“Born of a passion and a belief that opera can speak directly to all kinds of people, Artistic Director, Graham Vick, set out to create a company that the people of Birmingham – a city of many peoples – could be proud of…

…We’ve got more exploring to do to discover where opera can be performed. How to perform it. How to re-write the rules of engagement between audiences and performer. How to experiment with space and acoustics. Who can we make it speak to?”

Birmingham Opera Company would like to invite you to their production of Khovanskygate: A National Enquiry.  You may have already heard a sneak preview at Springhill Tesco Superstore, where professional soloists Joseph Guyton and Stephanie Corley were accompanied by Sergey Rybin on piano. The singers performed a selection of opera favourites from Tosca, Madame Butterfly and Othello, demonstrating their talents whilst preparing to play the roles of Prince Andrei and Emma in this latest production.

The opera will take place in a big top tent at Cannon Hill Park, with performances at 7pm on the 22nd, 24th, 28th and 30th April before a final performance on the 2nd May.

The story depicts Russia in the midst of a division between powerful conservative forces and growing Westernising influence. Musorgsky paints a devastating portrait of a nation on the brink of collapse; torn apart by state corruption, religious fanaticism, social inequality and ethnic cleansing.

The unique setting and involvement from local performers already sets the bar for an interesting series of evenings. Birmingham Opera Company released an open call for singers with varied to little experience in performance, asking them to join in with rehearsals several days a week. If you’d like to become involved with Birmingham Opera Company’s projects yourself, then please contact them at getinvolved@birminghamopera.org.uk .

We wish the cast and Birmingham Opera Company the best of luck for the shows. For telephone booking information please call 0121 246 6632 Monday – Friday 9:00am-11:00am or use the following link for further information and online booking.

Some of Birmingham’s most creative musicians and performers have come together for the ‘Stockhausen Festival of Light‘, a celebration of the hugely influential electronic composer Karlheinz Stockhausen running from 19-21 August. With the backing of the Birmingham musical institutions of the University of Birmingham and the Birmingham Conservatoire, speakers from all around the world have been brought in to share their thoughts on the man. These talks will all lead up to big finale of the festival in the spectacle of the Birmingham Opera Company‘s performance of Stockenhausen’s opera “Mittwoch aus Licht” that will be performed at Argyle Works.

This will be the world premiere of the opera, which has been previously labelled “unstageable”; and no wonder with this description: “string quartet performing in helicopters, electronic and acoustic music and a dancing camel”.  Unfortunately tickets for the performances are all sold out, BUT there is still hope!

If you want to catch one of Birmingham’s best theatrical production companies doing something never seen fully on stage ever before, your only chance to see some of the 6 hour Opera will be a visit to the dress rehearsal on Tuesday 21 August as part of the Stockhausen festival, or head to the website the Space (http://thespace.org/) where the Helicopter String Quartet is due to be broadcast.

This just in:  The Big Screen in Victoria Square on Wed 22nd will be showing a live  satellite relay, so now you have no excuse to miss out.

As part of the festival will a performance at the MAC called ‘Modified Stockhausen‘ and will feature the Birmingham toy tamperers Modified Toy Orchestra, tracing their influence back to Stockhausen through their playful electronic dismantlements.

The centre’s popular live screenings from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York return, kicking off with Donizetti’s Anna Bolena. Renowned Russian soprano Anna Netrebko plays the determined Englishwoman with her sights on the throne.

Jack Whitehall headlines the comedy stakes, while musical highlights will include The Fallows, an up-and-coming folk group from nearby Coventry.

See the full events schedule here