Scottish Opera is a little over halfway through its 60th anniversary season and it is proving to be memorable.Already there has been Sir Thomas Allen’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, an outdoor production of Candide and Olivier Award-winning choreographer Deborah Colker’s version of Ainadamar but still there is much more to come.
Up next sees a return to the road for the company’s Opera Highlights, making good on the promise that Scottish Opera will visit 60 Scottish communities in its 60th year. The run of dates begins in East Kilbride on Valentine’s Day and takes in 18 locations from Kirkwall to Campbeltown.
General manager Alex Reedijk, who has been in position since 2006, is delighted with the season so far.
“It’s very hard to start an arts organisation, it’s very hard to keep it going and it’s jolly easy to close it so it’s testament to those who have gone before us that we’re still in business,” he said. “We’re enjoying an amazing 60th; it’s been perfect so far. We’re trying to deliver as full a programme as we can.
“For our 50th we went to 50 communities so it seemed only right to visit 60 this time. We feel it’s our duty and care to present opera around the full nation of Scotland, and that’s where the pop-up touring has been successful, delivering playful half-hour productions.
“During Covid, we were doing these from the back of a lorry but now we are back in more conventional locations – as far as pop-ups go – such as garden centres, libraries and shopping centres.”
Founded by conductor Alexander Gibson in 1962, the company has strived to take the art form not to just all geographical points but all age groups and backgrounds, too. Under Reedijk’s watch, initiatives like Bambino – opera for babies – and a dementia programme have impacted a wide cross-section of society.
“It’s about ensuring we reach as many people as possible from babies to people who are part of our dementia choir,” said Reedijk (above).
“For more than 30 years we have worked with primary schools. We try to visit about 100 a year in 30 of the 32 local authorities. Our young company helps to build interest in people aged 16 to 21 and we also have our under-26 £10 tickets. When you’re in the foyer before a show and look around you can’t say opera is just for old people because you’ll see a huge age range.”
Last week it was announced that Scottish Opera’s Breath Cycle II, designed to support people with lung conditions, particularly long Covid, had been awarded a grant of £86,892 by the Scottish Government.
“We did work more than a decade ago with Gartnavel Hospital and those who suffer from Cystic Fibrosis, looking at whether singing and its accompanying breathing could provide some relief. While it was a very small sample, it did illustrate it could do so. Now it would appear it could also benefit those suffering from long Covid. With the additional funding, we can help train more trainers which multiplies the number of people who can take advantage of the exercises.”
Still to come this season is Sir David McVicar’s return to Scottish Opera to direct Puccini’s Il trittico, and in early summer a new production of Carmen.
“Sir David McVicar is a masterful director and has the confidence of the artists. The first and only time Il trittico was done in Scotland was in 1957 so it pre-dates us. Audiences are in for a marvellous night.”
Opera Highlights, East Kilbride, Crail, Garvald, Perth, Stonehaven, Boat of Garten, Invergarry, Wick, Kirkwall, Ullapool, Torridon, Isle of Skye, Oban, Campbeltown, Bowmore, Gretna, Hawick, Ayr. Feb 14-Mar 25
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