About
Since 2015 Northern Opera Group have been celebrating rare and wonderful operas in Leeds and surrounding areas.
We produce the annual Leeds Opera Festival alongside community operas, and other projects and events.
We are a registered charity (no. 1167501) and rely on the generosity of our funders and partners to carry out our work.
In 2024/25 we are proud to be a Change Partner with Ramps on the Moon; making all our work more accessible to artists, audiences and participants with disabilities
In 2023 we signed our first House Agreement with the performing arts union Equity. This solidifies our longstanding positive working practices and fair pay for artists.
We are "the world's first carbon literate opera company" (Carbon Literacy Project) and a member of Sustainable Arts in Leeds.
Our 2020 film adaptation of Pauline Viardot's Cinderella won 'Best Opera' at the Classical Music Digital Award.
Repertoire
We dig deep into the repertoire to bring audiences hidden gems from across the centuries. Previous productions include Much Ado About Nothing (Stanford) and Frida (Rodriguez, pictures).
"We must be grateful to the ever-enterprising Northern Opera Group" (Opera Now)
Community
Enabling anybody to take part in and watch opera is a key motivation for Northern Opera Group. We produce an annual community opera alongside touring work to theatres and community settings across the region.
"This was such a lovely way to spend an afternoon with our young daughter and her friend. We all thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the performance and it provided a fabulous, accessible introduction to opera for children" (audience)
Team
David Ward (Artistic Director)
david@northernoperagroup.co.uk
Louise Garner (General Manager)
louise@northernoperagroup.co.uk
Board
Mark Skipper (Chair), George Johnson Leigh, John Savournin, Emily Simpson, Sarah Vyse, Heather Watson, Professor Alan Williams