This concert is part of the Oxford Festival of Arts.

The award-winning and much-loved ENO Orchestra is renowned for the versatility of its repertoire spanning more than four centuries, providing the musical landscape and emotion for all ENO productions. Equally at home in the fun and sparkle of Gilbert & Sullivan as it is in Wagner’s epic scores, it also brings to life the complexities and colours of contemporary operas, as well as musical theatre productions.

An artist of great integrity, Nicky Spence’s unique skills as a singing actor and the rare honesty in his musicianship have earned him a place at the top of the music profession. He was made an OBE in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours, and is the winner of the RPS Singer Award 2024.

The programme will include music by Handel, Richard Strauss, Bizet, Mascagni, Verdi, Puccini, as well as some gorgeous Lehár, and Lalo, and even some Tosti and Neapolitan Songs. We look forward to welcoming you to a performance that will surely melt everyone’s heart, featuring some of your favourite arias and songs, alongside exhilarating orchestral works.

Programme

Giuseppe Verdi: Overture (La Forza del Destino)
George Frideric Handel: Silent Worship – Non lo dirò col labbro (Tolomeo)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Lensky’s Aria: Kuda, kuda vï udalilis (Eugene Onegin)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Polonaise – Act 3 (Eugene Onegin)
Richard Strauss: 8 Gedichte aus ‘Letzte Blätter’, Op.10: Zueignung / Cäcilie
Édouard Lalo: Vainement, ma bien-aimée (Le Roi D’ys)
Jules Massenet: Méditation (Thaïs)
Soloist: David Greed
Jules Massenet: En fermant les yeux (Manon Lescaut)
Paolo Tosti: L’ultima Canzone

– Interval –
Johann Strauss: Overture (Die Fledermaus)
Eduardo di Capua: O Sole Mio
Agustín Lara: Granada
Pietro Mascagni: Intermezzo (Cavalleria Rusticana)
Georges Bizet: Prelude – Act IV (Carmen)
Giacomo Puccini: Nessun Dorma (Turandot)