Scottish Opera

02/09/2026

There's just one month left to contribute to our Play A Supporting Role campaign for Puccini's Turandot!

Make a minimum donation of £35 before Thursday 10 September and receive an invitation to see behind-the-scenes with a tour of our Production Studios in Glasgow on Thursday 17 September.

Support a character, costume, prop or piece of music, and play your part in bringing this extraordinary production to life.

Donate today: https://www.scottishopera.org.uk/support-us/play-a-supporting-role/

01/09/2026

🎵 Sign-ups are now open for Breath Cycle's free online sessions!
Sign up: https://www.scottishopera.org.uk/join-in/breath-cycle/join-the-community/

Living with Long COVID or a respiratory condition? Discover how opera singing techniques can help improve your breathing, posture and mental wellbeing, with no singing experience required.

Delivered by singers, Breath Cycle offers free weekly online sessions featuring gentle and enjoyable exercises designed to support breath control, improve posture and build confidence around breathing. You'll also connect with others facing similar challenges in a welcoming and supportive environment.

🏆 Winner of the Classical:NEXT Innovation Award 2025

Please note: Breath Cycle is not a medically led programme. If you are unsure whether the course is suitable for you, please consult a healthcare professional.

📸: Hope Holmes

Our supporters play a crucial role in helping us bring opera to everyone across Scotland. Show your love for opera by becoming a Supporter of Scottish Opera, or make a one-off contribution below:

31/08/2026

CAST ANNOUNCEMENT | Introducing the cast for Britten's Les illuminations.
St Mary's Kirk, Haddington: 11 September 2026, 7.30pm
Part of Lammermuir Festival: https://www.scottishopera.org.uk/shows/britten-les-illuminations/

Sopranos: Charlotte Jane Kennedy and Avery Lafrentz
Mezzo-soprano: Charlotte Clapperton
Conducting The Orchestra of Scottish Opera: Douglas Boyd

Marking fifty years since Britten’s death, this programme opens with Arvo Pärt’s poignant Cantus and celebrates Britten’s extraordinary writing for voice and orchestra through works spanning his career. Les Illuminations captures the composer’s remarkable early creativity: aged just 25 and newly in love, Britten explores desire and imagination through ten contrasting settings of Arthur Rimbaud’s poetry. Phaedra brings a modern psychological perspective to classical mythology, charting the tortured emotions of Theseus’ queen. Meanwhile, Our Hunting Fathers uses poetry selected by W. H. Auden, reflecting on war, violence, and humanity’s search for peace.

29/08/2026

✨ Fairy dust, singing gingerbread, and one very wicked witch... 🍭🧙

8 October - 14 November
Touring to Stirling, Peebles, Duns, Maybole, St Andrews, Glengarnock, Seil, Bowmore, Campbeltown, Strontian, Pitlochry, Ullapool, Liniclate, Portree, Beauly, Lossiemouth, and Stranraer.

Book tickets: https://www.scottishopera.org.uk/shows/opera-on-your-doorstep-202627-hansel-gretel/

Step into the magical world of Hansel & Gretel as Scottish Opera brings Humperdinck's beloved fairy tale to your doorstep. Featuring beautiful music, enchanting storytelling from director Lucy Bradley, and plenty of adventure, this is the perfect first opera for newcomers and a delight for seasoned opera-goers alike.

Hansel: Charlotte Clapperton (2026/27 Emerging Artist)
Gretel: Charlotte Jane Kennedy (2026/27 Emerging Artist)
Gertrude (Mother) / Witch: Avery Lafrentz (2026/27 Emerging Artist)
Peter (Father): Alexey Gusev
Sandman / Dew Fairy: Emily Wishart
Music Director/Pianist: José Javier Ucendo
Director: Lucy Bradley

27/08/2026

Scottish Opera is saddened to hear of the death of Tim Curry, whose extraordinary career began with a close connection to Glasgow, including an early appearance with Scottish Opera.

After a season performing with our friends at the Citizens Theatre, Tim took to the stage with Scottish Opera as Puck in Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1972. Even then, critics and audiences recognised a remarkable theatrical presence that would go on to make him an international icon of stage and screen.

And, of course, Glasgow played its part in creating one of his most iconic looks – Dr Frank-N-Furter’s corset for The Rocky Horror Picture Show was purchased at Glasgow Barras.

We are honoured to have played a part in his artistic journey and send our condolences to his family, friends and countless admirers around the world.

Here's a wee snippet from our programme. 👇

26/08/2026

Britten's Les Illuminations
St Mary's Kirk, Haddington: 11 September 2026, 7.30pm. Part of Lammermuir Festival.
Conducted by Douglas Boyd.
Tickets: https://www.scottishopera.org.uk/shows/britten-les-illuminations/

Vivid, intense and almost hallucinatory.

In this concert we mark the 50th anniversary of Britten's death with some of his most outstanding works for solo voice and orchestra. Les Illuminations explores burning passion through ten contrasting movements and the poetry of Arthur Rimbaud. Our Hunting Fathers employs fiercely emotional poetry collated by W H Auden around the theme of hunting to condemn the horror of war and appeal for peace, as relevant now as ever. And finally in the later stages of his career, Britten originally wrote Phaedra - a modern take on the Greek myth- for Dame Janet Baker.

Cast.
Sopranos: Charlotte Jane Kennedy and Avery Lafrentz
Mezzo-soprano: Charlotte Clapperton
Conductor: Douglas Boyd

The Orchestra of Scottish Opera

25/08/2026

Last month, our Summer School students took to the stage after a week of rehearsals, creative activities and teamwork to perform Built on The Clyde.

Their busy week involved rehearsals for singing, dancing and movement, so they could bring the story of Glasgow to life. Our students took on the roles of Citizens, and Workers hosts who showed off Glasgow's iconic landmarks.

Congratulations to all the students who put on a fantastic performance for friends and family.👏🎭

📸: Hope Holmes

24/08/2026

Calling all mums in Edinburgh! 📣

Are you a new mum looking to meet others, boost your wellbeing, and enjoy some quality time with your baby? Early Birds invites you to join its weekly singing session for babies up to 12 months - no experience required!

Sign up here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=BA-Kuyvxck6U3HlOF6wkT0L6DLwVqO5HmEnptYC9IZBUMFY4RjZQOEc0MFZMNzIxTDZRUkY1M1JZUy4u

🗓 Thursdays, 10 September to 27 October (8 weekly sessions)

Corstorphine Session: 10:00am | St David's Carrick Knowe, 118-132 Saughton Road North, Corstorphine, Edinburgh EH12 7DR

Stockbridge Session: 1:00pm | LifeCare Edinburgh, 2 Cheyne Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh EH4 1JB

21/08/2026

Happy Birthday to our wonderful friend, Dame Janet Baker. 🥰

A cherished friend of Scottish Opera for more than 60 years, mezzo-soprano Dame Janet has been at the heart of some of the Company's most memorable productions during the 1960s and 1970s, including Mozart's Così fan tutte, Berlioz' The Trojans, and Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier. Her impact on Scottish Opera and the art form is immeasurable.

In 2007, we were delighted when Dame Janet gave her name to the Dame Janet Baker Circle, a group of supporters who have chosen to remember Scottish Opera with a gift in their Will. Their generosity means countless productions, projects, and opportunities continue to be made possible, helping to secure the future of opera in Scotland for generations to come.

Her artistry continues to inspire performers and opera lovers alike. As we prepare for Les Illuminations this September at the Lammermuir Festival, featuring Britten's Phaedra, a work written especially for Dame Janet, we are reminded of the enduring influence of her artistry and legacy.

For more information on the Dame Janet Baker Circle, contact Carole Gallen: [email protected]

📸: Dame Janet Baker with General Director Alex Reedijk at special event for members of the Dame Janet Baker Circle 2026 (Hope Holmes)
📸: A small exhibition on Dame Janet's career
📸Dame Janet Baker
📸: Promotion for Britten's Les Illuminations at Lammermuir Festival. St Mary's Kirk, Haddinton: 11 September, 7.30pm

20/08/2026

Own a piece of Scottish Opera history while supporting a more sustainable future for the arts. ♻️

Are you part of a theatre company, film or TV production, arts organisation, community group, or education provider looking for unique props, furniture and set pieces? Or perhaps you're a theatre lover keen to take home a memorable piece from our productions.

From period furniture to memorable production pieces including masks from Wagner's Ring Cycle, you'll find a range of unique items looking for a new home. Items are FREE for Supporters of Scottish Opera, Theatre/TV/Film companies and subsidised organisations (charities). We will gratefully be accepting both cash and card donations. Charges apply on individual items for commercial organisations

📍 Barclay Curle Complex, Glasgow
📅 Friday 28 August | 10am to 4pm

Visitors should wear closed shoes - the storage facility is an industrial area and the ground is uneven. There is limited parking available on site for visitors
Please note that items are available on an "as seen" basis.

If you have any questions about our Props Sale, please email our Deputy Head of Props [email protected]