Friends of HGO

The Real Thing – Help Us Make It Happen

HGO is unique – and you can have a part in our story.

We stage first-class 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 the Jacksons Lane theatre brings opera to life – in a way that even major opera houses cannot achieve.

We provide opportunities for young singers – the professionals of the future – to perform roles that, early in their careers, they couldn’t 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.

As a Friend you can help to make this possible and also participate in a variety of additional events including open rehearsals, concerts, talks, masterclasses and celebrity occasions. And you will get priority booking

Click here to access our Friends brochure

You can join the Friends of HGO (as a single member or a couple) at one of five levels.

Seraph – £50 or more per year
Angel – £100 or more per year
Archangel – £200 or more per year
Hierarch – £500 or more per year

The value of your support will be considerably enhanced if we can recover tax through Gift Aid (and indeed you may be able also to recover tax). The convenient way for you and HGO to make your annual donation will be by banker’s order.

To become a Friend you just have to complete this form; send the left hand part to your bank and return the right hand part to the Friends Secretary. Roger Sainsbury, 88 Dukes Avenue, London N10 2QA. If you have any queries contact Roger at 020 8883 4927 or rnsainsbury88@gmail.com

Emily Phillips

Dove, Mansfield Park (April 2013)

HGO is one of the finest small opera companies I have worked with. Their production teams are drawn from the professional operatic world who, having worked in prestigious opera houses themselves, never fail to create exciting, imaginative, and often challenging productions for their singers. I’ve had the opportunity to learn and perform whole roles with HGO, which has provided a backbone to my training and boosted my own professional career. Since singing with the company, I have performed several seasons with Opera Holland Park and was awarded a cover role at Grange Park Opera this year. HGO’s reputation has grown considerably over the last few years, attracting interest from opera critics and casting agents from many of the UK’s top opera companies. This provides invaluable exposure to the performers as they make their own way in the competitive singing world. HGO’s balance of family atmosphere and professionalism is like no other, and I’ve made some lifelong friends. I can’t thank HGO enough for their support in my professional development.

William Johnston Davies

Mozart, The Marriage of Figaro (November, 2013)

HGO provides young singers with invaluable opportunities at the beginning of their careers. Joining an HGO production means being welcomed into a friendly, supportive environment to work with talented directors and conductors, and explore the challenges of learning, preparing and performing full roles. HGO offers a fantastic chance to develop as an opera performer: to improve one’s stagecraft and musicianship; to perform with an orchestra; to experience the pacing of a full run of shows; to be seen in performance by critics and potential future employers; and much more. After being part of two HGO productions, I feel so much better prepared as I begin my professional career. Well-reputed companies like HGO are a wonderful asset to London’s cultural life. With your help, HGO will be able to provide even better support for more young singers at the start of their careers. It has helped me prepare for upcoming roles such as; the title role in Handel’s Belshazzar for Trinity Laban Opera; Ruggiero Caccini’s La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola di Alcina for Ursula’s Arrow.