Welsh National Opera is a world-renowned touring opera company based in the Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay. It has a permanent company of 250 people, including the chorus, the orchestra, the principal singers, various music staff and other creative teams as well as supporting administration staff.
I'm not very good at sitting still for very long, and the idea of going to an opera that's nearly three hours long makes me feel nervous. They do, however, put on some shorter performances which are more suitable for first-time opera goers.
This huge operation is often off on tour elsewhere - it's incredibly well-respected and tours Wales, the rest of the UK, and other worldwide destinations - each year giving more than 120 performances of eight main stage operas to a total audience of around 150,000 people! Luckily, they do often give performances in their home city of Cardiff, too - at the Wales Millennium Centre and St David's Hall - and even occasional outdoor performances at St Fagans. They have lots going on in September/October 2010 in Cardiff, as well as in February, March, May and June 2011. read more