Scottish Opera

Scottish Opera is a Scottish opera company. Founded in 1962 and based in Glasgow, it is Scotland’s national opera company and the largest performing arts organisation in Scotland.

History

Founded in 1962 by Sir Alexander Gibson, Scottish Opera has grown to become one of the world’s most renowned opera companies, building a considerable reputation for its distinguished productions.

In 1975 Scottish Opera bought the Theatre Royal in Glasgow from Scottish Television re-opening it in October 1975 with "Die Fledermaus". In March 2005, the management of the Theatre Royal was transferred to the Ambassador Theatre Group, but will still remain the main home of Scottish Opera company.

Scottish Opera is committed to bringing the widest range of opera, to the maximum audience in Scotland and the United Kingdom. The Company's education unit is committed to delivering socially inclusive outreach and educational productions.

Since 1994, its principal venue in Edinburgh has been the Edinburgh Festival Theatre.

Scottish Opera dealt with various financial troubles, related to lack of funding and accusations of fiscal profligacy, during the first part of the 2000's. Its cycle of Richard Wagner's "Ring" was critically acclaimed, but also was highly draining of the company's financial resources. In 2004, a financial restructing plan had called for the elimination of 88 jobs, including all 34 members of the chorus, and the suspension of the entire 2005-2006 season. [cite news | url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1234352,00.html | title=Culture and the class war | publisher="The Guardian" | author=Tom Service | date=9 June 2004 | accessdate=2007-08-10] In protest, Sir Richard Armstrong announced his resignation in December 2004, effective at the end of the 2004-2005 season. [cite news | url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1364336,00.html | title=Scottish Opera's music director resigns amid acrimony | publisher="The Guardian" | author=Charlotte Higgins | date=2 December 2004 | accessdate=2007-08-10]

In August 2007, effective the same month, the company announced the appointment of Francesco Corti as its next Music Director. [cite news | url=http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/6901.html | title=Scottish Opera, on the Mend, Appoints New Music Director | publisher="Playbill Arts" | author=Matthew Westphal | date=8 August 2007 | accessdate=2007-08-10]

Awards

The company has won a host of illustrious awards, including the Barclays TMA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera for "Macbeth" and "Der Rosenkavalier" (both in 1994) and for "Die Walküre" and "Siegfried" (both in 2002), as well as the South Bank Show Award for "Best Opera" for the "Ring Cycle" (2004).

Foreign tours

Scottish Opera has also staged many successful productions abroad, including "Peter Grimes" and "Tristan und Isolde" in Lisbon; "Macbeth" at the Vienna International Festival and the European Premiere of MacMillan’s "Ines de Castro" in Porto, Portugal."

Music directors

* Alexander Gibson (1962 - 1986)
* John Mauceri (1986 - 1992)
* Sir Richard Armstrong (1992 - 2005)
* Francesco Corti (2007 - present)

References

External links

* [http://www.scottishopera.org.uk/ Scottish Opera]