Bampton Classical Opera

Booking is now open for our summer 2026 production, André Grétry’s ‘Zemira e Azor’ (Beauty and the Beast)! Perfect for families and opera newcomers alike, combining glorious music with a captivating fairytale, performed in rhyming English. July 17 & 18 Cokethorpe, Oxfordshire; August 31 Westonbirt, Gloucestershire; September 18, Smith Square Hall, London #beautyandthebeast #summeropera #opera #bamptonclassicalopera #bamptonopera

Jeremy Gray will give an illustrated talk about the fairytale 'Beauty and the Beast' in stories, art and music, at Bampton Village Hall on Sunday 22 March at 3pm, ahead of Bampton Classical Opera’s production of André Grétry's 'Zemira e Azor' ('Beauty and the Beast') this summer. #bamptonclassicalopera #bamptonopera #opera #gretry #beautyandthebeast #bampton

A BAROQUE CHRISTMAS The Annual St Beornwald’s-tide concert Wednesday 17 December 2025 7.00pm, St Mary’s Church, Bampton, Oxfordshire OX18 2LW A feast of seasonal baroque music including Charpentier’s 'Messe de minuit' plus music by Buxtehude, Purcell and more Bampton Classical Voices Bampton Classical Players Andrew Griffiths (conductor) colla_voce_ Bampton Classical Opera presents their annual concert of the festive season in commemoration of the village's patron Saint Beornwald. The company’s vocal consort Bampton Classical Voices, with period-instrument ensemble Bampton Classical Players, takes us this year to a glorious Baroque feast of seasonal music. The concert is centred around Charpentier’s joyous 'Messe de minuit pour Noël'. The evening also includes ‘Behold I bring you glad tidings’, Purcell’s only anthem specifically composed for the Christmas feast, and Buxtehude’s Cantata for four-part chorus 'Das neugeborne Kinderlein' (The newborn babe/The heavenly child), as well as other seasonal works. In the first part of the evening be prepared to encounter angels and more angels, some dancing shepherds and a pastoral nativity: a joyful seasonal box of delights! It promises to be an unmissable evening! Delicious mulled wine will be available beforehand and during the interval, helping add to a restorative and festive atmosphere. #bamptonclassicalopera #bamptonclassicalplayers #bamptonclassicalvoices #christmasconcert2025

Once again we are participating in the Big Give Christmas Challenge - the UK’s largest match-funding campaign, which enables your online donations to be doubled. It starts today at 12 noon! Our Christmas Challenge appeal emphasises the work we do to develop the early careers of talented young singers, very evident in our recent 7th Young Singers’ Competition. Funds raised will go directly towards our 2026 activity. We aim to raise at least £7500 in donations (plus Gift Aid, where eligible), which will unlock matching funds of another £7500. Donations will be doubled for 7 days from 12 noon on Tuesday 2 December until noon on Tuesday 9 December. “Bampton's essential and deeply valuable commitment to promoting young performers is one of its major achievements. The standards have consistently proved phenomenal. It is a stupendous achievement.” [Classical Music Daily, August 2024] #christmaschallenge #bamptonclassicalopera #bamptonopera #youngsingers #biggive

🏆 Bampton Classical Opera has announced soprano Seohyun Go as the winner of its 2025 Young Singers’ Competition. Held at the Leonard Wolfson Auditorium at Wolfson College Oxford on Tuesday 25 November, the competition was ajudicated by British singers tenor Bonaventura Bottone and mezzo-soprano Jean Rigby alongside pianist and accompanist Ingrid Surgenor. Read: /content/news/seohyun-go-wins-bamptons-2025-young-singers-competition

Bampton Classical Opera Young Singers' Competition 2025: the winner of the Accompanists' Prize @danielpetersilcock , with competition judge Ingrid Surgenor. #bamptonclassicalopera #bamptonopera #bamptonoperaysc #youngsingers #youngsingerscompetition Photos: James Rose Photography and video

More photos from the Bampton Classical Opera Young Singers' Competition 2025 Final: L to R, joint Second Prize Winners @erinrossington (soprano) and @emma._roberts_ (mezzo-soprano), and the Winner of the Competition Seohyun Go! Congratulations all! #bamptonclassicalopera #bamptonopera# #bamptonoperaysc #youngsingers #youngsingerscompetition Photos: James Rose Photography and Video

After an exciting final last night at the Leonard Wolfson Auditorium we are delighted to announce that the Winner of the Bampton Classical Opera Young Singers' Competition 2025 is soprano Seohyun Go! Second Prize was awarded jointly to mezzo-soprano @emma._roberts_ and soprano @erinrossington The Accompanists' Prize was awarded to @danielpetersilcock . #bamptonclassicalopera #bamptonopera #bamptonoperaysc #youngsingerscompetition #youngsingers

Introducing the finalists for our Young Singers' Competition 2025: Mezzo-soprano Myrna Tennant Dutch/British mezzo-soprano @myrnatennant.soprezzo completed her studies at the GSMD and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She was a Britten Pears Young Artist for their 2023-24 English Song programme, and a British Youth Opera Serena Fenwick Young Artist for 2024. She has been a finalist and prize winner in competitions including Hurn Court Opera’s ‘Singer of the Year’, and the London Choral Sinfonia ‘Leach Award for Singing’. Myrna has sung with companies including Hampstead Garden Opera, Longborough Festival Opera, and Grange Park Opera, and upcoming engagements include creating the role of Diana in the world premiere of 'To Die For', a new comic opera by Elena Langer with de Nederlandse Reisopera. We have now introduced all eight of our superb finalists! The Public Final is on Tuesday 25 November 6pm at the Leonard Wolfson Auditorium, Wolfson College, Oxford, OX2 6UD #bamptonclassicalopera #bamptonopera #bamptonoperaysc #youngsingers

Our Young Singers' Competition 2025 finalists: soprano Erin Rossington. @erinrossington studied at the RNCM and then at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. She won International Voice of the Future at Llangollen Eisteddfod and the prestigious Elizabeth Harwood Memorial Prize. Erin was Associate Artist at Welsh National Opera 2024/25 during which time she performed as Cercatrice in 'Suor Angelica' and Contessa in 'Le Nozze di Figaro'. Last season she sang the role of Micaëla in 'Carmen' for Buxton International Festival and has just been covering the full role at ENO. #bamptonclassicalopera #bamptonopera #bamptonoperaysc #youngsingers

Continuing the introductions to our finalists: Mezzo-soprano Emma Roberts @emma._roberts_ attended the National Opera Studio 22/23, is a young artist with Samling, Britten Pears and Orsay-Royaumont. A graduate from RCM Opera School 2022, Emma won both 2nd prize and song prize at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards, 1st Prize in the Joan Chissell Schumann Competition and 3rd prize in the International Schumann Competition Zwickau 2024. Emma has given many recitals in the UK and Europe including at the Wigmore Hall, Musée D’Orsay, Abbaye de Royaumont, and the London and Oxford Song Festivals. She has sung in opera productions at Garsington Opera and WNO, and took the title role in 'Dido and Aeneas' at St Endellion Festival this summer. #bamptonclassicalopera #bamptonopera #bamptonoperaysc #youngsingers

This week we introduce four more of the wonderful finalists for the Young Singers Competition 2025! Soprano Erin O'Rourke: @erinporourke is currently a full-time member of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera chorus for the 2025 season. A recent graduate from Royal Academy Opera, she earned her Master’s in Vocal Arts from The Juilliard School, where she appeared in numerous recitals and opera productions, and was a Gerdine Young Artist at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Erin is the 2024 First Prize winner of the Richard Tucker/Jean Lewis Award and a prizewinner in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. #bamptonclassicalopera #bamptonopera #bamptonoperaysc #youngsingers