English Touring Opera Reveals Autumn 2024 Season

English Touring Opera will present their Autumn 2024 season, exploring the supernatural, myths and folklore. Featuring a double-bill of Dame Judith Weir's Blond Eckbert – which recently opened the Aldeburgh Festival to critical acclaim – and new staging of song cycles and cantatas Do not take my story for a fairytale, the tour also includes a brand-new production of Rimsky-Korsakov's The Snowmaiden. The tour begins at London's Hackney Empire on 28 September before visiting Snape, Saffron Walden, Buxton, Crawley, Exeter and Poole, continuing the company's mission of bringing outstanding live productions and impactful education and community projects to more towns and cities than any other UK opera company.

Judith Weir's Blond Eckbert is a haunting tale of isolation and guilt, based on a supernatural short story by Romantic author Ludwig Tieck and presented in a co-production with Britten Pears Arts. The production recently opened the 75th Aldeburgh Festival to glowing reviews, with The Times stating that “the subtly nuanced acting and expressive singing of a fine cast adds to that sense of unease”, and Opera Now remarking “the cast showcased vocal prowess with impeccable musicality and intonation”. Baritone Alex Otterburn sings the role of Eckbert, and Flora McIntosh (Berthe), Aoife Miskelly (Bird) and William Morgan (Walther/Hugo/Old Woman) reprise their roles from the Aldeburgh Festival production.

Touring alongside Blond Eckbert in a double-bill is a new staging entitled Do not take my story for a fairytale. The piece – which takes its title from a line in Blond Eckbert – is a staging of song cycles and cantatas exploring love, isolation and the terrible wonder of the natural world. Featuring music from the same period that Ludwig Tieck's story Der Blond Eckbert was written, including Schubert's Prometheus, Beethoven's An die ferne Gelibte as well as La Tempesta, a cantata by Mariana Martines, it explores the shaping of the Romantic imagination. Performed by a period-instrument ensemble, soloists include tenor and 2024 Kathleen Ferrier Award-winner Matthew McKinney, soprano Abigail Kelly, mezzo Amy J Payne and baritone Mark Nathan. The double-bill is directed by ETO General Director Robin Norton-Hale, with ETO Music Director Gerry Cornelius conducting and designs from Linbury Prize-winning designer Eleanor Bull.

ETO also present a new production of Rimsky-Korsakov's The Snowmaiden, a classic coming of age tale packed with colour and folk melodies, vividly conjuring up the conflict between material and mythical worlds. Having lived her whole life under the watchful eye of her parents, the Snowmaiden grows jealous of the passionate lives of the mortal villagers living nearby – but soon discovers that her heart of ice means she cannot fall in love. Soprano Ffion Edwards sings the title role, with Kitty Whately as Lyel, Joseph Doody as the Tsar, Hannah Sandison as Spring Beauty and Edward Hawkins as Grandfather Frost. This new production is helmed by award-winning director Olivia Fuchs and conducted by Hannah Quinn.

The songs in Do not take my story for a fairytale will be performed in their original languages of German and Italian with English surtitles, while Blond Eckbert and The Snowmaiden will be sung in English.

Robin Norton-Hale, General Director of ETO, said: “As the nights begin drawing in this autumn, we're looking forward to welcoming audiences to a suitably atmospheric season of works inspired by myths and folktales. With their exploration of the experiences which shape us, whether romantic, psychological or supernatural, The Snowmaiden and our double bill of Blond Eckbert and Do not take my story for a fairytale examine our quest for individual identity and connection with others. We're also excited that our unique strand of newly commissioned operas for children and young people with special educational needs returns this autumn with The Wellies, a new opera based on Hans Christian Anderson's The Galoshes of Fortune. I'm delighted that we have assembled creative teams with a wonderful blend of experience and new perspectives that will help us bring exceptional, ambitious opera to life for everyone - whether in theatres, in schools or in the community.”

In addition to the main stage productions, ETO also run ‘ETO Unboxed' - a programme of additional events that explore the multi-disciplinary and multi-genre nature of opera, covering music, theatre, design, language, movement and more. As well as enriching audiences' engagement with opera, ETO Unboxed increases presence in local communities and provides additional entry points into the world of opera. Events last season included a new commission for soprano and electronics with experimental duo drøne and commissions of new work from poets and spoken word artists around the country. Details of Unboxed events for the Autumn tour will be announced shortly.

English Touring Opera's Autumn season opens with The Snowmaiden at Hackney Empire on Saturday 28 September with an additional performance on Friday 4 October, followed by the Blond Eckbert double-bill on Saturday 5 October. Further information and tickets can be found on ETO's website.

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