Why write for London Youth Opera?
There is a wonderful lack of cynicism in a young company. A raw energy and imagination that isn't constrained by a professional awareness of budgets or convention. That freedom sparks ideas and often leads to wonderfully creative solutions.
A Legacy of New Opera
Fifty years of new opera, and counting.
For more than fifty years, London Youth Opera (formerly W11 Opera) has championed the creation of new opera.
Since 1971, the company has commissioned dozens of original works, building a repertoire that continues to be performed by youth companies and schools beyond their premières. Throughout that time, it has collaborated with composers whose work has spanned opera, film, television and the concert hall, while also providing a platform for emerging creative voices.
Among the composers who have written for the company are George Fenton, Karl Jenkins, Michael Kamen, Richard Harvey, Cecilia McDowall, Julian Grant and Stuart Hancock, alongside many other distinguished composers and librettists.
London Youth Opera has also helped nurture performers who have gone on to successful careers across music, theatre and film, including Eve Best, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Jonathan Antoine and Celine Buckens.
Today, every new commission becomes part of that continuing story — adding another chapter to a living repertoire of opera written specifically for young performers.
- 50+
- years of commissioning new opera
- Dozens
- of original commissions
- Thousands
- of young performers