Opera and its Contemporary Audiences: a sypmnosium

How are contemporary audiences experiencing and valuing opera? What impact do new forms of delivery such as live cinema relays have on the reach and public appreciation of opera? What are the implications for opera makers and promoters? The research will be presented and then discussed by an expert panel of people in, or connected to, the opera industry.

Timings – 

4pm: Geo-Demographic Analysis of Opera Audiences
Oliver Mantell, The Audience Agency

Collating audience booking data for opera companies including ENO, Royal Opera and WNO, we looked at booking patterns among opera audiences to determine overall insights into behaviour and audience demographics.

4.30pm: Beauty, Narrative, and Truth: A Qualitative Study of Opera Enthusiasts
Dr Sinead O’Neill, Queen Mary University of London. Dr Josh Edelman, Central School of Music & Drama.

Based on interviews with 18 highly-engaged, London-based opera-goers, this presentation reveals and discusses some key elements that motivate and sustain their dedication to the art form.

5pm: “Opera Live” at the cinema: Who goes and why?
Dr Karen Wise, Guildhall School of Music & Drama
John Holmes and Aislinn Ryan, English Touring Opera

Based on questionnaire data from 234 audience members, augmented by focus group interviews, this presentation explores what audiences value in their experience of opera and how these values are mediated or transformed in live opera relays at the cinema.

5.30pm: Break
5.45pm: Panel and open discussion
Panel includes:
Jon Barrenechea, Project Development Manager, Picturehouse Cinemas
James Conway, General Director, English Touring Opera
Fiona Maddocks, classical critic, the Observer, UK correspondent of Scherzo magazine (Madrid), columnist with RA Magazine, biographer of Hildegard of Bingen and broadcaster.
Julian Philips, Head of Composition at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and Glyndebourne Opera’s Composer in Residence.

6.30pm: Wine reception
7.00pm: close

Jointly hosted by CreativeWorks London and Guildhall ResearchWorks

Click here to book your place.