News

Opera Rara’s recording project, spanning a total of eight albums, is truly extraordinary – the words from one of our first reviews of our latest installment of our Donizetti Song Project recording cycle: Volumes 3 and 4 released in February with our Artistic...

This Sunday 16 March from 4pm GMT, we’ll be streaming our fourth ‘Donizetti & Friends’ recital captured at London’s Cadogan Hall on Monday 10 March. Michael Spyres, Marie-Nicole Lemieux and Giulio Zappa present rare Donizetti songs featured...

Revealing our March Recording of the Month: Rossini’s Aureliano in Palmira written when the composer was only 21 (1813) and in the same year he produced three other operas! Kenneth Tarver is Aureliano with London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Maurizio...

On Friday 21 March, we will be releasing the first ever studio recording of the original 1857 version of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra. For this recording, we teamed up with its former Artistic Director Sir Mark Elder, The Hallé and the choruses of Opera North and...

The Spring 2025 issue of Opera Now is now available and we’re delighted that our Artist Ambassadors Michael Spyres and Ermonela Jaho are on the cover. Taking time out of recording sessions with our Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi, Michael and Ermonela sat down...

Our February Recording of the Month is Jules Massenet’s Le Portrait de Manon – a one-act follow up to his most well-known opera Manon. For this live recording – also featuring Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’été – we worked with four singers and two conductors...

We’re delighted to announce the forthcoming release of Donizetti Songs Volumes 3 and 4 on Friday 21 February. The prolific and versatile Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti was not only one of the central figures of Italian bel canto opera but also wrote around...

Our first Recording of the Month of 2025 is Donizetti’s Caterina Cornaro featuring Carmen Giannattasio in the title role and Colin Lee as Gerardo. The cast is completed by Troy Cook, Vuyan Mlinde, Graeme Broadbent, Sophie Bevan and Loïc Félix with David Parry...

We’re happy to share the news that the first two volumes of our Donizetti Song Project cycle have received reviews from critics across Europe including Spain, France, Germany and Poland, as well as of course in the UK including coverage on BBC Radio 3’s...

We’re pleased to announce that Anthony Freud OBE has joined Opera Rara’s Board of Directors. Opera Rara is one of three UK charity boards he has recently joined, alongside Opera North and Music Preserved. “I have enjoyed Opera Rara’s outstanding artistic excellence...

Our final 2024 Recording of the Month is Donizetti’s Belisario featuring Nicola Alaimo in his Opera Rara debut as Belisario, Joyce El-Khoury in her recording debut as Antonina and Camilla Roberts as Irene. Generally acknowledged to be one of Donizetti’s finest...

On Friday 22 November, the Italian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Inigo Lambertini officially awarded our Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi, the Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of Italy, at a ceremony at the Italian Embassy in London. Rizzi received this award...

Opera Rara has a reputation for nurturing singers, providing them with opportunities for acclaimed debuts and international recognition through our studio recordings. From supporting artists on the edge of significant careers to training and developing rising talents,...

30 years ago our Honorary Artist Patron Renée Fleming made her first complete opera recording with us: Donizetti’s Rosmonda d’Inghilterra. Our November Recording of the Month features David Parry and Philharmonia Orchestra. Fleming is joined by a starry...

On Saturday 2 November at 1pm GMT/2pm CET, join us for our second live stream as part of our multi-year Donizetti Song Project from London’s Wigmore Hall. Our Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi and Italian soprano Rosa Feola perform a selection of rare Donizetti songs side...

Our October Recording of the Month is Donizetti’s Rita or Deux hommes et une femme starring Christopher Maltman, Barry Banks and Katerina Karnéus. Sir Mark Elder conducts The Hallé. Released 10 years ago, Rita marked our 50th complete opera recording and was the...