Falstaff (Verdi) | 1987

In the Autumn of 1987 director Graham Vick and conductor Simon Halsey staged a production of Verdi's Falstaff in Cocks Moors Wood Leisure Centre, Birmingham. With a reduced orchestra (arranged by Jonathan Dove), it was the beginning of the world's most radical and exciting opera company.

Kate Flowers, Angela Hickey, Margaret McDonald and Patrick Wheatley in rehearsals for Falstaff.

Patrick Wheatley padding up for his role as Sir John Falstaff with a (very young) Graham Vick watching; Photo by Robert Workman

Patrick Wheatley padding up for his role as Sir John Falstaff with a (very young) Graham Vick watching.

Patrick Wheatley in rehearsal for Falstaff (1987); Photo by Robert Workman

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In 2023, Birmingham Opera Company hosted the European Opera Directing Prize. Now the winning team, led by Lorenzo Ponte, returns to Birmingham to develop their new production of Smetana's "Two Widows", which will appear as part of the Smetana 200 Festival in the composer's hometownn of Litomyšl, before heading on to Prague and then Lviv National Opera, Ukraine.
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On your doorstep

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Sir Graham Vick CBE+ - Founder Artistic Director

One of the foremost opera directors of our times. Sadly Graham passed away 17 July 2021.
RhineGold (Wagner) | 2021

Birmingham Opera Company’s production of Wagner’s RhineGold came to Symphony Hall in Summer 2021. Performed in English, with its full musical forces: an orchestra of 87 players from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, a stellar international cast plus local volunteers.