Nationally-renowned Harborough opera house is gearing up to stage its biggest and best festival yet this summer - here's how to get tickets

A nationally-renowned Harborough opera house is gearing up to stage its biggest and best festival yet this summer.

And you will be able to snap up tickets for the eye-catching 10-date show at the award-winning Nevill Holt Opera near Medbourne from Thursday April 1.

“This summer Nevill Holt Opera has made the bold decision to move its opera festival outdoors, welcoming a larger audience than ever before,” said the opera house.

“With dates now throughout August, Nevill Holt Opera will build an outdoor stage and seating that will enable each performance to play to a socially-distanced audience of up to 650 people.

“At the same time, Nevill Holt Opera has worked to make its pricing more affordable, with tickets starting from just £35 and free for under-18s.”

The summer spectacular will present two of the best-loved operas of all time - Verdi’s La Traviata and Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

A giant, covered stage will feature a socially-distanced orchestra for each performance, while a further stage in front ensures spectators will feel so close to the action.

The stage set-up is being designed to showcase sensational valley views from Nevill Holt.

As part of the festival’s commitment to its home, the opera will be working with more local businesses to deliver its festival than ever before this year.

Three seating zones will enable audiences to choose whether they would prefer:

To relax and spread out on picnic blankets on the lawn

To watch the opera from a comfortable seat

Or to ensure they beat the weather by choosing a premium spot in a tiered and covered grandstand.

Nevill Holt Opera sits on one of England’s most beautiful country house estates.

The outdoor stage will allow visitors to immerse themselves in the landscaped gardens boasting brilliant works by top sculptors Anthony Gormley, Marc Quinn and Conrad Shawcross.

Managing Director Annie Lydford said: “We are all invigorated to be presenting our largest and most inclusive festival yet despite the challenges of the last year.

“We felt strongly, at this time when people crave brilliant live experiences perhaps more than ever, that reducing our capacity and raising our prices simply wasn’t an option.

“With fantastic artists and technicians, two creative, beautiful productions - not to mention the wonderful Nevill Holt grounds and gardens - we want to make sure our audiences have an unforgettable time with us this summer.”

She added: “Having received crucial support to aid our survival from government, from independent trusts and foundations, and from individuals, we recognise the responsibility we have to ensure that the communities we serve across the East Midlands can continue to enjoy fantastic performances with us this summer.

“Particularly, we are proud to offer hundreds of free tickets across the season completely free of charge to under-18s.

“That’s a commitment which reflects the importance of the year-round education programme which has been at NHO’s core since the company began.”

Nicholas Chalmers, Artistic Director of Nevill Holt Opera, said: “Nevill Holt Opera 2021 is to be our biggest and most ambitious festival to date.

“We invite you to come and immerse yourselves in the world of Mozart and Verdi in a beautiful outdoor staging.

“Our exceptional young artists, creative teams and orchestra partners are working hard to bring you visual and musical delights as you take in the fantastic view of the Welland Valley from our home at Nevill Holt.”

He added: “We are responding to the events of the last year by opening up the festival to a larger audience, sharing our high artistic standards and doing everything we can to make your experience entertaining and uplifting.

“We are all missing the arts and I personally cannot wait to conduct Verdi’s masterpiece, La traviata.

“In June, we will be hosting chamber music and solo recitals in our award-winning theatre and inviting you to share in the glories that make Nevill Holt such a special place - intimacy, spectacular gardens and wonderful singing.

“All this can be enjoyed while knowing you are supporting some of the very best of operatic talent, alongside our year-round programme of education work.”

La Traviata will open at 3.30pm on Wednesday August 4 while the curtain will rise on Don Giovanni at 3.30pm on Thursday August 19.

You can find out much more and book tickets by visiting: www.nevillholtopera.co.uk