W11 Opera is an independent

opera company Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

in London which produces

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

s performed by young people aged 9 to 18. Founded in 1971, it takes its name from its location in W11, a postal district in West London consisting largely of

Notting Hill Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and Portobello Road M ...

and parts of

Holland Park Holland Park is an area of Kensington, on the western edge of Central London, that contains a street and public park of the same name. It has no official boundaries but is roughly bounded by Kensington High Street to the south, Holland Road ...

. Almost all of the productions are new works created by internationally recognised composers such as

George Fenton George Richard Ian Howe (born 19 October 1949), known professionally as George Fenton, is an English composer. Best known for his work writing film scores and music for television, he has received five Academy Award nominations, several Ivor No ...

, John Gardner,

Richard Harvey Richard Allen Harvey (born 25 September 1953) is an English composer and musician. Originally of the mediaevalist progressive rock group Gryphon, he is best known now for his film and television soundtracks. He is also known for his guitar co ...

Colin Towns Colin William Towns (born 13 May 1948 in West Ham, London) is an English composer and keyboardist. He was noted for playing in bands formed by ex-Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan, and later worked extensively in composing soundtracks for film, telev ...

and Timothy Kraemer. Some of these works go on to be revived by schools and other opera companies. Notable alumni of the company include

Eve Best Emily "Eve" Best (born 31 July 1971) is an English actress and director. She is known for her television roles as Dr. Eleanor O'Hara in the Showtime series ''Nurse Jackie'' (2009–13), First Lady Dolley Madison in the ''American Experience'' ...

Jonathan Antoine Jonathan Frederick Antoine (born 13 January 1995) is an English classically-trained tenor. He rose to fame after appearing on the Britain's Got Talent (series 6), sixth series of ''Britain's Got Talent'' in 2012 as half of the classical duo Jona ...

and

Sophie Ellis-Bextor Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded Ellis-Bextor went solo and ach ...

Works commissioned and premiered

W11 Opera has commissioned and produced almost 40 new operas, more than any other UK company, providing a rich repertoire of music theatre for its cast of 9- to 18-year-olds. Each has a running time of just over one hour. Most of the group's commissions are available for performance by schools and music theatre groups. *1971 ''

Noye's Fludde ''Noye's Fludde'' is a one-act opera by the British composer Benjamin Britten, intended primarily for amateur performers, particularly children. First performed on 18 June 1958 at that year's Aldeburgh Festival, it is based on the 15th-century ...

''*

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

, (Chester Mystery play) *1972 ''The Pied Piper''

Christopher Bowers-Broadbent Christopher Bowers-Broadbent is an English organist and composer. Biography Christopher Bowers-Broadbent was born on 13 January 1945. He was a chorister in the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, and went on to study organ and composition at ...

, Jeremy Hornsby *1973 ''Bel and the Dragon'', John Gardner, Timothy Kraemer *1974 ''The Winter Star''*,

Malcolm Williamson Malcolm Benjamin Graham Christopher Williamson, (21 November 19312 March 2003) was an Australian composer. He was the Master of the Queen's Music from 1975 until his death. Biography Williamson was born in Sydney in 1931; his father was an A ...

*1975 ''

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' (often colloquially known as ''Joseph'') is a sung-through musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. Thi ...

'' *,

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...

Tim Rice Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English lyricist and author. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ' ...

*1976 ''Like This, Like That'', Timothy Kraemer,

Peter Dickinson Peter Malcolm de Brissac Dickinson OBE FRSL (16 December 1927 – 16 December 2015) was an English author and poet, best known for children's books and detective stories. Dickinson won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association ...

*1977 ''The Adventures of Jonah'', Timothy Kraemer, Timothy Kraemer and Peter Dickinson *1978 ''The Girl and the Unicorn'', Stephen Oliver, Stephen Oliver *1979 ''Dreamtime'',

Daryl Runswick Daryl Runswick (born 12 October 1946) is a classically trained English composer, arranger, jazz musician, producer and educationalist. Career Runswick was born in Leicester, and educated at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys and Corpus Christi Co ...

, Daryl Runswick *1980 ''Mak the Sheep Stealer''*,

Herbert Chappell Herbert Reginald Chappell (18 March 1934 – 20 October 2019) was a British conductor, composer and film-maker, best known for his television scores. Education and early career Born in Bristol, Herbert Chappell's first musical training was as a ch ...

, Don Taylor *1981 ''Wenceslas'', Timothy Kraemer, Timothy Kraemer *1982 ''Birthday'' (revived 1998),

, Timothy Kraemer *1983 ''Rainbow Planet'',

Christopher Gunning Christopher Gunning (born 5 August 1944) is an English composer of concert works and music for films and television. Gunning was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where his tutors includ ...

, Timothy Rose Price *1984 ''The Adventures of Jonah'', + Timothy Kraemer, Timothy Kraemer & Peter Dickinson *1985 ''Bel and the Dragon'', + John Gardner, Timothy Kraemer *1986 ''The Tin Knight'', Francis Shaw, Michael Finch *1987 ''Ulysses and the Wooden Horse'', Timothy Kraemer, Timothy Kraemer *1988 ''The Return of Odysseus'',

David Bedford David Vickerman Bedford (4 August 1937 – 1 October 2011) was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music. He was the brother of the conductor Steuart Bedford, the grandson of the composer, painter ...

, David Bedford *1989 ''Koppelberg'', Steve Gray, Norman Brooke *1990 ''Double Trouble'', Louisa Lasdun, Adam Thorpe *1991 ''A Time of Miracles'',

, John Kane *1992 ''Listen to the Earth'', Steve Gray, Sarah Shuckburgh *1993 ''Traveller’s Tale'',

Michael Kamen Michael Arnold Kamen (April 15, 1948 – November 18, 2003) was an American composer (especially of film scores), orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, songwriter, and session musician. Biography Early life Michael Arnold Kamen was born in ...

, Michael Kamen *1994 ''Antiphony'', (revived 2005), , John Kane *1995 ''The Dancing Princesses'', Bill Connor, Nick Renton *1996 ''Ulysses and the Wooden Horse'', + Timothy Kraemer, Timothy Kraemer *1997 ''Eloise'',

Karl Jenkins Sir Karl William Pamp Jenkins (born 17 February 1944) is a Welsh multi-instrumentalist and composer. His best known works include the song " Adiemus" and the ''Adiemus'' album series; '' Palladio''; ''The Armed Man''; and his ''Requiem''. J ...

, Carol Barratt *1999 ''Rip'',

, Martin Newell *2000 ''Deep Waters'',

Cecilia McDowall Cecilia McDowall (born 1951 in London, England) is a British composer, particularly known for her choral compositions. Life and career McDowall read music at the University of Edinburgh, continuing her studies at Trinity College of Music, Lond ...

, Christie Dickason *2001 ''Flying High'', Graham Preskett, John Kane *2002 ''Stormlight'', David Knotts, Katharine Craik *2003 ''Game Over'', Guy Dagul, Jane Aspeling *2004 ''All in the Mind'',

Edward Lambert Edward Lambert (born 1951) is an English composer who has written chamber music, vocal and choral works, and chamber operas. He is also a conductor and pianist. Study Edward Lambert was educated at Christ's Hospital and read music at Mer ...

, Edward Lambert *2005 ''ANTiphony'', + Graham Preskett, John Kane *2006 ''Chincha-Chancha Cooroo'', Bernard Hughes, William Radice *2007 ''Shadowtracks'',

Julian Grant Julian Grant (born 3 October 1960) is an English-born classical composer best known for a series of operas. He is also known for chamber music works and his challenging children's music. He is active as composer, journalist, broadcaster and mus ...

, Tina Jones *2008 ''The Song of Rhiannon'',

Mark Bowden Mark Robert Bowden (; born July 17, 1951) is an American journalist and writer. He is a national correspondent for ''The Atlantic''. He is best known for his book '' Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War'' (1999) about the 1993 U.S. military r ...

, Helen Cooper *2009 ''The Whale Savers'', Martin Ward, Phil Porter *2010 ''Rain Dance'',

Stuart Hancock Stuart Hancock (born 5 August 1975) is a British composer of film, TV and concert music. Hancock is known for having composed the original soundtracks to series 2 of the BBC fantasy series Atlantis, the animated TV adaptation of We're Going ...

, Donald Sturrock *2011 ''Original Features'',

, Christina Jones *2012 ''Good Intentions'', Julian Philips, Simon Christmas *2013 ''The Fizz'', Martin Ward, Phil Porter *2014 ''Deep Waters'', +

, Christie Dickason *2015 ''Eliza and the Swans,'' John Barber, Hazel Gould *2016 ''The Price,'' Russell Hepplewhite, Helen Eastman *2017 ''The Cutlass Crew,''

, Donald Sturrock *2018 ''Shadow Tracks,'' +

, Christina Jones Note: * not a W11 Opera commission; + denotes commission revivals

External links

* {{authority control British opera companies Opera in London Musical groups established in 1971