Royal Opera House announces its first live performances since lockdown
The Royal Opera House has announced its ‘Live from Covent Garden’ project: a series of three unique performances to be broadcast live via YouTube and Facebook from Covent Garden.
The first concert, on 13 June at 7.30 pm, will be hosted by the BBC’s Anita Rani and the Royal Opera House’s Director of Music, Antonio Pappano. A select group of musicians, artists and performers will be part of the first live concerts since the theatre closed its doors to the public on 17 March.
The concerts will be a celebration of ballet and opera, ‘from our house to your house’, as social distancing and lockdown measures mean the Royal Opera House’s building will remain closed to live audiences.
The first concert is free and will include work from Britten, Handel, George Butterworth and Turnage, performed by singers including Louise Alder, Toby Spence and Gerald Finley.
There will also be an intimate world premiere by Wayne McGregor, Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet. Further details of this new work will be announced shortly.
The following two performances on Saturday 20 June and Saturday 27 June will be available to view live and on-demand for £4.99 and will include ballet and opera direct from The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. All broadcast live ‘and direct to living rooms across the globe’.
As more details, as they are released, can be found by following the hashtag #OurHouseToYourHouse on the Royal Opera House’s social media channels or by visiting its website.
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Italian ballerina Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
So, we begin….