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The REVIEW

Royal Opera HouseCovent GardenLondon WC2E 9DDTelephone +44 (0)20 7240 1200www.roh.org.uk

Managing Editor, Dan Foulkes for MilknosugarRegistered Charity no. 211775

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T h e REVIEW2010/11

OVER THE LAST DECADE:Attendances in the main auditorium increased

by 3.4% and we played to 92% capacity We have consistently welcomed over 640,000 audience

members to Covent Garden each yearWe have developed a global cinema programme

that reached over 230,000 people last yearParticipation in our Education programme has grown by 126%

ENABLED BY INCREASES IN:Turnover 113%

Generosity from Friends, patrons, donors, trusts,foundations and sponsors 214%

Substantially increased new commercial income streams

CONSEQUENTLY:Our reliance on ACE subsidy decreased by 35%

Roberta Marquez and Sergei Polunin Giselle

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Chief ExecutiveChairmanYear At A GlanceExcellenceNurtureLeadershipPartnershipReachFinancePhilanthropistsand SponsorsReference

GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENTThe direction and control of the Royal Opera House is determined by the Board of Trustees,which meets at least six times per year. The role of the Board is to direct the Royal Opera

House strategy to ensure that it is on the right course and that it is properly and effectivelymanaged. The Trustees are also responsible for the appointment of the Chief Executive, as well

as the most senior management positions. The Chief Executive, with the assistance of theExecutive Team, manages the day–to–day operations of the Royal Opera House.

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CONTENTS

BOARD OF TRUSTEESSimon Robey (Chairman)

Baroness BlackstoneThe Countess of Chichester

Sir David ClementiSir Nicholas Hytner

Professor Margaret MadenNicholas Prettejohn

Heather Rabbatts CBESir Simon Robertson

Dame Gail Ronson DBERoland RuddAnthony Salz

Dame Sue Street DCBRobert WallaceJudith Weir CBE

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAMTony Hall CBE – Chief Executive

Monica Mason DBE – Director, The Royal BalletSir Antonio Pappano – Music Director,

The Royal OperaCaroline Bailey – Director of Marketing

Elizabeth Bridges – Director of PersonnelDeborah Bull CBE – Creative Director

John Fulljames – Associate Director of Opera (from August 2011)

Kasper Holten – Director of Opera (from August 2011)

Ruth Jarratt – Director of Policy Development (left August 2011)

Peter Katona – Director of Opera CastingJeanetta Laurence – Associate Director,

The Royal BalletStephen Michael – Managing Director,

Royal Opera House Enterprises (left July 2011)Christopher Millard – Director of Press

and CommunicationsSally Mitchell – Orchestra Administrative Director

Kevin O’Hare – Administrative Director,The Royal Ballet

Sally O’Neill – Director of FinanceElaine Padmore – Director of Opera

(left October 2011)Hazel Province – Director of Planning

Paul Reeve – Director of EducationAlastair Roberts – Managing Director, Royal Opera

House Enterprises (from September 2011)Amanda Saunders – Director of Development

John Seekings – Director of Operations (left February 2011)

Cormac Simms – Administrative Director,The Royal Opera (from September 2011)

DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEESimon Robey (Chairman)

The Countess of ChichesterSir Simon Robertson

Dame Gail Ronson DBEDanny Wyler

Lady Young of Graffham

ENGAGEMENT, EDUCATION AND ACCESSCOMMITTEE

Professor Margaret Maden (Chairman)Baroness Blackstone

Deborah Bull CBETony Hall CBE

Matt LaneAbigail Pogson

Paul ReeveSimon RobeyAnthony Salz

Judith Weir CBE

FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEENicholas Prettejohn (Chairman)

Sir David ClementiSir Nicholas Hytner

Simon RobeySir Simon RobertsonDame Sue Street DCB

FOUNDATION ADVISORY CIRCLEJulian Metherell (Chairman)

Vahid AlaghbandSue Butcher

Josephine Fitzalan HowardHamish ForsythViscount LinleyVictoria MatherSalim MoollanLorna Parker

Judith PortraitSimon RobeyKristina RoggeRoland RuddBernard Taylor

Frank Van den BoschSir Brian Williamson

NOMINATIONS COMMITTEESimon Robey (Chairman)

Sir David ClementiProfessor Margaret Maden

Sir Simon RobertsonNicholas Prettejohn

REMUNERATION COMMITTEESimon Robey (Chairman)

Sir David ClementiDame Sue Street DCBNicholas Prettejohn

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ROYAL OPERA HOUSE ANNUAL REVIEW 2010/11

CONTENTS

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Tony Hall, Chief ExecutiveLord Hall of Birkenhead CBE

CHAPTER 1

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In many ways February 2011 defined last Season. We had twoworld premieres back to back on our main stage, The RoyalOpera’s Anna Nicole and The Royal Ballet’s Alice’s Adventuresin Wonderland. Mark-Anthony Turnage and Richard Thomascollaborated with director Richard Jones and Royal OperaMusic Director Antonio Pappano to bring the story of AnnaNicole Smith to the operatic stage. It was a risky project butthe work was fresh, vibrant and brilliantly sung by Eva-MariaWestbroek, Alan Oke and Gerald Finley and the rest of thecast including our brilliant Chorus. Alice’s Adventures inWonderland was the first new full-length ballet with a newlycommissioned score for nearly 20 years. ChoreographerChristopher Wheeldon worked with composer Joby Talbotand designer Bob Crowley to create a truly magical pieceenjoyed by people of all ages. Both productions sold outweeks in advance and were enthusiastically received byaudiences and critics. It is vital that we continue to strive forthe new and push the boundaries of our art forms and thewhole organization was invigorated by the experience ofcreating these exciting new works.

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ROH Education - The Taylor Family Foundation Schools’ Matinee audience

TONY HALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE

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Clemency, a sixth sell out season from Ballet Black and theLondon premiere of Will Tuckett’s Pleasure’s Progress.

We want as many people as possible to experience theamazing productions we put on at the Royal Opera House.Across the year we achieved 92% occupancy with 50% oftickets on sale at £55 or less, 40% at £40 or less and 30% at £30or less. Interestingly, it is often our revivals of the big classicsthat are most attractive to new audiences. In this Season 51.5%of bookings were new to our database; and we are alwayslooking for ways to reach new audiences beyond CoventGarden. This year, The Royal Ballet did a three day residencyat The O2, performing Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Julietto 47,000 people, many of whom were seeing classical balletfor the first time. Digital technologies are key to enablingmore people to see our work. Over the past 25 years 350,000people have watched performances from the ROH on our BPSummer Big Screens; this year we expanded our cinemaprogramme to reach 400 cinemas in 15 countries and releasedCarmen in 3D which went to 1,500 cinemas worldwide, thelargest distribution of an event ever; and we also became thefirst arts organization to have our own iTunesU platform.

Education and community participation are central to ourwork and in December 2010 we opened our new productionworkshops in Thurrock in the Thames Gateway. To mark thisoccasion we staged The Purfleet Opera: Ludd and Isis which wasbased on stories from local history and involved hundreds oflocal people in everything from costume design, to writing the libretto and the music, staging the opera and performing.It was their show – and was inspiring.

In 2010/11 we had 11 new productions and 32 revivals on ourmain stage and eight new productions and two revivals in theLinbury Studio Theatre. Highlights of The Royal OperaSeason included new productions of Tannhäuser by TimAlbery and the rarely performed Niobe, Queen of Thebesdirected by Lukas Hemleb. In addition there were sell outrevivals of Madama Butterfly and Tosca, the latter with AngelaGheorghiu, Bryn Terfel and Jonas Kaufmann. We are alwaysparticularly pleased to welcome back members of our JetteParker Young Artists Programme which, thanks to thecontinued generosity of Oak Foundation, has nurtured someof the brightest operatic and musical talents over the years.This Season Rory Macdonald returned to conduct Il barbieredi Siviglia and Marina Poplavskaya, Jacques Imbrailo and AlfieBoe all took roles on our stage. The Royal Ballet had sold outrevivals of Swan Lake, Giselle and Manon showing off thedepth of talent in the Company. Kim Brandstrupchoreographed a new ballet - Invitus Invitam - to expertlyfollow on from Frederick Ashton’s La Valse creating animmediate and impulsive mood change to the Ashton. Ourresident choreographer, Wayne McGregor, also created a newone-act ballet for the Company - Live Fire Exercise. Inspired bya US military exercise, McGregor collaborated with artist JohnGerrard to introduce a virtual landscape to the stage in a tautand thrilling piece.

ROH2 opened the Season with the third Deloitte Ignite. Thisyear the festival was curated by Joanna MacGregor who createdfabulous installations and digital soundscapes around thebuilding. The programme in the Linbury continued to inspireand excite with the world premiere of James MacMillan’s

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To achieve all of this in the current economic climate has notbeen without its challenges but I’m pleased to say that we have,for the 12th year in succession, returned a small financialsurplus. This has involved making some difficult decisions. Wehave scrutinised all of our expenditure, streamlining ourprocurement processes, checking that everything we do isreally necessary and ensuring that we are as efficient as we canbe. In parallel we have increased the opportunities for newrevenue streams through ROH Enterprises and variouscommercial activities. We are also very grateful to our manygenerous supporters; Friends of Covent Garden, patrons,donors and corporate partners for their loyal commitment tous and their belief in all that we do.They help us make it happen.

We still have challenges ahead but we maintain ourcommitment to, and will not compromise on, artisticexcellence on our stages. I think it is an extremely exciting timefor the Royal Opera House with the eyes of the world upon usduring the London 2012 Olympics and with our new artisticteams in place for 2012/13. Antonio Pappano, now Sir Antonio– and we are all so thrilled about that – is joined by KasperHolten as Director of Opera. Kevin O’Hare becomes Directorof The Royal Ballet in autumn 2012, with his new AssociateDirectors Christopher Wheeldon and Wayne McGregorjoining Jeanetta Laurence and Barry Wordsworth. I would liketo take this opportunity to thank Monica Mason and ElainePadmore for their enormous contribution as first ratecolleagues and also friends. They have been wonderful to workwith and we will miss them greatly. And to all the staff andartists of the Royal Opera House my warmest thanks – theachievements are all yours.


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Simon Russell Beale Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Simon Robey, Chairman

CHAPTER 2

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The Royal Opera House depends on the support and contri-butions of so many people and I want to say thank you toeveryone who has helped to make this Season a success. I amso grateful to Arts Council England,our donors,our audiencesand the public for their commitment to the work that we do.

I also want to thank the staff for their dedication and pro-fessionalism. A lot of people don’t realize how manymembers of staff work behind the scenes at Covent Gardenand beyond ensuring the smooth running of the organizationand the high quality of the productions. Without them therewould be no Royal Opera House.

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ROH Education - The Taylor Family Foundation Schools’ Matinee audience

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We are at a time of transition with the retirement of MonicaMason, who has had an extraordinary 54 year career with TheRoyal Ballet, and Elaine Padmore who led The Royal Operawith such distinction. I want to thank both of them for all thatthey have achieved here. They hand over to two exceptionallytalented people: Kasper Holten as our new Director of Operaand Kevin O’Hare who succeeds Monica as Director of TheRoyal Ballet at the end of the current Season. They both havegreat knowledge, experience and creative vision and it is veryexciting to have them working here.

The success of The Royal Opera is due largely to AntonioPappano’s work as Music Director and we were all delightedthat his contribution to the world of opera and music wasrecognized in the New Year’s Honours list. His knighthoodis richly deserved and a fitting way to mark the end of hisfirst decade at the Royal Opera House.

The financial climate is tough and I would like to express mygratitude to all of our donors. Their generosity enables theRoyal Opera House to fulfil its ambitions and to continue toproduce some of the best opera and ballet in the world. Ithank them both as a lover of the art forms and as Chairman.

As well as looking back over the last Season, this reviewcelebrates a decade of success at the Royal Opera House. Iwould like to thank Tony Hall for leading the organizationwith such commitment and skill, and all the staff who everyday impress me with their dedication and passion and makethis the wonderful place that it is.

EXCEPTIONAL PHILANTHROPY

The Chief Executive, Chairman and Trustees of the Royal Opera House would like to extend their particular

thanks to the following whose contributions have made suchan extraordinary difference to the 2010/11 Season:

Lady AshcroftBank of America Merrill Lynch

The John Beckwith Charitable TrustBP

The Peter Cruddas FoundationDeloitte

Sarah and Lloyd DorfmanMrs Aline Foriel-Destezet

The Foyle FoundationGarfield Weston Foundation

The Helen Hamlyn TrustMarina Hobson MBE and The Hobson

CharityInvestec

Jean Sainsbury Royal Opera House Fund

Aud JebsenAlfiya and Timur Kuanyshev

Lord and Lady Laidlaw of RothiemayThomas and Deirdre Lynch

Medicor FoundationThe Monument Trust

Oak FoundationYvonne and Bjarne Rieber

Sir Simon and Lady RobertsonThe Robey Family

RolexThe Taylor Family Foundation

Tsukanov FamilyVan Cleef & Arpels

Two anonymous donors

SIMON ROBEY CHAIRMANROYAL OPERA HOUSE ANNUAL REVIEW 2010/11

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CHAPTER 3 THE YEAR AT A GLANCEROYAL OPERA HOUSE ANNUAL REVIEW 2010/11

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398performances at the Royal Opera House

20Royal Opera productions including:

A new commission, Anna Nicole by Mark-Anthony Turnage5 other new productions – Tannhäuser (Wagner), The Tsar’sBride (Rimsky Korsakov), Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea), Niobe,

Queen of Thebes (Steffani) and Cendrillon (Massenet)

12Royal Ballet programmes including:

One new full-length work, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland(Christopher Wheeldon, with a new score by Joby Talbot)Two new one-act ballets, Invitus Invitam (Kim Brandstrup)

and Live Fire Exercise (Wayne McGregor)

An eclectic ROH2 Season including:The Deloitte Ignite festival, curated by Joanna MacGregor

going on to win the Hollis Arts Sponsorship AwardThe premiere of James MacMillan’s opera Clemency

Collaborations with partners including Music Theatre Wales,Ballet Black, London International Mime Festival and

The Opera Group

PRODUCTIONS

OUR YEAR

Hosted the two biggest UK awards ceremonies for film and theatre - BAFTAs and the Oliviers

Began the 2011/12 ROH Cinema Season,launched by Angela Gheorghiu

Established an Environmental Policy Group to encourage sustainabilitywith the backing of the Executive and Board

As part of the Cultural Quarter Programme, held a special exhibition inLondon’s Seven Dials by 34 unemployed young people

Opened the Bob and Tamar Manoukian Production Workshop at HighHouse Production Park, Thurrock, now firmly established as state of the

art facilities for scenic carpentry, scenic painting and metal work

Staged the community performance The Purfleet Opera: Ludd and Isis atHigh House Production Park, Thurrock, Essex, involving local people

Founded the ROH Thurrock Community Chorus, building onthe success of Ludd and Isis, now 100 strong

Founded the ROH Youth Opera Company for young people aged 9 to 13, now 50 strong

EVENTS

Received confirmation of a 15% cut in our Arts Council England grant

FUNDING

OUR YEAR

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CHAPTER 4

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EXCELLENCE

We are here to offer our audiences the greatest artists in the world.

We are here to extend the boundaries of our art forms.

We are here to discover and reveal unique talent.

We are here to provide a platform for extraordinary performances.

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Ballet Black - Jade Hale-Christofi Orpheus

Rolando Villazón Werther Dmitri Hvorostovsky Rigoletto

Carlos Acosta Winter Dreams

Sarah Lamb and Rupert Pennefather Manon

Marianela Nuñez and Sergei Polunin Ballo della regina

Orlando Copplestone and Ben Heppner Peter Grimes

Eva-Maria Westbroek Anna Nicole Alice Coote Cendrillon

CHAPTER 4 EXCELLENCE

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26 main stage productions given 4 or 5 star reviews in UK broadsheet newspapers

Olivier Awards:Outstanding Achievement in Opera -

Christian Gerhaher for TannhäuserNominations:

Best New Opera Production – Adriana Lecouvreur

RPS Music Awards:Opera - Tannhäuser

Creative Communication – Opera Italia,presented by Antonio Pappano

Singer – Susan Bickleyfor roles in The Gambler and

Into the Little HillNominations:

RPS Music Awards: Audience Development –

The Purfleet Opera: Ludd and Isis

Classical Brits: Male Artist – Antonio Pappano

Nominations:Critics Award – Antonio Pappano

National Dance Awards: Best Classical Choreography –

Liam Scarlett for Asphodel MeadowsBest Male Dancer – Steven McRae

Nominations:Best Male Dancer – Sergei Polunin

Best Classical Choreography – Kim Brandstrup for Goldberg: the Brandstrup-Rojo Project

Outstanding Female Performance (Classical) - Akane Takada

Outstanding Male Performance (Classical) – Thomas Whitehead

Grammy Award:The Royal Opera’s Lulu

South Bank Sky Arts Award:Times Breakthrough Award - Pumeza Matshikiza,

Jette Parker Young Artist 2007/9

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Sarah Lamb Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Alexander Lee Tannhaüser

Sarah Lamb and Federico Bonelli DGV Danse à grande vitesse


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to the work of The Royal Ballet, particularly for youngeraudiences. With kind support from The Monument Trustthe fresh commission, the first with a newly composed scorefor over 20 years, teamed respected choreographer ChristopherWheeldon with contemporary orchestral and film composerJoby Talbot and award-winning designer Bob Crowley. Theirretelling of Lewis Carroll’s classic novel was brought to lifeby Lauren Cuthbertson in the title role of Alice, joined bySteven McRae as the Mad Hatter, Edward Watson as theWhite Rabbit/Lewis Carroll and Sergei Polunin as the Knaveof Hearts/Jack. Renowned actor Simon Russell Beale gave ahilarious guest performance as the Duchess. The six initialperformances and Schools Matinee proved enormouslypopular. Alice was taken to an even wider audience via a BBC2broadcast on Easter Saturday, supported by a documentaryon the making of the production. A group of young peoplefrom Peckham also worked with the Ballet Boyz to createtheir own filmed dance response to the ballet. Alice wasrevived with a longer run of performances in March andApril 2012, including a special performance for families whohave not previously attended the Royal Opera House,supported by subsidised tickets and themed foyer activities.The production was the first to be built at the Bob andTamar Manoukian Production Workshop in Thurrock in theThames Gateway.

There are certain productions that demonstrate the power ofcreative collaboration, the hunger for work that has resonance,and the need to take creative risks so that audiences mayconsider opera in fresh ways. Anna Nicole is one of thoselandmarks delivering a thrilling world premiere and

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A new production of Richard Wagner’s Tannhaüser openedat the Royal Opera House in December directed by TimAlbery, which went on to win the RPS Music Award foropera. South African tenor Johan Botha played the title roleopposite celebrated Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek asElisabeth. It was complemented by an Insight Evening led byRoyal Opera Director of Opera, Elaine Padmore. Eva-MariaWestbroek also spent an evening In Conversation in the CloreStudio Upstairs discussing her work. Tannhaüser was madepossible by generous philanthropic support, notably from SirSimon and Lady Robertson.

Phyllida Lloyd’s production of Verdi’s Macbeth returned for itssecond revival since its debut in 2002. The Royal Opera’sMusic Director Antonio Pappano conducted the productionfor the first time at Covent Garden. The title role was sung byBritish baritone Simon Keenlyside. Joining him wasUkrainian soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska, having previouslymade a sensational Royal Opera debut as a late substitute forthe title role of Aida, who took the role of Lady Macbeth. JetteParker Young Artists, British soprano Elisabeth Meister andPolish bass Lukas Jakobski, both had parts in the production.An Insight Afternoon accompanied the performance supportedby the Paul Hamlyn Education Fund.

The outstanding artistic success and popularity of Alice’sAdventures in Wonderland may well establish it as a modernclassic, reflecting an incredible return on investment ofvision, energy, talent and finance, and leading to revivals foryears to come. The triumphant world premiere presented anew, full-length narrative classical ballet to provide a bridge


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House. The orchestral parts included an on- and off-stagejazz group, memorably performed by jazz musicians JohnParicelli and Peter Erskine and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones.The production even spread into the foyer with exhibitionitems and statues ‘re-imagined’ as the pervasive Anna Nicole.Each of the six performances sold out and 500 students werewelcomed to one of the final rehearsals. The performance wasalso relayed via BBC4 and BBC Radio 3. Its tremendous successmeans that Anna Nicole will be revived in 2014/15 heraldinganother creative asset for the Royal Opera House.

Alongside two world-class Companies the Royal OperaHouse has a world-class orchestra and chorus. We havecemented the position of the Orchestra of the Royal OperaHouse at the heart of our artistic life. This means that we willcontinue to be able to attract the world’s leading conductorsand singers who delight in working with such talented andexperienced musicians. Our audiences gain so much fromhaving a resident ensemble of the calibre of the Orchestra ofthe Royal Opera House. The daily contribution that ourmusicians make cannot be underestimated and this is why ithas been vital to secure their future. The demands of playingfor opera and ballet are unique. They necessitate particularskills and sensibilities from highly skilled musicians.Artistically and financially our orchestral performancescould not be matched by visiting orchestras or freelanceplayers. The Orchestra is an award-winning specialistensemble, with a uniquely refined sound and is widelyrecognized as one of the finest in the world. It has skillsspecific to opera and ballet, and the stamina to undertake thedemanding and lengthy repertory typical in our art forms.

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achieving both popular and critical acclaim. Composed byMark-Anthony Turnage, his first opera since The Silver Tassie,it evolved within a three-year collaborative relationship withthe Royal Opera House. It resulted in an accomplished,highly engaging musical satire that made the world sit upand take notice. Created in partnership with the writer,comedian and composer Richard Thomas (Jerry Springer TheOpera), with strong input from director Richard Jones andThe Royal Opera, including workshop sessions, it was quitesimply a tour de force. The opera charted the rise and fall ofthe model, actress and celebrity Anna Nicole Smith and herdeath, aged 37, from an overdose, following in the longtradition of operatic tales of ‘fallen’ women. Its topicality andthe documentation of such a contemporary story generateda worldwide buzz and drew extremely diverse audiences. Anonline trailer was produced and the performance was widelyfeatured on the front pages of national newspapers. Thesubject matter necessitated careful legal handling, mostnotably when a central character was suddenly acquitted inthe month before the premiere. Co-producers and possiblefunders were unwilling to share the funding risk, against abackground of global recession, but the Royal Opera Housewas convinced of the value of the project and committed tounderwriting it. Eva-Maria Westbroek gave an outstandingperformance in the title role, matched by Alan Oke as AnnaNicole’s 89-year-old husband Howard Marshall II, withGerald Finley performing lawyer Howard Stern. Theincredible skill and talent of the Royal Opera Chorus wasalso illuminated by the production. The score combined richand profound moments with more satirical, approachablematerial brought to life by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera

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Its knowledge of Royal Opera and Royal Ballet productionsoptimizes our efficiency by limiting the rehearsal timerequired for revivals, as well as providing the maximumflexibility for scheduling. Our players are fully occupiedplaying for performances 6-7 days per week for a 47-weekSeason, a marathon which they are uniquely equipped tocomplete. We are delighted that the contribution of theOrchestra of the Royal Opera House has been fullyrecognized and supported accordingly.

The Royal Opera Chorus goes from strength to strength led by Chorus Director Renato Balsadonna, whose artisticcollaboration with Royal Opera Music Director AntonioPappano scales new heights. Together they mine every detailfrom composers’ scores and encourage the highest standards ofmusical excellence from the choristers.A superb,flexible groupof artists, Balsadonna and the Royal Opera Chorus work withthe finest conductors and directors from around the world. Itis a tribute to the quality of the Chorus that in the 2012/13Royal Opera Season Antonio Pappano will conduct no newproductions but work with Renato Balsadonna onreinvigorating revivals. In the 2010/11 Season the Chorus sangoperas in Italian, French, German, English and Russian, addingCzech in the 2011/12 Season, demonstrating its versatility,professionalism and talent. The Greek Chorus-like role itplayed in Anna Nicole, offering an ongoing perspective on theaction, was crucial to the plot and production and showcasedthe ability of the Chorus at its finest.

Antonio Pappano and Richard Jones in rehearsal

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ROH2 had a remarkable season. Following acclaimedperformances of Faeries in 2008, Will Tuckett’s spell-bindingfamily show for children and adults returned to the RoyalOpera House during December for the festive season.Restaged for the Linbury Studio Theatre, Faeries used acombination of puppetry, dance and old-fashioned storytellingto propel its audience into a world of mystery,magic, imps andfairies. The show was enhanced by acclaimed puppetcompany Blind Summit Theatre. In addition, there wasoutstanding work from director Katie Mitchell and composerJames MacMillan. The world premiere of Clemency, a one actopera, took place in the Linbury Studio Theatre during May.Mitchell’s psychological acuity and innovative stagingbrought to vivid life McMillan’s taut score. It combined withthe text of librettist Michael Symmons Roberts to create aproduction of spiritual intensity and reflection. In March 2012Clemency was nominated as Best New Opera Production atthe Olivier Awards. Cocteau Voices, a double bill directed byTom Cairns, paired Duet for One Voice with music by ScottWalker with Poulenc’s La Voix humaine. These two Cocteaumonologues provided the inspiration for a marvellousevening of opera and dance.

HyeKyoung Kim Cocteau Voices/Duet for One Voice

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CHAPTER 5

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NURTURE

We discover and develop the brightest talent.

We inspire all ages by direct involvement with our work.

We enrich our art forms by revealing new perspectives.

We make new connections that energize opera and ballet.

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Royal Opera House Youth Opera Company rehearsal

70,169people participated in ROH Education projects

7apprenticeships created

69unemployed young people given paid work

9,583pupils and teachers attended Taylor Family Schools Matinees

3new works by under-19 choreographers created in Dance Futures

550young people attended an open day in support of their

Further Education courses in creative subjects

The ROH Youth Opera Company was formed

2010/11:

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It is imperative that we facilitate artistic experimentationand bring dynamic new perspectives to opera. OperaShots ispart of an ongoing programme of opera development workacross the Royal Opera House which ranges from full-scalecommissions to development workshops, courses andobserver programmes. In April it premiered innovative shortoperas by Anne Dudley and Terry Jones, and Stewart Copeland,all established artists in their own fields experimenting with ourart form for the first time, commissioned and produced byROH2. The Linbury Studio Theatre hosted The Doctor’s Taleby Oscar-winning composer Anne Dudley (The Full Montyand a founder member of Art of Noise) and librettist TerryJones (of Monty Python fame). Directed by Jones, it told thestory of a popular doctor forced to stop practising becausehe is a dog. Stewart Copeland, formerly of The Police,brought to the stage Edgar Allan Poe’s Gothic fiction TheTell-Tale Heart, revealing the protagonist’s madness as he isconsumed by the guilt of murder.Copeland was both composerand librettist in the piece directed by Jonathan Moore.

Chance to Dance works with 20 primary schools in Lambethand Southwark to introduce ballet to children in Year 3through Royal Ballet demonstrations and practicalworkshops. This long-established and successful programmehas built strong relationships between schools and the RoyalOpera House, with gratifying results, encouraging creativity,confidence and self-discipline benefitting both pupils andtheir teachers. Children with enthusiasm and aptitude arethen invited to join our Chance to Dance Company for up tofour years. This provides weekly classes in their local venue,special family days at the Royal Opera House and an annual

CHAPTER 5 NURTURE

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SEkaterina Gubanova The Tsar’s Bride

CHAPTER 5 NURTURE

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performance alongside dancers from The Royal Ballet.Teachers in each partnership school receive training indelivering their own school-based creative dance projects,and have the opportunity to share their work with otherschools and watch a Royal Ballet dress rehearsal.

Encouraging children to discover opera through performingis an innovative way of exciting them about its possibilities.Nothing is more powerful than positive personal experience.The Royal Opera House’s Youth Opera Company is open toschoolchildren aged 9-12. Drawn from across London andthe South East, the children explore singing techniques,acting and the operatic repertory through a series ofworkshops and in-school activities. The workshops climaxedin a fully staged performance by the Youth Opera Companyof two operas especially written for them – Beginners andDrowning in Imagination – in the Linbury Studio Theatre. Ina pioneering and exciting development members of theYouth Opera Company will, for the first time, also takechildren’s chorus roles in productions by The Royal Opera.The Youth Opera Company is generously supported byYvonne and Bjarne Rieber.

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We feed opera around the world and assure its future byempowering and supporting the artistic development of thebest young professional singers, conductors, directors andrépétiteurs through the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme.In addition, thanks to the guidance and enthusiasm of RoyalBallet Music Director, Barry Wordsworth, more opportunitiesare evolving for Young Artists to work and train withprofessional ballet-related disciplines. The Young Artists workat the Royal Opera House full time, over a two-year period assalaried Company members. Led by their dedicated ProgrammeDirector, David Gowland, they receive individually-tailoredcoaching in all opera disciplines, appropriate to their rate ofdevelopment and guidance in related issues and careerprogression. A wide range of freelance coaches work for theProgramme on a regular basis, teaching movement, stagefighting and stagecraft as well as music and languages.

Joyce DiDonato Cendrillon

Pleasure’s Progress

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Workshops and individual tuition from leading internationalsingers, conductors, directors, composers and other operaprofessionals are organized on a regular basis. Every YoungArtist works on Royal Opera productions: the singers takesmall roles and cover larger ones in Royal Opera productions;the répétiteurs accompany singers in rehearsals and assistconductors; and the directors assist the directors of RoyalOpera productions. The singers also give recitals in theLinbury Studio Theatre and Crush Room, and at selectedvenues beyond the Royal Opera House. All Young Artistswork on the annual Meet the Young Artists Weekperformances and on the Jette Parker Summer Performance atthe end of each Season. The Royal Opera House is extremelygrateful to Oak Foundation for its generous support of theJette Parker Young Artists Programme.

Exposure:Dance showcases distinctive work created byinspiring young and developing choreographers. This year itincluded two new ROH2 commissions: Mayuri Boonham’sTiger-Bharatanatyam which exposed the psychologicalconflict of being forced against one’s true nature, andAlesandra Seutin’s Taal that explored rhythm in African,contemporary and tap dance. There were also pieces fromROH2 Choreographic Associate, Sarah Dowling, who delvedinto the rituals of the Irish Wake, and Marc Brew, who fusedelements of classical and contemporary dance. Ex-Rambertdancer Cameron McMillan’s If Nobody Speaks… examinedthe world of the unsaid, and was followed by ArrangedMarriage by Devaraj Thimmaiah. Finally Stephanie Schobermade a welcome return with extracts from her intenselyphysical Traffic.

Die Zauberflöte

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Dance Futures was the first time that a Royal Opera HouseEducation dance project has taken place on the main stage.Created in partnership with Youth Dance England and EastLondon Dance it highlighted young people’s talent andpassion for dance as performers and choreographers. Itfeatured both classical and contemporary work with newpieces created by three young people involved in YoungCreatives, Youth Dance England’s national programme thatdevelops young choreographers aged 14-19. One of them waschoreographer Freya Thomas who, as a progression from herwork in Young Creatives, was selected to create a newcommission for the main stage. Freya was mentored byROH’s Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor and herwork featured Royal Ballet dancers Ryoichi Hirano andNathalie Harrison. There was also a specially commissionedpiece by McGregor performed by 25 young dancers fromEast London brought together through a collaborativeproject with East London Dance. In the second half of theprogramme more than 80 children aged 9-11, participants inour Chance to Dance programme, danced The Firebird withRoyal Ballet members accompanied by an orchestracomprising members of the Orchestra of the Royal OperaHouse and the Southbank Sinfonia. Dance Futures isgenerously supported by The Taylor Family Foundation andThe Eva Vida Living Trust.

Bringing the rare to wider audiences and breathing new lifeinto neglected works to enrich our art forms is a valuableaspect of the work of the Royal Opera House. So manyexcellent works from every era would go unseen,undiscovered and unloved without our commitment to FIRSTS Collectif and then Instants

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offering our audiences a broad spectrum of performances tointroduce them to a variety of stimulating experiences. TheRoyal Opera staged a new production of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Tsar’s Bride, first performed in 1899 inMoscow, now rarely seen beyond Russia. In its Royal OperaHouse premiere director Paul Curran underlined the dark,political edge and relevance of the piece which he updatedto a contemporary Moscow setting. The cast was led byMarina Poplavskaya, a former Jette Parker Young Artist, asMarfa and Johan Reuter as Gryaznoy. A number of Russiansingers also took key roles. ROH Education held an InsightEvening hosted by conductor Mark Elder and speakers fromthe production. Insight Evenings are supported by the PaulHamlyn Education Fund. It was also broadcast on BBCRadio 3. A true rarity from the 17th century, Niobe, Queen ofThebes by Steffani, was seen in a truly magical productionfrom Schwetzingen Festival and proved a perfect vehicle forconductor/editor Thomas Hengelbrock, the BalthasarNeumann Ensemble and the extraordinary male sopranoJacek Laszcakowski. David McVicar’s hugely popular AdrianaLecouvreur realized the theatrical nature of Cilea’s opera withan ‘ingenious stage within a stage’ and Angela Gheorghiu,as the diva of the title, and Jonas Kaufmann gavecharacteristically charismatic performances. Laurent Pelly’switty and engaging production of Massenet’s Cendrillon(Cinderella) provided an entertaining end to the Season andwas very much enjoyed at its BP Summer Big Screen.

BP Summer Big Screen, Trafalgar Square

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Our creation and management of the Culture QuarterProgramme (CQP) allowed the Royal Opera House to play apart in addressing the burning issue of youth unemployment.This was facilitated by the backing of the Future Jobs Fund, agovernment initiative established to support the creation oftemporary, paid jobs for long term unemployed young peopleaged 18 to 24. The CQP enabled us to work alongside otherleading creative and cultural organizations to create aninnovative, unique and highly successful programme. Thisgave a group of young people an opportunity to experiencethe creative industries, a sector which is sometimes regarded asbeing difficult to break into. The results were gratifying. Weachieved a 73% success rate progressing participants to thenext stage of their career. Of the 69 young people who tookpart in the first two cohorts, 63% went into furtheremployment beyond the CQP and 10% went into highereducation or further training. As the government fundingwhich made this scheme possible concluded in September2011, the Royal Opera House has been working on a successorprogramme. We are determined to continue to provide muchneeded opportunities in our sector to young people.

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ROH Education Fanfare competition

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LEADERSHIP

We offer support and guidance to organizations and individuals.

We set best practice benchmarks in the cultural sector.

We learn and develop through collaboration.

We equip people with the skills to lead others.

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across three different projects. Empowering teachers toinspire young people about opera, ballet and dance is amajor component of our Education Programme - from ourlong-running Write An Opera programme, which givesteachers the skills, confidence and practical tools to deliverarts learning in the classroom for the duration of their career- to our Course in Ballet Education Practice. This course isdelivered in partnership with The Royal Ballet School and ittrains professional dancers and dance practitioners todevelop their skills to lead creative ballet activities in avariety of education and community settings. Ourpartnership with Essex County Council permitted us toextend our Voices of the Future programme to bring singingalive in schools throughout Thurrock and the ThamesGateway. The Royal Opera House has also developed itswork with PGCE students at the Graduate School ofEducation at the University of Exeter with a view to rollingout a wider programme of initial teacher training.Cumulatively we believe that these activities will sustain atangible positive impact in the cultural lives of our schooland their pupils.

Cross-cultural collaboration and innovation was the impetusfor London’s first Culture Hack, a two-day programmeconceived, organized and led by the Royal Opera House. Itbrought together 12 cultural organizations, one softwarecompany, three media groups, two funding bodies, eightinspiring speakers and 69 software developers. Culture Hackis inspired by the hacker ethos of doing things in thesimplest way possible with the maximum effect. It aims toenable the technology, creative and cultural sectors to

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The Royal Opera House aims to help people down the pathsthat lead to employment within the culture sector. This iswhy we run a range of initiatives to capture the imaginationof individuals and provide experiences that may serve as agateway to future jobs. First Stage gives people coming to theend of their academic education, or in the early stages oftheir careers, the opportunity to gain practical experienceworking at the Royal Opera House. Under this umbrella weoffer approximately 180 short term work placements peryear across 20 departments including the Model Room,Costume Production, Scenic Production, Lighting, Soundand Broadcast, Stage Management and Press (Opera, Balletand ROH2). Work placements have been either in CoventGarden, at the Bob and Tamar Manoukian ProductionWorkshop in Thurrock or in our storage facilities inAberdare. Design Challenge, in partnership with the NationalSkills Academy for Creative and Cultural, invited studentsfrom Academy feeder colleges to produce set, costume,poster or online educational content designs related to aproduction by The Royal Opera or The Royal Ballet. In 2011the work selected was Verdi’s Aida. Submissions wereexhibited during a performance at the Royal Opera Houseand the winning entrants were invited to spend a day withus. We believe that Design Challenge is an invaluable learningexperience for students looking for apprenticeships ordesign-related jobs in the arts.

We aim to enable generations of teachers to effect positivechange in the lives of generations of children, by equippingthem with key skills as arts education practitioners. This yearwe worked with 95 teachers, an increase of 9% on 2009/10

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exchange ideas, methodologies, and insights and to debateand experiment with new ways of doing things in the digitalage through a process of cross fertilization. The objective wasto discover what lessons the cultural sector could learn fromthe fast, iterative world of software development, while alsoinvestigating the hidden potential of cultural datasets. ‘Asdigital technology is asked to deliver ever more to arts andculture – new audiences, new revenue streams, newopportunities – innovation has never been more important.By learning lessons from the culture of hacking, we can startto hack culture – and create genuinely new ways of bringinggreat art into peoples’ everyday lives’, commented RachelColdicutt the ROH lead at the event.

There is currently scant provision of training for young,aspiring operatic composers and librettists. This is primarilybecause it is not currently a focus for conservatory compositionor theatrical direction courses. The tradition of learning on thejob for promising operatic composers or librettists is nowthreatened due to so many theatres and companies being lessable to take a risk on unknowns as a result of fundingconsiderations. Through our strong networks of contacts, bothinternal and external, we have attempted to provide bothexperience and guidance to developing writers and composersto enable them to hone their skills and make them a moreviable option for other companies to commission. Our courseshave been aimed at promising individuals generally within thefirst ten years of their professional career who are relatively newto opera. For each group a specialized course has combinedformal learning with the opportunity to develop practice inthe studio without the pressure of commissioning deadlines.

Vitalij Kowaljow Aida

Dance Futures - Bennet Gartside and theChance to Dance Company The Firebird

Edward Watson Invitus Invitam in rehearsal

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For composers, intensive training weeks were led byDominic Muldowney, an established composer with a strongbackground in theatre, with input from innovative operacomposer Helen Porter and dramaturgical support from theRoyal Opera House’s John Lloyd Davies. Covering all aspectsof writing for the human voice, the courses allowedparticipants to write new material of their own and to test itusing performers. For writers, John Lloyd Davies ledmodules that addressed the challenges of writing a libretto,encompassing music, structural and technical considerations,and developing a working relationship with a composer.Throughout the year emerging composers and writing talenthave also been given the opportunity to observe rehearsals atthe Royal Opera House and meet both production andtechnical teams.

In the current climate of a decrease in government fundingfor the arts, we must lead by example. We began byconducting a thorough inspection of our spending and tooksome tough decisions to reduce costs. Over the last two yearswe have successfully implemented a coordinated strategy tomeet the difficulties of the present while assuring the future.This has manifested in even more rigorous management ofour finances: implementing a variety of cost saving measuresin parallel with working even more vigorously on ourfundraising and commercial efforts. We reduced our totalcost base by £2million in 2009/10 and made further savingsof £1million in 2010/11. This has been achieved in a numberof ways: for example, tightening production costs whereverthis can be achieved without detriment to the work. Inaddition our procurement policy has been reviewed and Faeries

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major contracts have been retendered for everything fromfacilities management to energy supply. We also began along-term commitment to manage our energy consumptionmore efficiently to reduce both our carbon footprint andcost base. Accordingly we have installed sub-meters in orderto measure the energy efficiency of different aspects of ouroperation. In administration savings were made onoverheads by reducing support staff, not filling vacancieswhere feasible and, regrettably, by some redundancies. Thequality of our productions, our ability to continue highlevels of engagement with communities and young peopleand our provision of training and opportunities, has beenenabled by the £23million raised in philanthropy, grants,sponsorship and memberships. Corporate membershipcontinues to prove challenging in today’s environment butthe Development Department has successfully diversified itsactivity and is involved in a variety of income generatingprogrammes. We believe that our common sense strategyand the multiple initiatives that we are engaged in willpermit the Royal Opera House to weather current andfuture global financial turbulence. This will help to ensurethat the vagaries of the economy will not detrimentally affectwhat we deliver to our audiences or our leadership role inthe development of opera and ballet.

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PARTNERSHIP

We build bridges to the world to create, innovate and support.

We offer our strength to other creative organizations.

We create positive legacies by working with individuals and communities.

We establish creative dialogues to enrich opera and ballet.

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Sensorium

350,000+people reached by BP Summer

Big Screens live relays from 1987-2011

1,900came to see Cinderella via our

Paul Hamlyn First Night in association with The Sun

37,392people attended the Invitation to the Ballet

exhibition at The Lowry, Salford

3Associate Companies of the Royal Opera House

3new works by under-19 choreographers created in Dance Futures

13international co-productions

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Bern Ballett, the ballet company of the Stadttheater Bern,returned to London with two UK premieres at the LinburyStudio Theatre. New dance works were presented by ArtisticDirector and choreographer Cathy Marston and AndreaMiller. The young, 15-strong company danced Clara,Marston’s vision of the tangled relationship of Clara andRobert Schumann with Johannes Brahms, who idolized thelatter and fell in love with the former. The piece was set tomusic by the three protagonists, performed live. Howl byAndrea Miller, set against the background of Americaninvolvement in the conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq,explored the themes of group pressure, the loss ofindividuality and the concept of inevitability against a scoreincluding music by Orchestra Barzizza, Black Dice, AllenGinsberg and Joanna Newsom.

The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House makes a considerablecontribution to the futures of young professional musicians inthis country, offering both extensive individual mentoringand opportunities to play and rehearse with the ensemble.Its ongoing partnership with Southbank Sinfonia (SbS),which runs Britain’s leading professional orchestraldevelopment programme that provides talented musicianswith a performing and training year to springboard into theprofession, continues in a richly productive vein. Membersof the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and Royal OperaHouse staff worked closely with SbS participants across arange of performance and learning activities, providinginsights into opera and ballet repertories. Access toproduction rehearsals, orchestral and sectional coachingwith members of the Orchestra, and mock auditions offering

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ROH2 has supported Ballet Black and its productions for anumber of years through mentoring and by providing studioand rehearsal space, leading to it becoming an AssociateCompany of the Royal Opera House. Ballet Black’s sixth seasonat the Linbury Studio Theatre once again sold out in advancefor its performance of Will Tuckett’s narrative one-act ballet,Orpheus. Cassa Pancho’s award-winning company of black andAsian ballet dancers told the story of the journey of Orpheusinto the Underworld to rescue Eurydice to a score by Stravinsky.The programme also included highlights of the past decade tocelebrate Ballet Black’s tenth anniversary, includingperformances of Pendulum (2009) by Martin Lawrance and aspecially choreographed excerpt of the critically acclaimed DaGamba (2010) by Henri Oguike. The production was taken ona UK tour after its success at the Royal Opera House. CassaPancho, Artistic Director, Ballet Black comments: ‘over the pastsix years, Ballet Black has flourished with the support of ROH2.We have enjoyed sell-out seasons in the Linbury Studio Theatre, athriving Associate education programme for our students and areproud to be an Associate Company of the Royal Opera House.’

The Linbury Studio Theatre provided a home for two operaswith music by British composers based on texts by great Britishplaywrights, performed by English Touring Opera. PromisedEnd was an opera version of Shakespeare’s King Lear set to musicby leading British composer Alexander Goehr, working withFrank Kermode, in a world premiere production. The Duenna isthe only opera of playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan, acomedy set to music by Thomas Linley and his father. Usingnewly discovered manuscripts, it was the first performance ofalmost a third of the music for over two centuries.

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guidance and feedback, were all provided to help strengthenthe skills and empower the futures of SbS members. Foryounger musicians, Stage Players gives members of the HalléYouth Orchestra a chance to explore opera and ballet,widening their experience beyond the symphonic repertory asparticipants work directly with musicians from the Orchestraof the Royal Opera House and leading young singers anddancers. Events have included a day working on sections ofThe Tsar’s Bride and a two-day course on Britten’s Peter Grimes.In 2012 Hallé Youth Orchestra players will be involved in amain stage performance at the Royal Opera House, puttinginto practice all that they have learned and experiencedthroughout the project.

Music Theatre Wales, an Associate Company of the RoyalOpera House, gave the UK premiere of Philip Glass’schamber opera In the Penal Colony at the Linbury StudioTheatre in September. This was followed by an extensiveBritish tour. Based on Franz Kafka’s short story the pieceexposed human cruelty, manifested in an executionmachine, and its place in the lives of the protagonists. Tenseand unsettling, the challenging work was directed byMichael McCarthy with Omar Ebrahim as the Officer,Michael Bennett as the Visitor and actor Gerald Tyler as theCondemned Man. The Royal Opera House was proud to beable to present this premiere from one of the world’sforemost contemporary composers.

We are a national cultural institution and by partnering withregional organizations we work to be an artistic and educationalpresence in people’s lives beyond our London home. Steven McRae The Rite of Spring

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

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Invitation to the Ballet: Ninette de Valois and The Royal Balletwas the largest exhibition about the Company ever seen outsideLondon. It grew from the Royal Opera House’s On the Roadpartnership with the Lowry Centre in Salford. The exhibition ranfor over six months from 2010 into 2011,drawing on the extensiveholdings of ROH Collections to tell the story of Ninette de Valoisand her journey to establish a national ballet company, whichbegan in the 1920s. It charted the history of The Royal Ballet fromits early days at the Old Vic and Sadler’s Wells Theatres to thepresent day, with De Valois’ legacy reflected in the work andcontinuing development of the contemporary Company. Awealth of material from De Valois’ own ballets, includingCheckmate, The Rake’s Progress, Job and Don Quixote, wasfeatured. There were also a large number of previously unseenphotographs of The Royal Ballet taken over its 80-year historyincluding rehearsal and backstage images. Over 40 items ofhistoric costumes were displayed including those worn by someof the greatest Royal Ballet dancers from the past and present. Avariety of set and costume designs were also exhibited by designersand artists such as Pablo Picasso,Edward Burra,William Chappell,Rex Whistler, Oliver Messel and Yolanda Sonnabend, alongsidenumerous letters, press cuttings, music manuscripts, dancenotation scores, posters and other memorabilia. A series ofspecially commissioned films were created alongside interactiveexhibits for younger visitors accompanied by education events.Following its residency at the Lowry, part of the exhibition wasseen at the Royal Opera House to mark the tenth anniversary ofthe death of Ninette de Valois and the 80th anniversary of herfounding of The Royal Ballet. The remainder travelled to Ipswichwith Royal Opera House On the Road and was also seen in severalother locations, as part of a Suffolk-wide Frederick Ashton trail.

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Music Theatre Wales - Gerald Tyler, Omar Ebrahim

and Michael Bennett Into the Penal Colony

INTERNATIONAL CO-PRODUCTIONSThe Royal Opera - with the Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg;

the Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse; the Opéra-Comique, Paris;Vienna State Opera; San Francisco Opera; the Grand Teatredel Liceu, Barcelona; the Opéra Bastille, Paris; Den Norske

Opera, Oslo; Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, Valencia; ThéâtreRoyal la Monnaie, Brussels; Opéra de Lille;

The Royal Ballet worked with The National Ballet of Canada

UK CO-PRODUCTIONSROH2 worked with Scottish Opera; Britten Sinfonia;

The Opera Group; Birmingham Contemporary Music Groupand Tramway Glasgow; Boston Lyric Opera

Tamara Rojo and Rupert Pennefather

Giselle

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REACH

We take our work into the lives of audiences locally, nationally and globally.

We create opportunities for people of everybackground to experience what we do.

We offer our audiences an incredible range of productions and experiences.

We aim to engage with people to reveal, surprise and excite.

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Total attendances by

3.4%Grown our Facebook fans to

68,000Grown our Twitter followers to

40,000Grown our Google+ followers to

21,000

OVER THE PAST DECADE WE HAVE INCREASED:

92%main house occupancy through the Season

51.5%of bookers were new to our database

17locations for BP Summer Big Screen relays of three productions

400screens, in 15 countries: cinema broadcasts

8,000participants in free Deloitte Ignite events

47,000attendees of The Royal Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet at The O2 Arena

2,900 audience for The Purfleet Opera: Ludd and Isis in Thurrock

7,230enjoyed The Royal Ballet tour of Taiwan

40%increase in website traffic

2010/11 THE EXTENT OF OUR REACH:

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Sharing our work with new audiences - encouraging a firsttaste of what we do - will always be a priority for the RoyalOpera House. In June The Royal Ballet danced a speciallystaged version of Kenneth MacMillan’s signature work Romeoand Juliet for three nights at The 02 Arena. Attracting 47,000people, this was the first time that ballet has been offered to somany people at one sitting in the UK and proved a genuinelyunforgettable experience. The production was broadlymarketed across a wide range of media, including socialnetworking, video trailers and an extensive range of pressinterviews with principal cast members, to encourage andengage with as broad an audience demographic as possible.The Company was conscious of the unique scale of The O2Arena and took every effort to ensure that the performanceswere perfectly tailored to the demands of the venue. Romeoand Juliet was performed to captivated audiences by over 60dancers and actors, accompanied by a live orchestra andfilmed sequences. The cast was led by an array of world-classartists including Carlos Acosta, Tamara Rojo, Alina Cojocaru,Johan Kobborg, Edward Watson and Lauren Cuthbertson.Prokofiev’s stirring score was performed by the RoyalPhilharmonic Orchestra, raised above the stage, conducted byRoyal Ballet Music Director, Barry Wordsworth. The viewingexperience was augmented by outsized screens that televisedthe action offering a close-up perspective of central characterswith accompanying narration provided to enhance the clarityof the storytelling. A Schools Matinee was also staged. Theproduction proved a colossal hit with audiences, schoolchildren and critics alike and demonstrated that the rightballet can be adapted to a 21st century context and have massappeal with excellent results. Simon Keenlyside Macbeth

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273 schools’ groups attended the six Taylor Family FoundationSchools’Matinees during 2010/11 to experience performances ofDon Pasquale, Sylvia, Aida, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,Scènes de ballet triple bill and Peter Grimes.They came from citiesacross the UK including Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester,Newcastle and Glasgow, and every English county, bar five. Thisis the widest coverage ever for one Season’s matinees and 93travel grants ranging from £50 to £1,500 were provided by TheTaylor Family Foundation and awarded to 86 schools. Feedbackwas universally positive as in the sample below. ‘Just a quick noteto let you know just how much we enjoyed Alice. Our childrenwere mesmerized - and none of them had had any experience ofwatching ballet before despite their identified talents in danceand drama. The staff were in awe of the production too! It has torank as one of the best arts experiences I have ever had and Iwould like to thank you for making it possible.’Kingsley School, Croydon

Following the incredible success of the Paul Hamlyn First Nightsin September 2008 and October 2009, which offered The Sunreaders the chance to see performances at the Royal Opera Housefor a discounted price, the two British institutions and The HelenHamlyn Trust came together again to offer a Christmas family treatfor December 2010. The Paul Hamlyn Christmas Treat, named inmemory of the late Paul Hamlyn, was a matinee performance ofThe Royal Ballet’s Cinderella. It also offered a morning of freeactivities for all the family prior to the performance. Sun readerswere given an endorsement of ballet from a particularly unusualsource with the headline: ‘I thought ballet was mincing on stagebut I was wrong. The blokes are built like soldiers and areamazing athletes’, says former SAS hard man Andy McNab.

SAkane Takada Live Fire Exercise

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release of the world’s first full-length classical 3D Blu-raydisc, Carmen in 3D. Opus Arte also presented two highlyanticipated recordings of the world premiere performancesof Anna Nicole, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. AnnaNicole was released on DVD and Blu-ray and sold over 5,000copies in its opening month alone. It was the first full-lengthopera to be made available for download from iTunes, andwon a prestigious Diapason d’or in France (a critic’s choiceaward in the leading French classical music magazine).

Utilizing appropriate digital strategies enables us to connectpeople to our work in ever greater numbers. The RoyalOpera House has made available nearly 1,000 items of freemultimedia content on opera, music, ballet and dance, inaddition to downloadable educational material, on iTunesU,a dedicated area on iTunes.com. We are the first performingarts organization in Europe to launch our own iTunesU sitewhere content includes ‘In Rehearsal’, a commissioned seriesof films for dance students. The first of these, Romeo andJuliet in Rehearsal, features Leanne Cope, a member of TheRoyal Ballet, learning Juliet for the first time under theguidance of Royal Ballet répétiteur Lesley Collier. Otherfilms in the series explore key works from the Company’srepertory such as The Nutcracker, Giselle and Mayerling.Additional material includes opera and ballet recordings fordownload, film, audio and written resources relating toRoyal Opera and Royal Ballet productions, insights,masterclasses, interviews with artists and staff, and sixspecially commissioned films exploring the process ofperforming opera.

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Our building was filled with people from all walks of lifewho had never been to the Royal Opera House before andwere able to see The Royal Ballet perform Cinderella fromjust £5 per person, with a top price of only £19.50. Audiencemembers travelled from all over the country making themost of special hotel deals organized as part of the packageand the responses from everyone who attended have beenoverwhelmingly positive.

An array of hugely successful live broadcasts and screeningstook the excitement of our work to the world during the2010/11 Season. Live relays of Madama Butterfly, Manon andCendrillon were enjoyed, free of charge, by 41,000 people atBP Summer Big Screen relays in 17 locations. Thanks to thesupport of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Così fan tutteopened in September, and was broadcast live to over 200cinemas across the UK, USA, Europe and Russia. Christmas2010 saw Peter Wright’s production of The Nutcracker shownin cinemas in six continents and sold over 17,000 tickets.Carmen in 3D was filmed in partnership with RealD, with50,000 people attending the screenings. Giselle starringMarianela Nuñez and Rupert Pennefather screened live in12 countries in January 2011 and finally Macbeth starringSimon Keenlyside and Liudmyla Monastyrska was shownlive in almost 600 cinemas around the world, bringing theSeason to a climactic conclusion.

Bringing our work directly into as many homes as we can isa prospect made more possible by Opus Arte, the RoyalOpera House-owned DVD label and distribution company.It celebrated its tenth anniversary in May 2011, with the

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choreographed performances were followed by interactionwith audience members to create an exciting new dance toextracts from West’s album. Over 600 people participatedand 100 audience members were also given free tickets toThe Royal Ballet’s Draft Works at the Linbury Studio Theatreto encourage their continued exploration of ballet.

The award-winning Deloitte Ignite returned for its third yearwith more than 8,000 people attending a range of freedaytime events, performances and installations that ranthroughout our spaces in our annual, contemporary artsfestival partnership that presents daring, innovative newwork to widen our audiences. The 2010 curator wasinternationally renowned concert pianist, conductor andcreative collaborator Joanna MacGregor who chose abotanical theme. There were contemporary arborealinstallations, digital soundscapes, a Balinese Gamelanorchestra, percussion outfit ensemblebash, ROH Jette ParkerYoung Artists and Joanna MacGregor herself. Dance wasoffered by Phoenix Dance and ROH Associate Artists, whileRichard Williams and Janey Gardiner provided interactivetakes on classical opera. Marina Warner also curated a seriesof films with major installations from Alice Anderson andKathy Hinde. By night, there was an eclectic mix ofperformances in the Paul Hamlyn Hall, ranging from Tallis’sSpem in Alium, sung by Ex Cathedra, and Japanese pianomusic from Joanna MacGregor, to the Tashi Lhunpo Monksfrom Tibet.

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The Royal Ballet Summer Tour 2011, generously supportedby Aud Jebsen, saw the Company performing four ballets onfive dates at the National Theatre in Taipei. The programmewas designed to showcase the breadth and depth of TheRoyal Ballet’s repertory and introduce its culture of dance toTaiwanese audiences. The first two performances were aMixed Programme comprising Wayne McGregor’s Chroma,Frederick Ashton’s Rhapsody and Christopher Wheeldon’sDGV: Danse à grande vitesse. They were followed by threeperformances of the Company’s iconic Giselle. Theperformances were seen by over 7,000 people but the tourwas also intended to leave a legacy beyond performance.Royal Ballet dancers who had completed the ROHprofessional development course in using ballet in educationand community settings, delivered a series of workshops inTaiwan to over 2,450 people sharing best practice technique.There was also a series of workshops run by the Royal OperaHouse’s Education department, to encourage Taiwaneseteachers to involve their pupils in dance, as well ascommunity workshops for local families and young people.

The Royal Ballet, the recorded music of Kanye West, andcustomers who happened to be in Covent Garden’s AppleStore, collided in an exhilarating event in spring 2011 thatshook up perceptions of ballet and directly involved theaudience in the creation of a contemporary piece. RoyalBallet Soloist and choreographer Kristen McNally invitedApple Store customers to collaborate on choreographingfour Royal Ballet dancers to excerpts from Kanye West’salbum, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in The Royal BalletCreates… event. In three 30-minute sessions, short, pre- n

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FINANCE

We are responsible guardians of our finances.

We utilize our funding to safeguard our art and our reach.

We set the highest standards for fiscal management.

We strive to improve our financial footing year on year.

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For the twelfth full accounting year since the Royal Opera Housere-opened in 1999, we have balanced the books. A small surpluson the unrestricted general fund of £61,000 was achieved for the52 week period ended 28 August 2011. Furthermore wecontinued to hold positive cash balances throughout the year.

Reductions to our Arts Council grant of 0.5% followed by afurther 4.3% reduction, resulted in a cash cut of almost £1millionin the year ended August 2011.With inflation peaking at over 5%in the year, this was a difficult challenge for our finances.

We have responded to reductions in our subsidy and a toughoverall economic climate by making savings in a number ofareas, as well as working hard to ensure that other incometargets were met.

Even with this reduction in subsidy, overall unrestricted incomerose 3% to a record £109.5million for the year ended August2011, with the Royal Opera House continuing to generatenearly £3 for every £1 of revenue grant received.

In the main auditorium 159 Royal Opera, 136 Royal Ballet and26 visiting company performances attracted total audiences ofsome 668,000. Box office capacity remained very strong at over90% in the year.

The Royal Opera staged 20 productions including six newcommissions. The Royal Ballet staged seven full lengthproductions, including our new Alice’s Adventures in Wonderlandcommission, and five mixed programmes including two newone-act commissions.

£2+raised for every £1 of

revenue grant received

12thsuccessive balanced full

accounting year

12thsuccessive year of positive cash balance throughout the year

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£60m

£50m

£40m

£30m

£20m

£10m

£0m

201 1 £109.5MILL ION201 1 £109.5MILL ION

A Performance, education and outreach B Premises and depreciationC Marketing and publicityD Management and administrationE Donations, legacies, and sponsorshipF CommercialG House management H Capital and project Fund

£69.1million£10.7million£5.4million£4.5million£2.4million£12.8million£1.9million£2.7million

A ACEB Box OfficeC Donations, legacies, and sponsorshipD Commercial trading, touring and otherE Other income

£27.9million£37.7million£20.7million£22.9million£0.3million

2010 £106 .7MILL ION2010 £106 .7MILL ION

A Performance, education and outreach B Premises and depreciationC Marketing and publicityD Management and administrationE Donations, legacies, and sponsorshipF CommercialG House management H Capital and project Fund

£64.9million£10.6million£6.0million£4.7million£2.3million£11.2million£1.7million£5.3million

A ACEB Box OfficeC Donations, legacies, and sponsorshipD Commercial trading, touring and otherE Other income

£28.0million£35.5million£22.4million£20.6million£0.2million

£60m

£50m

£40m

£30m

£20m

£10m

£0m

£60m

£50m

£40m

£30m

£20m

£10m

£0m

£60m

£50m

£40m

£30m

£20m

£10m

£0mA B C D E

A B C D E

UNRESTRICTED GENERAL FUND INCOME UNRESTRICTED GENERAL FUND COSTS

A B C D E F G H

A B C D E F G H

107

CHAPTER 9 PHILANTHROPISTS AND SPONSORS

S

PHILANTHROPISTS ANDSPONSORS 2010/11

The Royal Opera House gratefully acknowledges thegenerosity of all those who have given us their support to

enable the range and depth of our activities.

INDIVIDUALS

Mr Jon Aisbitt Lady Alexander of Weedon

Nicholas AllanMr and Mrs Giuseppe Ambrosi

Ian and Helen AndrewsLady Ashcroft

Edward and Celia AtkinMr and Mrs Alexander Badenoch

Richard and Delia BakerThe Honourable David Bernstein

Dianne and Michael BienesCelia Blakey

Dame Margaret BoothIrene Borgardts

Lorna and Christopher BownCynthia BrownGillian Buckle

Anthony Bunker John and Susan Burns

Sue ButcherJill and Michael CarpenterSir Roger and Lady Carr

The Earl and Countess of ChichesterLady Clarke

Deborah CowlesRichard and Jennie Cunis

Terry and Jean de GunzburgLiz and Simon DingemansSarah and Lloyd Dorfman

Mr and Mrs Jeffrey Eldredge

Peter and Barbara Elliston Peter and Fiona Espenhahn

Mr Graham FletcherLouise Fluker

Tim and Rosie ForbesHamish and Sophie Forsyth

Francesca FremantleEmily and Horacio FurmanGonzalo and Maria Garcia

Mina Gerowin Herrmann andJeffrey Herrmann

Richard J GnoddeDuncan Gray

Geoffrey GriffithsStephen and Peg Hale

D W HancockLinda and Philip Harley

Mrs Olivia HarrisonMichael Hartnall

Mr and Mrs Steven HeinzMalcolm Herring

Marina Hobson MBE andThe Hobson Charity

Simon and Tracey HoldenGay Huey EvansSarah Ingham

Lady JarvisAud Jebsen

Mr and Mrs Christopher W.T.JohnstonLin Jones

Mrs Philip Kan

Mr and Mrs Nigel KempnerGeorge Kingston

Frances KirshMr and Mrs Aboudi Kosta

Alfiya and Timur KuanyshevLord and Lady Laidlaw of Rothiemay

Peter LloydSir Frank Lowe

Chris and Jane LucasThomas and Deirdre Lynch

Mr Michael MallinsonPeter and Elisabetta Mallinson

Tamar and Bob Manoukian The Margulies Family

Bernard and Genevieve MensahThe Metherell family

Dr L Mikheev and N MikheevElizabeth and Andrew Morison

Catherine and David MossMargaret Mountford

Mr Stefan OlssonKeith and Hilary Orrell-Jones

Fraser PartridgeMarian Pell

Mr and Mrs Tony PidgleyDavid and Diana Pilling

Lady PitmanCarolyn and Michael Portillo

Judith Portrait Janine Rensch

Yvonne and Bjarne RieberSir Simon and Lady Robertson

Roberta Marquez and Thiago Soares Onegin

108


S

Angela Gheorghiu and Bryn Terfel Tosca

The Robey FamilyMr and Mrs Stuart Roden

Kristina Rogge Stephen and Helen Rose

Janine Roxborough Bunce Richard and Ginny Salter

Bryan and Sirkka SandersonRichard and Victoria Sharp

Gerry SmurfitStuart and Jill Steele

Dr and Mrs Timothy Stone CBEDame Sue Street DCB

Alan Titchmarsh MBE VMH, DLLindsay and Sarah Tomlinson

Eric TomsettWilliam L. Transier

Professor Michael TrimbleTsukanov Family

Mr and Mrs Graham TurnerJane Van Ammel

Cyrus and Priya VandrevalaRobert and Kathleen Wallace

Bonnie WardAdrienne Waterfield

Prue WaterhouseDerek and Sheila WatsonDr and Mrs Michael West

Ceri Weyndling and Doug KingDr Yvonne Winkler

Danny and Lillan WylerAnonymous 49

TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS

The Annenberg FoundationThe Anson Charitable Trust

The Archie Sherman Charitable Trust Ashley Family FoundationAudrey and Ronnie’s Fund

The BAND Trust The Bernard Sunley Charitable

Foundation The Blavatnik Family Foundation

The Boltini TrustColumbia Foundation of San FranciscoThe Constance Travis Charitable Trust

Dunard FundThe Dunhill Medical Trust

Ernest Cook TrustEsmee Fairbairn Foundation

The Fidelity (UK) FoundationThe Foyle Foundation

Gail and Gerald Ronson through TheGerald Ronson FoundationGarfield Weston Foundation

The Gordon FoundationThe Headley Trust

The Helen Hamlyn TrustThe John Beckwith Charitable Trust

The John Lyon’s CharitySir John Ritblat Family Foundation

The John S Cohen FoundationThe Joseph and Lena Randall

Charitable TrustThe JP Jacobs Charitable Trust

The Maurice Hatter FoundationThe Mercers’ Charitable Foundation

The Michael Harry SacherCharitable Trust

The Monument TrustOak Foundation

The Peter Cruddas FoundationPF Charitable Trust

The Shauna Gosling TrustThe Steel Charitable Trust

The Taylor Family FoundationThe Tufton Charitable Trust

CORPORATE

AccentureAlfred Dunhill Ltd

American Express Services Europe LtdAudi

Bank of America Merrill LynchBG Group

BPCabot Square Capital

The Canary Wharf Group CharterhouseCoutts & Co

The CW GroupDeloitte

FF&P Asset Management LtdFinsbury Group

FREDDYFreshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

HildonHuntswood

Hurlingham MediaInvestecLazard

Parfums Christian DiorPerrier Jouët

Pom Wonderful UK LtdRolex

Saint GobainSotheby’s

Tokio Marine RoggeTwinings

UBS Wealth Management Van Cleef & Arpels

Anonymous 5

SEASON PATRONS

Anglo American plcThe Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ,

LtdCanaccord Adams Ltd

Canary Wharf Group plcCiti

The Clore Duffield FoundationDavid Cooper and Co

Finsbury GroupMrs Aline Foriel-Destezet

Lady ForteLord and Lady Gavron

Seifi Ghasemi

GlaxoSmithKlineMr David HancockChristopher Holder

Alan and Sabine HowardKPMG

Alfiya and Timur KuanyshevLiberty International plc

Marks & Spencer Group PlcMaybourne Hotel Group

Morgan StanleyZvi and Ofra Meitar Family FundSusan A Olde OBE and Graeme C

ThomsonThe Hon Olga Polizzi CBE and The

Hon Portia ForteRolex SA

Mrs Lily SafraSt James’s Co Ltd

The Telegraph GroupTesco plc

Sir Brian Williamson CBEXstrata plc

Lord and Lady Young Of GraffhamAnonymous 11

FIRST NIGHT PATRONS

Janice and David BlackburnDr Genevieve and Mr Peter Davies

HuntswoodLord and Lady Kalms MBE

Catherine and Pierre LagrangeMrs Mortimer Sackler

Smiths Group plcAnonymous 3

BOB AND TAMAR MANOUKIANPRODUCTION WORKSHOP

THURROCK

Arts Council England, EastEast of England Development Agency

The Foyle FoundationBob and Tamar Manoukian

Medicor FoundationThe Rayne Foundation

Redcase LimitedThurrock Borough CouncilThurrock Thames GatewayDevelopment Corporation

AMERICAN FRIENDS OF COVENTGARDEN SUPPORTERS

Spindrift Al Swaidi Mrs Sid Bass

The Blavatnik Family FoundationRicki Gail and Robert Conway

Mrs Aline Foriel- Destezet

AMERICAN FUND FOR THE ROYALOPERA HOUSE SUPPORTERS

The Annenberg FoundationThe Eva Vida Living Trust

Hélène and Jean Peters

PHILANTHROPY AND BEQUESTSTO THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

ENDOWMENT FUND

The Estate of the late John FranklinThe Jean Sainsbury Royal Opera

House FundPaul Hamlyn Foundation

n

111

CHAPTER 9 PHILANTHROPISTS AND SPONSORS

S

Liudmyla Monastyrska Aida

PERFORMANCE398 performances at the Royal Opera House

20 Royal Opera productions12 Royal Ballet programmes

FINANCE£2+ raised for every £1 of revenue grant received

12th successive balanced full accounting year12th successive year of positive cash balance throughout the year

REACH51.5% of bookers were new to our database

17 locations for BP Summer Big Screen relays of three productions400 screens, in 15 countries: cinema broadcasts8,000 participants in free Deloitte Ignite events7,230 enjoyed The Royal Ballet tour of Taiwan

40% increase in website traffic

NURTURE70,169 people participated in ROH Education projects

7 apprenticeships created69 unemployed young people given paid work

9,583 pupils and teachers attended Taylor Family Schools MatineesThe ROH Youth Opera Company was formed

PARTNERSHIP1987-2011 BP Summer Big Screens: live relays

have now reached 350,000+ people1,900 came to see Cinderella via our Paul Hamlyn First Night

in association with The Sun3 Associate Companies of the Royal Opera House

3 new works by under-19 choreographers created in Dance Futures13 international co-productions

A DECADE OF PROGRESSTotal attendances increased by 3.4%

92% main house audiences640,000+ audience members welcomed to Covent Garden annuallyGlobal cinema programme developed reaching 230,000+ last year

Participation in Education programme grown by 126%Turnover increased 113%

Generosity from Friends, patrons, donors, trusts,foundations and sponsors increased 214%

Reliance on ACE subsidy decreased by 35%

113

REFERENCE

S

REFERENCE

Andrew Hulstrom, Technical Theatre Apprentice

112


S

Wadey JamesJohan Persson

Tristram KentonN.D. HuntBill Cooper Catherine AshmoreClive BardaPanayiotis SinnosMike HobanSim Canetty-ClarkeRob Moore

Cover (Eva-Maria Westbroek Anna Nicole)Back cover (Leanne Benjamin and Edward Watson Invitus Invitam in rehearsal),11, 22, 28/29, 48/49, 64/65, 66/67, 69, 70, 72/73, 79, 80/81, 84/84,2/3, 38,6/7, 12/1318, 23, 24, 26, 27, 31, 37, 44/45, 46/47, 63, 75, 94, 106, 110,20, 58/59, 100/101, 10921, 25, 30, 82, 9140/41, 43, 86/875056/57, 112/113, 114/11592/93

Photography

On stage technical work

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