Young singers will be the first to benefit from Opera North’s £18m redevelopment project in Leeds this summer
The company is preparing to open its new education studio, the Howard Opera centre, in the heart of the city and will offer opportunities to hundreds of young people over the coming months, including the launch of the Opera North Youth Orchestra for would-be professional musicians.
The studio will provide a focal point for the company’s work with young singers and instrumentalists from its opening in August – indeed the Opera North Youth Chorus will be the first into the new building.
The voices of young people will also be featured in the studio walls, as part of a Writing Home initiative, which has encouraged Leeds residents of all ages and nationalities to compose songs about what “home” means to them.
The company’s children’s chorus and Young Voices have been writing and recording their own compositions, which will be used with other pieces to form a sound trail anyone in the new building’s public spaces can listen to.
More children aged 8-19 will also be given the chance to join the youth company, which requires only a love of telling stories through music, a desire to develop skills in singing and stagecraft, and a passion for performance. Young singers can register their interest here. Auditions will be held in the summer.