Scottish Opera

Scottish Opera is the national opera company of Scotland, and one of the 5 national performing arts companies funded by the Scottish Government. Founded in 1962 and based in Glasgow, it is 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 as the first national opera house for Scotland in October 1975 with Die Fledermaus. In March 2005, the management of the Theatre Royal was transferred to the Ambassador Theatre Group, but remains the home of Scottish Opera and of Scottish Ballet.^[1]

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 2000s. 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 restructuring 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.^[2] In protest, Sir Richard Armstrong announced his resignation in December 2004, effective at the end of the 2004-2005 season.^[3]

Alex Reedijk became General Director of the company in 2006.^[4] In August 2007, effective the same month, the company announced the appointment of Francesco Corti as its next Music Director.^[5]

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 Albert Herring in Florence, L`Egisto in Venice, tours in Germany, Austria, Portugal, France, Switzerland, Yugoslavia and Iceland and recent years 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

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

References

<It's a Curious Story - The Tale of Scottish Opera 1962-1987 by Cordelia Oliver, 1987 ISBN 1 851580662>

External links

• Scottish Opera