Random Opera Company is delighted to introduce a thrilling and unforgettable season for 2022, including two world premieres!  This year has been one of rapid growth in the face of adversity. We have been proud to continue to employ many emerging  artists, host our inaugural New Works Competition, extend our local outreach with the Random Opera Youth Chorus, and we returned to live performance! We have been busy! 2022 promises to be just as exciting and we invite you to join us at one of our upcoming events.­­­­

Der Freischütz, Carl Maria von Weber   ­    9th April 2022, Rugby

Hailed as marking the birth of German Romantic opera and inspiring Wagner, Der Freischütz is an ambitious opener to our 2022 season. The opera tells the story of a young marksman who finds himself in league with the devil as he attempts to win his girlfriend’s hand in marriage. Based on a popular German fable and rarely performed in the UK, this opera has it all – a struggle between good and evil, the supernatural, and of course, romance. ­­­­

The Heavenly LedgerEvan Henry   ­    June 2022, Opera on Film   

WORLD PREMIERE!      ­Not only content with creating opportunities for emerging singers, this year Random Opera held their inaugural New Works Competition to discover exciting, upcoming composers. The winners were Evan Henry (composer) and John Klaess (librettist) with their piece Algorithims. The esteemed jury comprising Martyn Brabbins, Sir David Pountney and Claire Rutter praised the piece for telling a pertinent story with humour and a tinge of sadness and enjoyed the unique approach to harmony. Algorithims asks ‘What if our mortal fate was determined by the vagaries of a sorting algorithm?’ Join us to find out in this opera on film production or at a live performance. ­­­­

La SonnambulaBellini    ­    30th July 2022, Rugby­ 

It is difficult to see why this Bel Canto gem is not more often performed in the UK. This makes it even more special for Random Opera as we stage the first UK performance in ten years. The Sleepwalker contains some beautiful, dreamlike music, along with the usual vocal virtuosity of Bellini. The production will be directed by Random Opera’s own Richard Tegid Jones and performed at the atmospheric Temple Speech Room in Rugby in July. ­­­­

Elena e GerardoBottini   ­    20th November 2022, Rugby

WORLD PREMIERE & 200th ANNIVERSARY!­     The season highlight for 2022 is a historic world premiere. Marianna Bottini’s 1822 work has never been performed and so Random Opera are excited to bring the work to life, 200 years after composition. Bottini was a contemporary of Rossini and was admitted to the Academy of Music in Bologna as an honorary master composer at the very young age of 18 (Rossini himself was 34 before he received the same honour!). Highly regarded for her orchestration, this is her only opera, written at the age of 20, shortly before she sadly ceased composing aged 21 when she married.   Richard Tegid Jones discovered the score in the archives at the Institute Boccherini in Lucca and set about plans to stage the work for the first time. It promises to be a very special evening. 

Tickets will go on sale on Saturday 11th December.

For audition information, please see our auditions page.