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Our latest Duchy Opera newsletter was released last week. For your email copy please sign up to our CONTACT list
Friends of Duchy Opera newsletters are about to be sent out. Why not join FODO and support Duchy Opera. Details are on this page  It was with great sadness that we heard of the death of Benjamin Luxon, which occurred on Wednesday 25th July. We send condolences to his wife and family.
Internationally renowned baritone Ben Luxon has had a long association with Cornwall and with Duchy Opera and was appointed a life member of the company. He was born in Redruth, Cornwall and early in his career he was a member of composer Benjamin Britten's English Opera Group, singing roles in Albert Herring and The Rape of Lucretia in 1963. Eight years later, Britten composed the title role of his television opera Owen Wingrave specifically for Luxon's voice. He went on to sing at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and at the Glyndebourne Opera Festival, where he became a frequent guest. He had a long association with English National Opera and has performed leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala and in Los Angeles as well as most of the major European opera houses. He has been a recitalist with an unusually broad repertoire, ranging from early music through Lieder to contemporary song, music hall and folk music and has made more than a hundred recordings. Since experiencing problems with hearing loss he has developed a career as a narrator and poetry reader whilst continuing to direct opera and give master classes. He currently lives in the USA, but in 2012 came to Cornwall to perform in Miracle Theatre and English Touring Opera's Tin. Whilst at the height of his international opera career he saw Duchy Opera’s first production of Carmen in 1984 and was so impressed by the high standard of the Company that he spoke to Director Chris Warner offering help and support. Being Cornish-born with family still in the area and educated at Truro School he often visited the County. In 1987 Duchy Opera was extremely privileged when he agreed to sing the role of Papageno in a touring production of The Magic Flute, which he did, to the delight of the audience, Cornish-style, at one point sitting on the edge of the stage eating a pasty! His wife, soprano Sheila Amit, shared the part of Papagena with Suzanne Manuell. He introduced the Company to Leon Lovett, a London based conductor, also at the height of his career, who then became Musical Director for a number of years. In 1989 Ben played the title role in Duchy Opera’s 2nd production of Eugene Onegin which he was also singing concurrently at La Scala, Milan, in Russian. He also took part in Country House concerts and on one memorable occasion, when the food for the Friends was being prepared at St Michael’s Mount, on the afternoon of the concert, he swam across to see how the preparations were going. Having swum back he returned an hour later looking immaculate in white tie and tails. Another outstanding occasion was the Last Night of the Proms at Carn Brea when Ben was seen crawling on the roof of the building blocking out the light from the windows with black bin bags. He was definitely ‘hands-on’ and not in any way a divo! It was here too that, during a discussion between Ben and Chris Warner, the embryonic stages of a theatre for Cornwall were planned on the back of a menu and resulted in Ben forming part of a core group which met to discuss the future and campaign for a new City Hall (later renamed the Hall for Cornwall). In 1998 Duchy Opera staged its first production in the newly built Hall for Cornwall – Die Fledermaus, which was directed by Ben and designed by Lyn LeGrice. He also directed Carmen the following year. Ben spent the latter part of his life in Sandifield Massachusetts, where he was heavily involved with community theatre and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute; he always maintained strong links with his beloved Cornwall, and returned there with a 26-strong company from his adopted home-town to perform at the Minack Theatre in 2018. Enjoy a selection of photos from our production of Die Fledermaus. Photos by Mike Thompson. More on our Facebook page and Gallery In the summer of 2025 Duchy Opera will be presenting La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi Please check social media/website pages later in the year for further updates on dates, venues and auditions  What a Feast of music and festivity we enjoyed when Duchy Opera opened its summer season with Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus, at Falmouth’s Princess Pavilion.
Who doesn’t love a Viennese Waltz? Intoxicating melodies by “the King of the Waltz” had the audience practically whirling with delight in their seats. Strauss’s hypnotic waltz music is famous throughout the world, but this production is a wholly Cornish triumph, showcasing the county’s top musical talent, from directors to translator and soloists. There are still 4 more opportunities to see this vibrant show. Tickets are still available for this delightful Summer evening of Open Air Opera, food and wine at Park House, Truro: More information and Bookings  "AROUND THE WORLD IN 18 SONGS" performed on Sun 7th April St Bartholomews Church Lostwithiel in association with the 'Save our Spire' St Bart's Tower Appeal _________________________________ There's another opportunity to see this concert at REDRUTH Wesley Chapel on Friday 24th May at 7.30pm Tickets available from TicketSource https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ £5.00 + £0.39 booking fee __________ No prizes for spotting the typo! "Around the world in 80 Arias" (could be a long evening!) FODO (Friends of Duchy Opera) is an amazing group of friends and supporters who have tirelessly worked together for longer than I can remember, putting on wonderful musical events to raise funds to enable Duchy Opera to continue producing opera year after year. Their latest event will be held at the stunning 18th century Manor House of Boconnoc, near Lostwithiel. It is one of Cornwall's most beautiful country homes. The invitation is now extended to a wider audience. See below for details:
Why not join our Contact list so that you can receive occasional newsletters about coming events?
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