English National Opera Annual Review 2016/17 We tell the world’s most timeless stories, unforgettably Contents ENO Annual Review 2016/17 Contents 1 Introductions ← Back to contents ENO AnnualENO Annual Review Review 2016/17 2016/17 Introductions Content 2 Chairman’s Introduction I am pleased that ENO continued to flourish Mark Wigglesworth for his exceptional continue to do this in order to allow us to be artistically in this period while we made conducting of Don Giovanni and Lulu. adventurous artistically while not exposing changes to strengthen the organisation and our company as a whole to unnecessary to ensure our future. We were very pleased to welcome our new risk. It is also prudent that we develop an Artistic Director, Daniel Kramer, and new appropriate buffer given the current political This year’s Annual Review marks a change to Music Director, Martyn Brabbins, to ENO. and economic uncertainty in the UK. our reporting as we align our financial year We are delighted to have them as part more closely to our season. This reporting of the company and look forward to the We are grateful to all of our Friends, period therefore covers from 1 April 2016 to impact that both will have on the future supporters and sponsors who have 31 July 2017. life of ENO. We also announced on 8 March generously contributed towards ENO’s 2018 that Stuart Murphy, former Director continued success. During this period, ENO’s artistic of Sky Entertainment Channels, had been programme included 13 productions at appointed Chief Executive. He will take up Finally, I would like to thank every single the London Coliseum together with work the post on 3 April. He succeeds Cressida person that worked so hard to help presented in association with five other Pollock who announced in September last ENO regain its place as an Arts Council companies or venues across London. We year that she would be stepping down England National Portfolio Organisation. were proud to present the world premiere from the role this summer. On behalf of the After a challenging time, this vote of of The Winter’s Tale and the UK premieres Board, I would like to thank Cressida, who confidence from ACE and confirmed funding of Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD and The Day has done so much to bring stability and for future years gives us the stability and After as well as new productions of Tristan direction to ENO, and to wish her all the best certainty to look forward to our future with and Isolde, Don Giovanni and Lulu. for the future. renewed confidence. We were honoured to have ENO’s work We concluded this financial year reporting recognised with an Olivier Award for a surplus, due in large part to ACE transition Best New Opera Production for the funding in addition to our ongoing core previous season’s Akhnaten and an Olivier grant, which will go towards building up Dr Harry Brünjes Award for Outstanding Achievement for our financial reserves. It is vital that we Chairman, English National Opera ENO Annual Review 2016/17 Introductions 3 Chief Executive’s Introduction This reported period marked the beginning that as wide a range of people as possible ENO Harewood Artists took on 15 principal of ENO’s new way of working, following feel welcome in our theatre as well as roles across the season. the 30% reduction of our public funding. significantly increasing the level of our The 2016/17 season was presented in the education and outreach activity. We continue to develop our non-opera autumn and spring at the London Coliseum programming at our home, the London with eight main-stage productions We have reduced ticket prices for the third Coliseum. 2017 marked the third year of our alongside a summer season taking ENO year in a row to work towards ensuring that collaboration with our commercial partner to other venues across London. Over the price is not a barrier for people wanting to GradeLinnit, and our presentation of coming two years we will increase to nine experience world class opera. We continued Carousel featured our wonderful chorus and and then 10 main-stage productions as well to offer 500 tickets at £20 or less for every orchestra. In addition, we re-affirmed our as scheduling further work at other venues. performance: more than 52,000 of these association with English National Ballet to tickets were available during this period. present works over the Christmas period as The first ENO Outside summer season saw well as continuing to develop a series of one us presenting work at venues across London, Through ENO Baylis, our learning and night events which will showcase everything taking the opportunity to develop internal participation programme, we continue to from Bollywood to Jazz. and emerging talent as well as presenting focus on young people aged 11-18 years who opera in new and different ways to may not have access to the arts, working This will be my last full reporting year as audiences who might not have considered it in economically deprived areas and in ENO’s Chief Executive. It has been a privilege before. We performed Jonathan Dove’s The boroughs close to ENO hubs of activity. We to lead this wonderful institution alongside Day After and Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by are proud that more than 17,000 people so many extraordinary people. Together we Jury at Lilian Baylis House as the inaugural took part in a programme or event run by have brought stability to the organisation ENO Studio Live. We also gave the UK ENO Baylis during the 2016/17 period. and secured ENO’s future. I wish the very best premiere of Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD with to Stuart, my successor, who will continue to Hackney Empire, presented The Dream It is vital that we continue to support the focus on ensuring ENO’s success. of Gerontius at Southbank Centre and development of talent at ENO whether supported Silent Opera’s Vixen at The on-stage, off-stage, in the pit or behind Vaults, Waterloo. the scenes. We appointed two ENO Mackerras Conducting Fellows, welcomed We remained focused on making great 14 young singers to take part in our training Cressida Pollock opera widely available to all, ensuring programme Opera Works, and on stage our Chief Executive, English National Opera ENO Annual Review 2016/17 Introductions 4 Who We Are ← Back to contents ENOENO Annual Annual Review Review 2016/17 2016/17 Who Content We Are 5 ENO: Who We Are English National Opera is founded on the belief that opera We also aim to introduce completely new audiences to the magic of opera through of the highest quality should be stimulating and creative learning and accessible to everyone. participation programmes. Musical Storytellers Nurturing Creative Talent At ENO opera is theatre; expressing drama We are a national company of internationally through the unique combination of music, recognised standard. We nurture talent text, dance, and design. We sing in English across the entire company, whether on- and believe that singing in our own language stage, backstage, or in the pit. We provide connects the performers and the audience a platform for young singers to develop to the drama onstage, and enhances the global careers. experience for all. Our Vision We collaborate across contemporary art forms, to reflect the growing diversity of ENO will be synonymous with making great our culture. And we take a fresh approach opera accessible to the widest and most right across the repertoire, from baroque diverse audiences. We will continue to forge to contemporary, as well as commissioning ground-breaking collaborations across art new works as part of our commitment to the forms, and our world-class productions future of the art form. will inspire, surprise and captivate. We will be recognised as the national centre of Widening Access excellence for developing opera, and as the benchmark for nurturing new talent. We will We bring our productions to the widest reach out to communities who might think possible audience, whether at the London opera is not for them. Coliseum, nationally or internationally. We make our work accessible by offering a large We will tell the world’s most timeless proportion of tickets at affordable prices, stories, unforgettably. and by distributing it widely on screen and via digital media. ENO Annual Review 2016/17 Who We Are 6 At A Glance 1 April 2016 – 31 July 2017 In April 2017 we changed the dates of our financial year to line up with our artistic season. This means that ENO’s financial year now runs from 1 August to 31 July, rather than from 1 April to 31 March. Because of this, our most recent financial accounts and this review cover a 16-month period (1 April 2016 – 31 July 2017). The additional four months (1 April – 31 July) cover Carousel as well as ENO’s first summer season of Outside Work. All Coliseum opera productions are covered in the first 12 months of this 16-month period. For additional clarification or information, please contact the ENO Press Office. ← Back to contents ENOENO Annual Annual Review Review 2016/17 2016/17 At AContent Glance 7 The numbers of Singers and Conductors British born/trained/resident 80 % Productions across ENO Performances 18 the 16-month period 216 Productions at the Performances of operas at 13 London Coliseum 104 the London Coliseum New Opera Productions Performances outside the London (1 World Premiere) Coliseum or in collaboration with 4 28 other companies across London Opera Revivals Performances of our musical theatre collaborations, Sunset 7 84 Boulevard and Carousel Musical Theatre Collaborations ENO Co-Productions or rentals 2 24 opened around the world Productions outside the London Coliseum or in collaboration with 5 other companies across London (2 UK Premieres) ENO Annual Review 2016/17 At A Glance 8 Productions Summer 2016 Madam Butterfly Tristan and Isolde Jenůfa 16 May – 7 July 2016 9 June – 9 July 2016 23 June – 8 July 2016 Revival New Production Revival Anthony Minghella’s Olivier Award-winning An epic drama told on a grand scale, Tristan Mark Wigglesworth conducted this revival of production of Madam Butterfly returned to and Isolde was directed by Daniel Kramer David Alden’s viscerally powerful production, ENO for its sixth revival.