Opera Holland Park: Virtual Open Day

Sing, dance, draw, conduct and go behind the scenes to hear the tricks of the trade with Opera Holland Park. The company's popular annual Open Day goes online this year on Sat 23 May from 10AM to 5PM.

With the 2020 season postponed, this is a welcome chance to spend time with London's own country house opera. Open to all, and especially suitable for families, all activities can be enjoyed for free from home via Zoom (book a place in advance), and on the company's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages.

All day long you can try your hand at conducting classes. Three Opera Holland Park conductors, Matthew Kofi Waldren, Dane Lam and Lada Valešová, will be giving private and group conducting lessons via Zoom. Places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign up and find out more


You're never too young to start conducting, with the help of Opera Holland Park. Photo: Helen Cooper

At 10AM, warm up with a vocal workout, and learn about breathing, supporting the voice, and improving your tone. Tune in to our Facebook or YouTube channels to take part. Find out more

A Masked Ball (10.30AM) is a creative family workshop aimed at ages 0 to 5 and at children with SEN. This interactive workshop will take you through the events leading up to the masked ball from Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera. This event will take place via a private Zoom Video Conference and you must register your place in advance. Sign up and find out more

Ian Massa-Harris is a specialist in prosthetics, special effects, historical, character and theatrical make up. Here he will take you through the art of transforming your face for the stage. Tune in to our Facebook and YouTube channels at 10:30AM to 12:15PM to watch. Find out more.

The three conductors demonstrate the skills and pitfalls of conducting opera at 11AM, in Behind the Beat. Find out more


Overture and beginners... They get them young at Opera Holland Park. Photo: Helen Cooper

At 11:45AM in Strictly No Lycra BBC Dancing Town’s Steve Elias leads a fun dance class for all ages and abilities. All you need is a little bit of space to move in, a sense of humour and some comfortable shoes. This event will take place via a private Zoom Video Conference: sign up and find out more.

Music journalist Anna Picard, who is in charge of research and repertoire at OHP talks to singers Alison Langer, Nadine Benjamin and Paul Carey Jones at 12:45PM in Meet the Singers. Tune in to OHP's YouTube channel to take part. Find out more

Then prize-winning illustrator Rosie Brooks invites you to join her for a family-friendly drawing class based on opera characters in Operatic Draw Along at 1:15PM. Have ready paper, pens, pencils or crayons and join the private Zoom Video Conference: sign up here.

Anna Picard meets the directors next: Martin Lloyd-Evans, Rodula Gaitanou and Rebecca Meltzer, who at 1:45PM talk on YouTube about the creative process from commission to opening night. Find out more.


Be ready to sing along with the OHP chorus in a comic tongue-twister at 4:15PM. Photo: Helen Cooper

Lada Valešová, conductor, pianist, and language coach, leads a masterclass with mezzo-soprano Charlotte Badham, one of the Opera Holland Park Young Artists, at 2:30PM. Tune in to our Facebook or YouTube channels: find out more.

In Meet the Designer with Alyson Cummins, at 3PM, the designer of recent Opera Holland Park productions Cosi Fan Tutte (2018) and L’Arlesiana (2019) discusses the journey from mood board to fittings and technical rehearsals. Find out more

The day ends with one big sing-in, when you can sing with the OHP Chorus and join chorus master Richard Harker in a tongue-twisting family finale. Learn the music and lyrics of ‘I am the very model of a Modern Major General’ from Gilbert and Sullivan's comic The Pirates of Penzance and sing along with us in an event for all ages and abilities. Go to OHP's Facebook or YouTube channels at 4.15pm to take part. Find out more.