Celebrate Valentine’s Day with an exclusive double helping of The Royal Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet on Royal Opera House Stream. The new recordings join a library of over 50 beloved productions and over 100 behind-the-scenes videos, bringing you romance, drama and world class dance wherever you are.
Kenneth MacMillan’s classic adaptation of Shakespeare’s play is set to Prokofiev’s iconic score and features evocative designs by Nicholas Georgiadis. Since its premiere in 1965, performed by Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn in the leading roles, Romeo and Juliet has been a romantic staple of The Royal Ballet’s repertoire.
On the Thursday 9 February, a recording of a 2019 performance came to Royal Opera House Stream, starring Royal Ballet Principal dancers Matthew Ball as Romeo and Yasmine Naghdi as Juliet.
On Valentine’s Day, a recording from 2022 will be released, featuring Royal Ballet Principals Marcelino Sambé and Anna Rose O’Sullivan, who made their debuts together in these roles in 2019.
All Royal Opera House Stream productions come complete with extra wraparound material – interviews, masterclasses, rehearsal footage and more – giving audiences a unique behind the scenes insight into one of the world’s leading theatres.
Royal Opera House Stream currently hosts over 50 stunning works from The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera, with other romantic highlights including Frederick Ashton’s La fille mal gardée, Christopher Wheeldon’s The Winter’s Tale and Puccini’s La bohème.
Join today to watch the world’s greatest performers, emerging talent, leading choreographers and trailblazing creative teams from the comfort of your own home.
From family favourites and modern masterpieces to heart-breaking arias and passionate pas-de-deux, Royal Opera House Stream offers it all: truly transformative experiences for only £9.99 a month or £99 annually. Whatever your interest – whether classical or contemporary – there’s a breadth of content for you.
6 new recordings launched between January and April
The Royal Ballet: The Cellist, Romeo and Juliet and Sylvia
The Royal Opera: La traviata, Fidelio and Madama Butterfly
This New Year, the Royal Opera House will add six new performances to Royal Opera House Stream for audiences around the world to enjoy: The Cellist, Romeo and Juliet and Sylvia from The Royal Ballet; and La traviata, Fidelio and Madama Butterfly from The Royal Opera.
The new titles join a library of over 50 beloved productions and over 100 behind-the-scenes videos, giving audiences an opportunity to discover more by the artists they love, and watch world-class art wherever they are.
The year kicks off with a recording of Cathy Marston’s extraordinary one-act ballet The Cellist (2020).
The production – the choreographer’s first work for the Royal Opera House’s Main Stage – is a lyrical memoir of the momentous life of the cellist Jacqueline du Pré, whose brilliant career was cut short by the onset of multiple sclerosis at the age of 28.
Composer Philip Feeney incorporates music by Elgar, Beethoven, Fauré, Mendelssohn, Piatti, Rachmaninoff and Schubert into an exquisite score that is itself an homage to the cello. This multi award-winning production stars Royal Ballet Principals Lauren Cuthbertson, Marcelino Sambé and Matthew Ball.
On Thursday 19 January 2023, our latest revival of Verdi’s ever popular La traviata arrives on Royal Opera House Stream.
Richard Eyre’s production, with sumptuous belle époque-inspired designs by Bob Crowley, has long been a Royal Opera favourite, winning critical acclaim for its exquisite sets, lavish costumes, and unforgettably dramatic staging.
The performance (recorded in 2022) is sung by a truly international cast that includes Pretty Yende as Violetta Valéry, Stephen Costello as Alfredo Germont and Dimitri Platanias as Giorgio Germont.
February begins with the release of Tobias Kratzer’s production of Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio (2020), with Music Director of The Royal Opera Antonio Pappano conducting a spectacular cast led by Lise Davidsen and David Butt Philip.
Then, on Valentine’s Day 2023, Romeo and Juliet will be made available. Kenneth MacMillan’s classic adaptation of Shakespeare’s play – set to Prokofiev’s iconic score and featuring evocative designs by Nicholas Georgiadis – has remained a firm favourite of The Royal Ballet’s repertory since its premiere in 1965, which was danced by Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn.
The production offers dancers in the lead roles a wealth of opportunity for differing interpretations of the star-crossed lovers.
Two further new productions will be available from March: Frederick Ashon’s ballet Sylvia (2005), starring former Royal Ballet Principal Darcey Bussell and Guest Artist Roberto Bolle; and Puccini’s devastating opera Madama Butterfly (2022), conducted by Nicola Luisotti and sung by a stunning cast that includes acclaimed Italian soprano Maria Agresta as Cio-Cio-San, American tenor Joshua Guerrero as Lieutenant B.F Pinkerton, Spanish Baritone Carlos Álvarez as Sharpless, and English mezzo-soprano Christine Rice as Suzuki.
All Royal Opera House Stream productions come complete with extra wraparound material – interviews, masterclasses, rehearsal footage and more – giving audiences a unique behind the scenes insight into one of the world’s leading theatres.
Royal Opera House Stream currently hosts over 50 stunning works from The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera, with highlights including Wayne McGregor’s The Dante Project, Katie Mitchell’s production of Handel’s Theodora, Frederick Ashton’s La fille mal gardée, Christopher Wheeldon’s The Winter’s Tale and Puccini’s Tosca.
In addition to the 100+ pieces of behind-the-scenes content already online, further features – ranging from rehearsal footage to interviews and masterclasses – will be made available across 2023 for subscribers to enjoy.
Join today to watch the world’s greatest performers, emerging talent, leading choreographers and trailblazing creative teams from the comfort of your own home. From family favourites and modern masterpieces to heartbreaking arias and passionate pas-de-deux, Royal Opera House Stream offers it all: truly transformative experiences for only £9.99 a month or £99 annually.
Whatever your interest – whether classical or contemporary – there’s a breadth of content for you.
New productions from March 2023 will be announced over the coming months.
Brand-new this week on Royal Opera House Stream: Theodora (2022)
The Royal Ballet: A Diamond Celebration in global cinemas
Theodora, Royal Opera House, January 2022
This week, the Royal Opera House is delighted to be bringing world class art to audiences across the globe – offering the very best of The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera in cinemas and on demand.
On Thursday 17 November, Katie Mitchell’s gripping new production of Handel’s Theodora (4*) will be available to watch on Royal Opera House Stream.
Sung in the original English libretto and conducted by Baroque specialist Harry Bicket, the opera is a tour de force for soloists and chorus alike, with ensembles, duets and arias of profound depth and beauty.
The opera’s stellar cast includes soprano Julia Bullock as Theodora, making her Main Stage debut; Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato; Opus Klassik award-winning countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński; tenor Ed Lyon; baritone Gyula Orendt; and Jette Parker Young Artist Thando Mjandana.
The performance is released alongside a rich array of behind-the-scenes content, including a masterclass with Joyce DiDonato and an Insight event about the production.
Artists of The Royal Ballet in The Royal Ballet production of Jewels, a ballet in three acts choreographed by George Balanchine (1904-1983) to music by Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) and Igor Stravinsky, performed at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 16 December 2013
ARPDATA ;
JEWELS ;
Music by Gabriel Fauré, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Igor Stravinsky ;
Choreography by George Balanchine ;
Artists of The Royal Ballet ;
The Royal Ballet ;
At the Royal Opera House, London, UK ;
16 December 2013 ;
Credit: Bill Cooper / Royal Opera House / ArenaPAL
The night before, on Wednesday 16 November, The Royal Ballet: A Diamond Celebration will be broadcast live on opening night to over 850 cinemas in 31 countries around the world.
The evening will offer an unmissable opportunity to see a stunning roster of Royal Ballet Principal dancers, the highest rank in the Company, together on stage. The gala celebrates the breadth and diversity of the Company’s repertory with a mix of classic and contemporary gems.
It includes The Royal Ballet’s first performance of For Four by Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon; world premieres by Pam Tanowitz, Royal Ballet Emerging Choreographer Joseph Toonga and First Soloist Valentino Zucchetti; and a performance of Diamonds, from George Balanchine’s Jewels. Encore screenings will run from Sunday 20 November 2022.
These two productions add to further free content on BBC channels. Oliver Mears’ new production of Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia – conducted by Corinna Niemeyer and sung by a cast drawn from the Jette Parker Artists Programme and the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme – will be broadcast on Saturday 26 November 2022 on BBC Radio 3.
Additional Royal Opera House productions continue to be available on BBC iPlayer.
Today the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House launches a groundbreaking pilot programme for young musicians from underrepresented backgrounds. The new scheme will work with young musicians aged 18-25, prioritising engagement with young people from the global majority and other underrepresented backgrounds.
The scheme will provide essential mentoring tailored to the participants’ individual needs whilst enhancing skill sets, insight and training in the classical music field. The project is being delivered in collaboration with Black Lives in Music, an organisation established to champion diversity in the classical music industry.
Royal Opera House Music Director Tony Pappano said: “Working in any orchestra is a hugely collegiate experience and we believe it’s vital to assist and mentor young talent as they navigate the very beginnings of their career.
“Gaining access to organisations at the start of your career can feel daunting and overwhelming and we want to support, mentor and positively shape these very first experiences in a professional environment. This new pilot scheme will welcome young, diverse talent, helping them feel like they belong.”
Amelia Conway-Jones, 1st violin in the Orchestra of the Royal Opera Housesaid: “I’m so thrilled and proud that the orchestra are championing opportunities for musicians from diverse backgrounds through this scheme.
“It’s vital that we work towards a time when we as a group are truly representative of our community in London, and our artistic voice will be hugely enriched by the inclusion of musical voices from diverse backgrounds. As part of the orchestra’s Diversity Working Group, I’m really excited to be involved and to work with the mentees on their journey into the profession.”
Roger Wilson, Director of Operations at Black Lives in Music said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for young musicians from across the UK to continue their musical journeys.
“The project will help to level the playing field for all young musicians and enable them to realise their aspirations of joining the classical sector as professionals. The ROH mentoring project combines traditional mentoring with real opportunities to play alongside and learn from some of the best musicians around, this is a game changer!
“Initiatives like this will help to break down walls and build relationships. Black Lives in Music are excited to be working alongside the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House in this hands-on approach to supporting change in the UK classical music sector.”
Thirteen musicians from the Royal Opera House Orchestra will mentor participants on a range of orchestral instruments. Recruitment for the scheme will be a simple process, reducing barriers to entry and re-thinking the application process so that it breaks with traditional norms and enables those interested to apply in the most accessible way possible.
Participants will be invited to give feedback throughout their experience, and beyond as they embark on their musical careers, to measure the impact of the scheme, with the aim of making the scheme a permanent programme attached to each Royal Opera House Season.
The ROH mentor programme is aimed at young musicians aged 18 – 25, with participants welcome from across the UK. The scheme aims to break-down any traditional barriers to classical music, broadening the available pathways into the industry and make a lasting impact on representation.
The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House mentor scheme joins other programmes run by ROH which provide entry level pathways into the arts industry for young talent at the very start of their careers. The ROH Apprentice scheme has been offering sector-leading apprenticeships since 2007 with the scheme recently expanding to include positions in IT, Finance and Marketing.
Apprentices gain a relevant industry qualification and are guided by some of the most accomplished and recognised practitioners in the UK’s arts industry. 76 apprentices have graduated from the scheme since 2007 and 90% of those have remained in the creative industries forging successful careers.
The Jette Parker Artists programme has been running at ROH since 2001 and has launched the careers of over one hundred and fifty singers, conductors, directors and artists – many of whom had no direct experience and came from marginalised communities across the globe.
