2024 Review
OUR MISSION
To stage high-quality productions in a setting of exceptional beauty and to reach as wide an audience as possible through the promotion and understanding of the arts, including opera, music and drama.
Board
Miranda Curtis CMG (Chair)
Nicola Creed (appointed 1 May 2024)
Professor Jonathan Freeman-Atwood CBE
Nigel Higgins
Catherine Ingrams
Neil King KC
Iain Mackinnon
Lady Medina Marks
Gary Powell (appointed 11 July 2024)
Lady Jennifer Stringer
David Suratgar (resigned 11 July 2024)
Advisory Council
Dr Margaret Bent CBE FBA (retired 2024)
Dame Hilary Boulding DBE
Dominic Burke
Sir Stuart Hampson
Diana Hiddleston
Peter Maniura
Cover: A Midsummer Night’s Dream 2024
Inside cover: Samuel Boden as Platée, Platée 2024
Photo credits: Julian Guidera, Chris Christodoulou, Craig Fuller, Clive Barda, Richard Hubert Smith, Verity Milligan
GARSINGTON STUDIOS
Opened May 2024
The opening of Garsington Studios in summer 2024 was a pivotal moment in our history, enabling a step change in our work and providing a catalyst to fulfil our ambitions for the future. The delivery of this visionary project, made possible by many generous donors, has connected the many strands of Garsington’s creative life together in a single stunning location.
We have seen the spaces come to life, bringing together professional artists with our community groups across rehearsals, open days, workshops and performances, all with the aim of transforming lives through opera.
Core to Garsington’s mission is to create a meaningful context in which children and young people may experience music, opera and performance. The Studios greatly expand the opportunity for connection with diverse audiences both locally and nationally.
Designed by award-winning local architects Nichols Brown Webber, this much needed purpose-built facility allows us to extend our artist and creative training programmes, and will also be used by the sector and the local community and is available for external hire.
ENRICH
We aim to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants by producing operas which are theatrically compelling and of the highest musical standard.
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
Benjamin Britten
UN GIORNO DI REGNO
Giuseppe Verdi
PLATÉE
Jean-Philippe Rameau
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
“An outstanding British cast without a weak link, all of whom will be at the Royal Albert Hall in September when Garsington brings a version of this Dream to the Proms.”
The Times
UN GIORNO DI REGNO
“The combination of this witty staging and a superb cast, orchestra and chorus is dynamite”
The Telegraph
PLATÉE
“Garsington Opera… pulled off a huge success with this sparkling (in more ways than one), funny, engaging production…”
MusicOMH
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
“As the Countess, Samantha Clarke sang a dropdead gorgeous ‘Porgi amor’, accompanied by birdsong and warbling clarinets, while ‘Dove sono’ was no less beautiful”
OperaNow
The Children’s Chorus, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the BBC Proms 2024
PRODUCE
We aim to produce theatrically compelling productions of the highest artistic standard.
“Garsington has established itself as the most stylish and adventurous of Britain’s country-house opera companies.”
inews
Nominated for International Opera Awards: Festival of the Year
The 2024 Season was a stellar year with all five productions, including our community opera, garnering widespread praise and acclaim. Working again with the superb support of The English Concert and Philharmonia Orchestra, audiences, members and supporters were delighted by our mix of lesser-known works and a muchloved revival, all of which cemented our faith in the extraordinary power of opera to move and to entertain.
There were two special events in addition to our normal season in 2024.
In July, a Gala performance, hosted by actor Hugh Bonneville, featuring principal singers and chorus from Un giorno di regno and alumni including Roderick Williams and Natalya Romaniw, performed a repertoire of Garsington favourites to mark the opening of our Studios. The specially-curated day showcased both the Studios and Festival at their very best, with added highlights including a cricket match and visit to the Wormsley Library.
In September, we made our debut at the BBC Proms with a staged version of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Royal Albert Hall in September. Garsington Opera took centre stage in front of a full auditorium, and to a worldwide audience on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Sounds.
We aim to provide an exceptional experience for members and audiences
35 Performances
2,470 Members 97% Capacity Achieved 35x 3 - 5* Reviews
20,709 Tickets 11% of our tickets allocated to young people or those experiencing barriers to attendance
This free-to-view international platform provides an opportunity for global audiences to see our work on demand for six months.
Garsington Studios Open Day
Connecting with our local community
Garsington Opera fundamentally believes that opera should be accessible to all ages and backgrounds. So what better way to demonstrate that than to use the new Garsington Studios for a free event to demystify the artform.
A wide range of ages gathered in the workshops to either watch or take part, with participants leaving with infectious smiles and glowing with a sense of achievement. The studios buzzed with activity, featuring an array of captivating elements - from set models of past performances and costumes to try on, to makeup, wigs and quick-change costume video demonstrations. The studio was vibrant and alive, drawing visitors in at every hour of the afternoon.
The free Open Day not only highlighted the depth of Garsington Opera’s offerings, but also strengthened ties
within the local community, inviting people in through the gates to explore the incredible space and have a go at finding their own creativity.
” For the last few years residents have seen the building work from afar. But it was always our intention to share the wonderful Studios with them and show them what opera is all about. Today we proved that not only is it a beautiful and accessible art form, but we also hope to have opened some people up to consider a career in opera, either on or off the stage.”
Douglas Boyd, Artistic Director
The Open Day was followed by a continuing programme of free Discovery Workshops designed to give people the opportunity to ‘come and try’ with full day participatory sessions exploring on-stage and offstage activities.
DISCOVER
We aim to discover and nurture the best emerging performing talent
Garsington Opera’s Alvarez Emerging Artists’ programme is committed to developing the next generation of world-class opera singers. The programme recruits annually, in search of young singers with the talent and flair to become the operatic soloists of tomorrow.
The programme offers a unique and invaluable professional development experience for the singers who form the Chorus of Garsington Opera’s Festival productions. They gain experience of performing in productions of the highest quality, and work with leading singers, directors, conductors, and orchestral musicians. In addition to this, many Emerging Artists understudy a principal role, rehearsing with assistant directors and conductors, which culminates in a cover run of each opera attended by Garsington’s artistic team. On top of this there are many other opportunities to develop and perform including our OperaFirst schools’ performances, Green Theatre recital series, an industry showcase and professional development seminars and coaching.
For the 2024 Season, Garsington Opera received a record number of applications with 630 singers applying to join the programme. Forty candidates were invited to join us as Emerging Artits and part of the Garsington Opera Chorus, including two countertenor Young Artists in the chorus of Platée. In addition, we were delighted to receive three applications from former members of the GO Youth Company who have now gone on to study Voice at music college.
Our first ever appearance at The BBC Proms 2024 was a milestone year for Garsington Opera but also for Emerging Artist Dan Vening who had to step in to play Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream after the principal singer was taken ill. This was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the talent of our Emerging Artists on one of the biggest stages of classical music. Dan felt prepared and supported by his experience on the Emerging Artist scheme.
‘Daniel Vening won all hearts, and the loudest ovation of the night, as a lovable, and generously sung Bottom... This hugely gifted young singer clearly has a major career ahead of him. A star was well and truly born’ Seen and Heard International
Platée, 2024
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2024
EXPAND
We aim to expand the appreciation of opera through participation and digital work
Garsington Opera’s learning and participation programme, GO Participate, engages people of all ages and backgrounds to create opera: working with the local community, local Primary and Secondary schools, as well as with international partners.
2024 Projects
Community Opera: A Trip to the Moon by
Andrew Norman
Members of GO’s Youth and Adult companies, as well as local primary and infant school groups, took to the main Opera Pavilion stage at Wormsley in three public performances. With the opening of Garsington Studios, this was the first time everyone could be brought together in the same space working collaboratively. This year also marked the launch of new backstage training and development opportunities in production arts for young people. We were delighted that composer Andrew Norman travelled over from the United States to join us for the final rehearsals and performances. The result saw 150 community singers performing alongside professional singers: Jennifer France, Robert Murray, Sarah-Jane Lewis and Patrick Dow, with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by our artistic director Douglas Boyd.
OperaFirst schools programme
OperaFirst delivers bespoke workshops to primary and secondary schools, and the opportunity to visit Garsington to watch an opera curated and led by a presenter. Activities with each school are co-created to meet their aims and needs, embedding music and drama in schools with little to no other arts provision. This project provides a key entry point to future participation in the Youth Company. From 202425, it will also serve as an entry point to our new Pathways programme leading to technical training and talent development opportunities.
Youth Company
The Youth Company is made up of a diverse range of up to 100 young people each year, aged 9-11 (junior company) and 12-21 (senior company). There are no barriers to participation: all places are fully funded and awarded on potential. Participants develop singing and performing skills, or are given backstage experience, all of which may lead into technical training and further talent development. The Youth Company also provided the children’s chorus in the main stage Festival production of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Adult Company
Participation in the Adult Company is free and open to all, with commitment only required on a project-by-project basis. The opportunity is advertised through GO communications and local partnerships, with everyone welcome to attend an open event. There are no auditions and both speaking and singing roles are available to encourage participation.
An award-winning programme
• Winner: ‘Excellence in Musical Theatre’ Music & Drama Education Awards for 2022 community opera Dalia.
• FEDORA education prize shortlist for 2023 youth opera project Dawn to Dusk
• Winner ‘Best Participatory Project.’ Young Audiences Music Award (YAMawards) for 2024 community opera A Trip to the Moon.
THE FUTURE
Sustainability
is a key part of our future planning.
Garsington Opera is fortunate to be located at Wormsley where both the Studios and the Opera Pavilion are surrounded by the beautiful Chilterns countryside. We take our responsibility to the natural world seriously, with a company working-group taking the lead to create a Greener Garsington.
In our buildings
• The new Studios are on target to achieve a Very Good BREEAM rating (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) and an Excellent rating for water efficiency
• our surface water drainage strategy includes green roofs over the two main studios, pervious paving, swales and soakaways discharging by infiltration
• we have installed efficient air source heat pumps and low energy ventilation solutions
• we have electric car charging points in the parking area
• we commissioned a detailed Ecological Mitigation, Compensation and Enhancement Strategy, taking into account the natural world, biodiversity and nature which surrounds the site
• we recycle all our waste across the site and ask our audiences to dispose of their own picnic waste
• we have installed drinking water fountains to encourage our company, cast and audiences to use less single use plastic
• we promote a “digital first” approach in our administration to reduce paper use.
• we have invested in an electric minibus for transporting our cast and teams.
On the festival site
• Opera set designers are encouraged to work to the “Theatre Green Book” which sets levels of re-use and recycling targets. Youth Company opera Trip to the Moon was performed on a fully recycled set. From 2025 all productions are expected to meet baseline, if not intermediate benchmarks in the “Theatre Green Book”
• we have increased vegetarian meals served in the Green Room with no throwaway elements (e.g. compostable containers)
• we actively track energy use effectively to find areas for improvement
• we encourage car sharing and use of High Wycombe bus
• we have installed more energy-efficient LED lighting across the site.
Garsington Studios, Wallace Hill Farm, Stokenchurch, HP14 3YF
Box Office: 01494 376037
boxoffice@garsingtonopera.org garsingtonopera.org