His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will be attending the opening night of Welsh National Opera’s new production of Wagner’s Lohengrin on Thursday 23 May 2013. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the German composer’s birth.
The Prince of Wales is WNO’s Patron and regularly enjoys Wagner’s operas. The last performance he attended at Wales Millennium Centre was WNO’s award winning production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in 2010. Last year The Prince hosted a gala evening for WNO at Buckingham Palace where the WNO Chorus performed a Wagner programme for guests who had supported the Company’s work.
WNO Music Director Lothar Koenigs said: “We are thrilled and honoured that His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is able to attend the opening night of our new production of Lohengrin in Cardiff. The performances of Lohengrin this season will not only celebrate Wagner’s bicentenary year but will also be the first time in 50 years for WNO audiences to see this masterpiece. I would especially like to thank the Lohengrin syndicate for their generous financial support enabling us to present this production –we are truly grateful.”
Members of WNO’s Singing Club who greeted guests at Buckingham Palace last year will welcome The Prince as he arrives at the Wales Millennium Centre on 23 May. Members of Singing Club are aged between 10 and 14 years old and meet every Saturday morning to learn singing techniques as well as drama skills. Club members regularly appear in main-scale WNO operas which call for children’s roles.
Following the performance The Prince will go on stage to meet members of the Welsh National Opera Company, Chorus and Orchestra, as well as cast and crew. He will also meet members of the WNO Lohengrin Syndicate and Gala guests who have helped support this production.
WNO is commemorating Wagner’s bicentenary with this new production of Lohengrin directed and designed by Antony McDonald and conducted by WNO’s Music Director Lothar Koenigs. The British staged première of Jonathan Harvey’s Wagner’s Dream will also form part of WNO’s summer season in Cardiff and Birmingham.