Opera North signs five-year deal to perform at Leicestershire festival

Opera North has signed a five-year deal to perform at an annual festival in rural Leicestershire.

The Leeds-based opera company has struck a deal with the Nevill Holt Festival in Market Harborough.

Speaking to The Times, the philanthropist and entrepreneur David Ross, who owns Nevill Holt Hall and launched the festival in 2013, explained that the event was moving away from producing its own shows, in the hope of becoming more “family-friendly and youth-orientated”.

He said: “It was always a struggle to develop a sustainable opera programme, with reasonable prices, in a theatre that seats only 400. Places like Glyndebourne have three times that capacity.”

Opera North will be performing Mozart’s ‘Cosi fan tutte’ at this year’s festival, with performances taking place from 6-12 June.

Ross added that the deal was beneficial for Opera North, as it provided much-needed summer work for the company, and that whatever was performed at the festival could then be toured elsewhere.

“Sometimes a problem shared is a problem solved,” he said. “And in future years I hope we can explore more adventurous repertoire.”

Ross has also brought in the Underbelly, a promoter best known for its Edinburgh Fringe events, who will be programming most of the events at the festival.