Leeds Youth Opera
Leeds Youth Opera is an acclaimed opera company for 12- to 25-year-olds, based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The Yorkshire Post newspaper described the group as a '...national cultural treasure...' [1]
Contents
Background
Formed in 1971, Leeds Youth Opera (LYO) is one of the few groups in the country specifically designed to cater for young singers. Since its creation, the company has gained a strong reputation for performing rare works, as well as the standard repertoire. Targeted at singers aged 12–25, LYO performs two productions each year, as part of the Leeds Civic Arts Guild – which is based at the Carriageworks theatre in central Leeds.
Noted productions
The UK premieres of Satyagraha and The Voyage by Philip Glass were performed by LYO. In July 2008 the group performed the world staged premiere of Oliver Rudland's 'The Nightingale and the Rose'.In July 2009 they performed the European Premier of Appomattox by Glass.
The company's 2006 production of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd was described by the BBC as '...excellently performed...' [2]
Current production – Marriage of Figaro
Leeds Youth Opera are currently working on an innovative new production of Marriage of Figaro due to be performed in Feb 2016.
Selection of past performances
- July 2015 - The Elixir of Love (Donizetti)
- Feb 2015 - Sweeney Todd (Sondheim)
- July 2014 - The Magic Flute (Mozart)
- Feb 2014 - Hansel and Gretel (Humperdinck)
- July 2013 - Carmen (Bizet)
- Feb 2013 - Candide (Bernstein)
- July 2012 - Manon (Massenet)
- Feb 2012 - The Poisoned Kiss (Vaughan Williams)
- July 2011 - Eugene Onegin (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) performed in English.
- Feb 2011 – La Traviata (Verdi)
- July 2009 – Appomattox
- Feb 2009 – I Lombardi (Verdi)
- July 2008 – The Nightingale and the Rose (Oliver Rudland) and Carmina Burana (Orff)
- Feb 2008 – Idomeneo (Mozart)
- July 2007 – Der Freischütz (Weber)
- Feb 2007 – The Love for Three Oranges (Prokofiev)
- July 2006 – Sweeney Todd (Sondheim)
- Feb 2006 – Cinderella (Massenet)
- July 2005 – The Magic Flute (Mozart)
- Feb 2005 – The Tales of Hoffmann (Offenbach)
- July 2004 – The Voyage (Glass)
- Feb 2004 – The Pearl Fishers (Bizet)
- July 2003 – Turandot (Puccini)
- Feb 2003 – Merrily We Roll Along (Sondheim)
- July 2002 – A Masked Ball (Verdi)
- Feb 2002 – Candide (Bernstein)
- July 2001 – Peter Grimes (Britten)
- Feb 2001 – A Little Night Music (Sondheim)
- July 2000 – Carmen (Bizet)
