About Us
Please click on the links to the left for more information. If you don't find what you are looking for, or think you have a contribution to make to the success of our company, please contact us:info@edinburghgrandopera.com
Edinburgh Grand Opera began performing concerts in 1956 and by the early 1960’s we were presenting fully staged operas on a regular basis. The Company is run by its amateur chorus whose members are fully involved in fundraising and decision making. Chorus members have a wide variety of day jobs which include doctor, student, teacher, medical administrator, lawyer, IT consultant, librarian, senior citizen, artist, job seeker, chef, medical researcher...
Each year the Company is fortunate in attracting marvellous singers to perform the principal roles, a mixture of professional, semi-professional and amateur singers. Many of the singers who joined at the start of their careers have gone on to appear on opera stages the world over, including our wonderful Patrons Frances McCafferty, Donald Maxwell and Ian Storey. We are pleased to be able to include Rafael Alvarez, Alexander Anderson-Hall, Alison Barton, Janet de Vigne (of Slumdog Millionaire fame), Christina Dunwoodie, Paul Featherstone, Ivor Klayman (an Honorary Member of the Company) and Susan McNaught among our Principal Singers.
Our Musical Directors have included our other Patron Christopher Bell, and Richard Lewis. Neil Metcalfe is our current enthusiastic and talented Musical Director and has been instrumental in Edinburgh Grand Opera's successes since Autumn 2009: in our full opera performance of Verdi's Macbeth at The Royal Lyceum Theatre and our Christmas and Edinburgh Festival Fringe Concerts of Johann Strauss II's Die Fledermaus. Neil also prepared us for important fundraising efforts with our Raymond Gubbay The Mikado and Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert and Sullivan) concerts in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and our annual Carol Singing Concerts for Historic Scotland at The Great Hall, Edinburgh Castle.
John Binnie, Mark Hathaway, Rita Henderson and Michael Richardson have proved successful predecessors to our current Artistic Director Christina Dunwoodie.
Since 1989 our rehearsal pianist and concert accompanist, on piano and organ, has been Morley Whitehead whose genius and sense of fun make rehearsals a pleasure and give us much appreciated support.
Rupert Forbes worked with us as Chorusmaster for many seasons until recently, preparing us for full opera and concert performances, including several of our Edinburgh Festival Fringe Shows, one of which he also conducted. With good humour and meticulous attention to detail his rehearsals were always enjoyable and motivational.
webeditor@edinburghgrandopera.com
Increasingly we are asked to participate in a wide range of performances, whether concerts or as extras, and members may choose to take part if they meet the requirements and are available. These events are usually great fun in which to be involved - some result in a donation to the company and some are charitable. They have included being non-singing extras in Die Frau Ohne Schatten with the Mariinsky Opera at the Festival Theatre during The Edinburgh Festival, Carol Concerts in the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle and the Inaugural Christmas Gala Concert for Epilepsy Scotland at St Mary's Metrapolitan Cathedral, York Place.