Orchestra of Opera North returns to Buxton International Festival

Buxton International Festival has announced the return of the Orchestra of Opera North to the Festival. Running from 4 to 21 July 2024, the Festival will welcome the orchestra to collaborate on its new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Ernani. Under the baton of Buxton’s artistic director, Adrian Kelly.

Ernani, an operatic dramma lirico in four acts, is one of five operas scheduled for the festival’s 2024 edition. As part of BIF’s aim to offer performances of rarely performed operas, Ernani will be performed alongside Handel’s Il Trionfo del Tempo e del DisinganoI, Joseph Haydn’s La Canterina, Peter Brook’s adaptation of Bizet’s La Tragedie de Carmen in collaboration with Norwich Theatre and a brand-new BIF production of Ethel Smyth’s The Boatswain’s Mate. The full programme and festival brochure will be available from 26 February 2024 with booking opening on 5 March.

Opera North general director Sir Richard Mantle said: ‘Opera North is delighted that, after thirty years since our last collaboration, we will be providing our orchestra for Buxton Festival's production of Verdi's Ernani.’  

BIF CEO Michael Williams added: ‘The Buxton International Festival is thrilled to be collaborating with Opera North's orchestra… we expect Ernani to be an extraordinary experience that will enchant and inspire our audience.’

The Orchestra of Opera North adds this latest collaboration to a broad list of partnerships with organisations including Kirklees Council, with which it has created the Kirklees Concert Season, Leeds International Concert Season, Leeds Town Hall and Leeds City Council, as well as Leeds Conductors Competition and Leeds University’s International Concert Season annually.