Linbury Studio premiere for Tarik O’Regan’s Heart of Darkness

Thursday, 27 October 2011

Tarik O’Regan’s new opera Heart of Darkness, based on Joseph Conrad’s novella to a libretto by Tom Phillips receives its premiere at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Studio on 1 November 2011 with further performances on November 2, 4 & 5. Oliver Gooch conducts this ROH2/Opera East production.

The opera began life as part of OperaGenesis when it was work-shopped there in 2008. OperaGenesis, which ran from 2005 to 2009, was a collaboration between the Royal Opera House’s ROH2 department and the Genesis Foundation and acted as a catalyst for the creation of new opera. The scheme embraced an information network for people interested in new opera, introductory workshops, courses and mentoring for composers, and development work on operas during their composition. Over its four years, OperaGenesis nurtured the work of 33 creative teams and facilitated the first productions of 16 operas.

In June 2011 Tarik O’Regan was one of three composers commissioned by the Genesis Foundation to compose choral works set to the poetry of the Spanish Mystics St. Teresa of Ávila and St. John of the Cross. The new works were premiered by Harry Christophers and The Sixteen at St James’s Church, London, and simultaneously released on a highly acclaimed CD ‘O Guiding Night.’

For further information please visit www.roh.org.uk and www.tarikoregan.com