Lives in Song is Opera Rara’s podcast series that takes listeners inside the lives and music of some of opera’s most fascinating figures. Hosted by music historian and writer Flora Willson, each season dives into a composer’s world—their inspirations, struggles, and the times they lived in—to uncover what shaped their music and secured their legacy. With plenty of expert guests and behind-the-scenes stories, Lives in Song offers an engaging, down-to-earth look at the people behind some of opera’s greatest works.
Our upcoming season will focus on the life and works of Jacques Offenbach – the 19th-century French composer who transformed Parisian musical theatre and whose wit, theatricality and infectiously memorable music continue to resonate today.
Past seasons have included Giacomo Puccini and Gaetano Donizetti.
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The Host
Dr Flora Willson is one of the UK’s leading classical music writers and broadcasters. Flora writes reviews and features as one of the Guardian’s classical music critics and also contributes to publications including Gramophone, Times Literary Supplement and V&A Magazine. She has also appeared frequently on BBC Radio 3 and 4 for over a decade, as well as featuring in BBC TV documentaries and live cinema relays from the Royal Opera House. As a presenter and speaker, Flora has worked on and off camera with numerous organisations including BBC Proms, English National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Opera Rara, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Oxford International Song Festival, Royal Ballet & Opera and Southbank Centre.
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