Scottish Opera Announces 08/09 Season

Highlights of the new season include:

* 5 brand-new main stage productions – Bedrich Smetana’s The Two Widows, Domenico Cimarosa’s The Secret Marriage, Verdi’s much-loved La traviata, Mozart’s ever-popular Cosi fan tutte and Jules Massenet’s Manon;

o Two productions directed by internationally renowned director David McVicar – La traviata and Cosi fan tutte;

o The return of Scottish Opera to the Edinburgh International Festival for the first time since 2005 with a brand-new Scottish Opera / Edinburgh International Festival co-production of The Two Widows;

o Three new productions that have rarely been seen in the UK in recent years – The Two Widows, Manon and The Secret Marriage. This will be the first time Scottish Opera has performed both Manon and The Secret Marriage, while The Two Widows has not been performed by the company since 1980;

* Music Director Francesco Corti conducts his first performances for Scottish Opera since his appointment in 2007 - The Two Widows at the Edinburgh International Festival this summer and again in the Autumn, as well as Manon and a concert performance of I Puritani;

* A visit to the Grand Opera House, Belfast with two performances of La traviata in February 2009, supported by cross-border touring funding from Arts Council England;

* The re-introduction of concert performances to the programme, with Vincenzo Bellini’s I Puritani at Glasgow City Halls to take place in Spring 2009;

* The second instalment of the extremely successful programme of new short operas Five:15 Operas Made In Scotland;

* The Company’s largest touring production to date, The Merry Widow, will be performed at 26 venues around Scotland.

Scottish Opera remains committed to bringing opera to the widest possible audience across Scotland, and to developing new audiences, through a range of initiatives designed to provide more opportunities to see the Company and fully enjoy the opera experience.

* Scottish Opera is delighted to re-introduce Sunday afternoon performances of main stage productions in both Edinburgh and Glasgow;

* All main stage performances will feature English supertitles;

* The Under 26 ticket scheme will continue, with its unique offer of any seat in the house at any performance for ?10;

* Following the success of the U26 ticket scheme, Scottish Opera will introduce an Ambassadors Network in Autumn 2009 to further encourage young people to attend opera. -- www.scottishopera.org.uk