About HGO
OUR AIM – ADVANCING YOUNG SINGERS
HGO stages first-class award-winning opera, with vibrant young singers and live orchestra, twice a year in London at affordable prices. Our standards of singing, acting, playing and production, coupled with the extraordinary intimacy of our venues, brings opera to life in a way that even major opera houses cannot achieve. We stage a wide variety of operas from the Baroque to the present-day, led by dynamic young directors and conductors.
This means we can provide unique opportunities for young singers – the professionals of the future – to perform in a theatre, before audiences, roles which, early in their careers, they would not be given in the big opera companies. Many are recent graduates from music college or students approaching the end of their course. They are hungry for experience in staged productions of our quality and excitement, and they value the boost that a major role with HGO can give them on their way to a successful career.
HGO is a registered charity: we have no paid staff, no premises, no overheads. We are entirely dedicated to forwarding our objective of advancing young singers.
Success Stories – support HGO and see where your generous donations lead.
OUR OUTREACH THE COMMUNITY OF NORTH LONDON
HGO has grown thanks not least to our North London audiences and community. We are developing initiatives with schools and community organizations to work with them in spreading the magic of opera and music and to grow new and wider audiences.
CONTACT US
“HGO’s production teams are drawn from the professional operatic world and having worked in prestigious opera houses themselves, never fail to create exciting and imaginative productions for their singers.” We look forward to hearing from you.Contact Us
OUR HISTORY OVER 30 YEARS OF OPERA
HGO was founded, as ‘Hampstead Garden Opera’, by Roy Budden in 1990, originating from the opera classes run by him at the Hampstead Garden Institute. Under Roy, and his successor Alastair Macgeorge (our Chairman Emeritus), it steadily grew in reputation and competence.
Originally intended to concentrate on the operas of Mozart, its repertoire has extended from the works of Monteverdi to contemporary opera. Each production is led by remarkable young production and music directors. In recent years productions have taken place at Jackson’s Lane Theatre in Highgate.
HGO is regularly nominated for awards; it won the NODA London Opera Award for its 2020 production of ‘La bohème’ and its 2021 production of ‘Figaro’, and in 2023 it won the Off West End (“Offie”) Opera Performance Award for its production of ‘The Cunning Little Vixen’.
HOWARD WILLIAMS
HGO Co-PRESIDENT
Director of HGO Trust Ltd and Charity Trustee.
EMMA KIRKBY DBE
HGO Co-PRESIDENT
Director of HGO Trust Ltd and Charity Trustee.
HGO PEOPLE MEET THE TEAM
HGO is the performing arm of the not-for-profit organisation HGO Trust Ltd. The Trust is a registered charity (no.1168484) and consists of a Board of Directors and Trust Members, all of whom give their services on a voluntary basis. The Trust ha no employees or overhead expenses, and dedicates its entire income directly to its objectives of advancing young singers through the presentation of high-quality opera productions and associated activities.
The Trustees of HGO Trust Ltd. are: Dame Emma Kirkby and Howard Williams (co-presidents): David Conway (Chair): Patricia Cabredo Hofherr: Kathy Dallas (Human Resources): Caroline McLaren: Philip Sheffield (Vice-Chair and Artistic Planning): Bill English (Finance): Stuart Barker: and Michael Harper. Richard Hall is the Secretary of the Friends of HGO.
We are always glad to consider active new Members for the Trust and/or the Committee who are keen to support and develop our activities. Please contact Chairman, David Conway, if you are interested in joining us.