Set within the neoclassical beauty of The Grange in Hampshire, @thegrangefestival is a true celebration of opera and theatre, established by centuries of cultural tradition. Since its revival in 2017, it has become one of the UK’s most prestigious summer festivals, known for its world-class productions and intimate, unforgettable setting.
We are just weeks away from taking to this historic stage with Handel’s Giulio Cesare, a Grange Festival Production conducted by Christian Curnyn with the Early Opera Company Orchestra.
📍 The Grange Festival, Hampshire
📅 7th, 13th, 19th & 25th June 2026
🎟️ Link in bio
#TheGrangeFestival #GiulioCesare #Opera #LivePerformance
Power, politics, seduction… 👑
Handel’s Giulio Cesare turns history into high drama in one of his most celebrated opera serias. When Caesar arrives in Egypt and discovers Pompeo has been murdered, he is drawn into a dangerous game between Cleopatra and her brother Tolomeo as they battle for the Egyptian throne.
Cleopatra hatches a bold plan disguised as a damsel in distress to win Cesare’s interest and support, only to find her performance becoming something more real ❤️
Disguises, ambition, and shifting loyalties… nothing is quite what it seems.
Tickets still available!
🎭 Early Opera Company perform Handel’s Giulio Cesare
📍 The Grange Festival, Hampshire
📅 7th, 13th, 19th & 25th June 2026
🎟️ Link in bio
#Handel #GiulioCesare #OperaSeria #EarlyOpera
We already know you love Opera, and we would love for you to join our Circle of Friends.
As a small charitable organisation, we rely solely on the generosity of our supporters and Friends. From just £60, you can help us continue to delight and inspire audiences and bring stories to life through early music.
Our Friends are instrumental in ensuring we are able to perform at magnificent venues.
Your support:
· makes it possible for us to be ambitious with plans for future projects
· is vital to our survival in uncertain times
· guarantees we can continue working with the best early music specialists
· puts you at the heart of our future
Our Friends enjoy:
· exclusive behind-the-scenes access to rehearsals and recordings
· opportunities to meet Christian and our artists
· advanced booking for our events
· social events
Join us as a Friend and show the World #everyonecares about Opera - check link in bio for more info!
📸- @simphotographyuk at a friends event at @stjohnssmithsquare in 2021
#wecare #friendsofopera #earlyopera
🎫 Have you got your tickets for Giulio Cesare at @thegrangefestival yet? 🎫
Meet the cast for this brand new, exciting production directed by David Alden and conducted by EOC’s Christian Curnyn!
Cast
Tim Mead - Giulio Cesare
Sarah Brady - Cleopatra
Hugh Cutting - Tolomeo
Jess Dandy - Cornelia
Zheng Jiang - Sesto
James Atkinson - Achilla
Owen Willetts - Nireno
Tristan Hambleton - Curio
Creatives
Jon Morrell - Designer
Tim Claydon - Choreographer
Matthew Richardson - Lighting Designer
Tickets available, link in bio 🎫
#GiulioCesare #Handel #TheGrangeFestival #EarlyOperaCompany #EarlyOpera
Happy Early Music Day! 🪈
A excellent excuse to spend some time with the repertoire that still has plenty to say (despite what was said in recent news!) and to hear it performed as it was meant to be.🎵
We will keep doing our part to keep this wonderful music alive. In the meantime, listen to our Spotify and celebrate the timeless works with us - link in bio 🔗
📸 @simphotographyuk
#earlymusicday2026 #earlyopera #opera #earlyopercompany
📯📯📯📯 Did you know Handel used FOUR horns in his opera Giulio Cesare? More importantly, do you know why this is so significant?
‘Giulio Cesare’ was written in the 18th century when horns were traditionally used mainly as hunting signals. At that time, the horn was relatively new to the orchestra, so Handel’s decision to use four of them was bold and innovative.
The horns aren’t present throughout the entire opera, but when they do appear, they create a beautifully rich, noble sound that would have been very impressive (and surprising) to audiences in London in 1724!
Handel also included the only horn solo in any of his operas in the aria “Va tacito e nascosto”, where the horn acts as almost a duet to Cesare’s vocals. The aria compares Cesare to a “crafty Huntsman, in pursuit of prey”, making the prominent horn part a clever nod to the instrument’s traditional hunting origins.
Handel’s imaginative writing helped expand the horn’s role in the world of opera orchestration!
📸 - Ursula Paludan Monberg and Peter Moutoussis at Middle Temple Hall, May 2025. Catch them this June in the Cesare performances at the Grange Festival!
#Handel #GiulioCesare #earlyopera #musichistory
We’re curating a series of Spotify playlists to share some of the finest moments from the world of Early Opera, all recorded by the EOC! 🟢
The first is a collection of Overtures and Interludes — the expressive instrumental passages that set the scene, heighten the drama, and frame the story.
Featuring Acis and Galatea, Partenope, Alceste, Semele, Jephtha and more! 🎶
Listen now through the link in bio 🔗
#EarlyOpera #ClassicalMusic #OperaLovers #operaplaylist
Tickets are now on sale for Giulio Cesare, as EOC presents Handel’s magnificent opera seria at the prestigious @thegrangefestival this June!
Composed in 1724, Giulio Cesare is widely regarded as one of Handel’s finest Italian operas. We invite you to join us for this thrilling new production 🎼
Follow the link in our bio for more information on how to book your tickets - we would love to see you there!
#GiulioCesare #Handel #TheGrangeFestival #EarlyOperaCompany #EarlyOpera @tim__mead@sarahsoprano_@christiancurnyn
✨ Happy New Year from the Early Opera Company! ✨
2025 has been especially meaningful as we celebrated our 30th anniversary, and we’re so grateful to everyone who has supported us throughout this season.
We’ve been honoured to share some wonderful projects and performances:
🎧 April – Maurice Greene’s Jephtha: Recording release. We were delighted to release our new recording of Jephtha, bringing renewed attention to Maurice Greene’s powerful and rarely-performed work.
🎶 April – Floridante at the London Handel Festival
We returned to the London Handel Festival with Floridante, celebrating Handel’s dramatic brilliance with a wonderful audience.
🎭 May – Pygmalion with the Temple Music Foundation
We brought Rameau’s enchanting masterpiece Pygmalion to life in an unforgettable performance in the beautiful Middle Temple Hall.
🐑 September – Acis & Galatea with the Temple Music Foundation. Our autumn began with a performance of Acis & Galatea, alongside a schools’ programme. We were thrilled to deliver workshops and a special performance for four classes across three primary schools from London and Woking, inspiring the next generation of opera fans.
👑 October – Music for Queen Mary
We completed the season at the prestigious Concertgebouw in Amsterdam with Music for Queen Mary, a programme exploring the close historic and artistic ties between the Netherlands and England.
Here’s to more beautiful music in 2026! 🌟🎶
#happynewyear #30thanniversaryyear #earlyoperacompany #earlyopera
Merry Christmas from us all here at the Early Opera Company! 🎄
We hope you all have a wonderful festive season 🥂
📸 - Genevieve Girling - Hilary Summers as Disinganno (left), Anna Dennis (centre) as Bellezza and Jorge Navarro Colorado (right) as Tempo on stage for EOC’s Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno at @buxtonfestival July 24
#merrychristmas #earlyoperacompany #opera
We’re deeply grateful to the generous trusts, foundations, and partners whose support has made our events possible this year.
Our warmest thanks to the Colwinston Charitable Trust, the David Laing Foundation, the D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, Blackstone Chambers, Temple Music Foundation, and The Worshipful Company of Paviors for their invaluable commitment to our work.
#earlyoperacompany #30thanniversary #earlyopera
BehindTheScenes at October’s “Music For Queen Mary” concert 🎶 Meet the Early Opera Company musicians: Arjan Jongsma on tenor drum, Dave Hendry and Robert Vanryne on flat trumpets, and Tom Lees with Adrian France on sackbuts. Captured moments before the concert!
#EOC #Concertgebouw #earlymusic #earlyopera #purcell #Huygens #thirtyyears #30thanniversary #earlyoperacompany #anniversary #celebratingearlyopera @colwinstoncharitabletrust@arjanjongsma
