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| History |
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| History |
Preston Opera Group was formed in 1966 under the guidance of founder
member Frank Salter. By 1979 the group had grown so much that a name
change to Preston Opera Company was appropriate, later simply to Preston Opera. The first production was Mozart's Don Giovanni and since then many productions have been mounted, including operas ranging from Offenbach's La Belle Helene to Verdi's Il Trovatore, and many concerts have also been given. The Company includes many highly trained singers, some who have had auditions and engagements with professional companies. Usually the Company performs in the 600 seat Charter Theatre Preston but has also used the smaller Playhouse Theatre and even the Guild Hall itself for major events such as a spectacular production of Verdi's Nabucco for the 1992 Preston Guild. Concert performances, usually in churches in the Preston area, are seen as an important part of the activities. The Preston Opera Orchestra usually accompanies the productions. For many years the orchestra has been led by Helen Andrews and it has benefitted greatly by the generosity of Laurence Hunt (patron of the arts). Since Frank Salter stepped down in 1997 the Company has been guided by several Music Directors: John Amriding, a long-standing member, was followed in 2001 by David Sutton from the Royal Northern College of Music. David, who is now the Company’s President, was followed by Robin Newton and then Chris Gill (founder of the locally-based touring group, Heritage Opera). The current Music Director, Dr Colin Beeson, joined us in 2009 shortly before retiring from his position as Deputy Principal at the Royal Northern College of Music, where he worked for some 35 years. Full List of Productions
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