06 ‘We can’t just be in our ivory tower’: the Italian conductor aiming to open up the Royal Opera House to everyone

Speranza Scappucci hopes to demystify the art form for the English public when she becomes principal guest conductor

29/05 John Dobson obituary

Stalwart opera singer who clocked up more than 2,000 performances in around 90 roles at Covent Garden

27/05 The week in classical: Wozzeck; Don Giovanni – Christian Gerhaher and Anja Kampe thrill in five-star Berg

Direction and music are as one in Deborah Warner’s gripping new Royal Opera production, while a fine young cast redeems thoughtful if low-key Mozart

14/05 Director Adele Thomas: ‘In theatre, you need a private income just to live’

The theatre and opera director on how her working-class Welsh background informs her work, the strangeness of Il trovatore, and her eclectic running playlist

13/05 The week in classical: Abomination: A DUP Opera; Aida – review

Its Belfast premiere positively crackled, and four years on, Conor Mitchell’s lush, searing satire on DUP homophobia continues to provoke

06/05 ’I saw everything’: J-Bish spills on coronation

Leaving Westminster Abbey, Nick Cave, blew a kiss skywards when asked if he enjoyed ceremony, saying “wonderful “.

22/04 Moment Humphries had Charles in stitches

In his glittering career of six decades Barry Humphries entertained countless members of the royal family meeting the Queen as early as 1977, Prince – now King – Charles several times and receiving a British OBE for his services to comedy.

21/04 Arminio review – confident staging returns Handel rarity to its starting point

This lesser-known darkly compelling work is given a smart production that fizzes with contemporary relevance and puts female voices to the fore

11/04 ‘One of the most important works of our time’ – inside Innocence, Kaija Saariaho’s school-shooting opera

Sung in nine languages, with music by one of the world’s most acclaimed composers, Innocence comes to the UK this month. The team behind it reveal how it drew on everything from The Last Supper to Finnish cowherding music

18/03 The week in classical: Siemens Hallé international conductors competition; LSO/ Hannigan; Turandot – review

A trio of young conductors vie for a job with the Hallé; Barbara Hannigan takes Mahler at his word; and Antonio Pappano makes a thriller of Puccini’s final opera

13/03 Royal Opera House is accused of 'whitewashing' over Turandot

The 'British East and South-East Asians in Theatre and On Screen' group pointed out that Italian singer Anna Pirozzi had been cast as the Chinese Princess Turandot.

12/03 Royal Opera House accused of ‘whitewashing’ despite diverse cast

Actors group lambasts a new production of Turandot for its lack of British Asian singers

08/03 A showstopper, a sphinx and a score of marvels: how I learned to love Turandot

Its great aria Nessun Dorma is one of opera’s most famous, but there’s much more to Puccini’s complex final work. Antonio Pappano explains why it has taken him three decades to conduct it

28/02 Olivier awards 2023: complete list of nominations

My Neighbour Totoro leads the way with nine nominations at this year’s awards – see who else is in the running

25/02 The week in classical: Rusalka; The Rhinegold

Royal Opera’s new staging of Dvořák’s watery Rusalka finds fresh resonsances, while the ENO’s updated Ring cycle is really starting to shine

22/02 Rusalka, Royal Opera House review – junk-filled staging brings magic and a sombre message

Ann Yee and Natalie Abrahami’s thoughtful and effective new production shapes Dvorák’s opera into a tale of mankind versus nature. A first-rate cast is matched by Semyon Bychkov in the pit

11/02 The week in classical: Strand international piano series; The Barber of Seville; Konstantin Krimmel & Ammiel Bushakevitz – review

Murray McLachlan kicks off a new piano series in style; the Royal Opera’s latest Rossini revival delights. Plus, a lunchtime recital to stop you in your tracks

04/02 The week in classical: Tannhäuser; Isata Kanneh-Mason & Maxwell Quartet; Gesualdo Six: Secret Byrd

Majestic Lise Davidsen and Gerald Finley carry the Royal Opera’s illness-hit Wagner revival; Isata Kanneh-Mason and co shine; and in the shadows with William Byrd

03/02 The Barber of Seville review – Payare’s perky Rossini makes this revival fizz

With rising newcomers such as Aigul Akhmetshina and veterans such as Bryn Terfel, this is an irresistible performance conducted with verve by Rafael Payare, in his ROH debut

30/01 Tannhäuser review – Lise Davidsen gleams though Albery’s Wagner misfires again

Tim Albery’s second revival only fitfully illuminates the opera’s complexities, but the singing and acting are superb

25/01 BP sponsorship of Royal Opera House ends after 33 years

Move leaves British Museum and Science Museum isolated as arts institutions with fossil fuel sponsors

25/01 British opera singer creates work to reveal humanity of enslaved ancestors

Insurrection: A Work in Progress by Peter Brathwaite will highlight folk traditions as a form of resistance

22/01 The Sleeping Beauty review – a vintage production rises and shines

It’s unapologetically retro, and there’s no story, but the Royal Ballet’s latest revival of Petipa’s intricate masterpiece casts its spell

21/01 The week in classical: Least Like the Other; Elena Urioste and Tom Poster

The sad fate of Rosemary Kennedy is strikingly told by Irish National Opera. Plus, the female French composer we should all know about…

05/01 Kate Middleton’s eye-watering wardrobe cost as the UK struggles

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