Glyndebourne Opera House (Lewes, United Kingdom)
When John Christie inherited the Glyndebourne estate in 1920, he and his wife, the opera singer Audrey Mildmay, set out to “bring opera here”. He built the first opera house to hold 300 people, which opened in 1934. Since then, it has become internationally famous for the quality of its performances, particularly Mozart. Over the years many extensions and alterations took place until in 1992 rebuilding began to create a totally new 1200 seat auditorium which opened in 1994. This building has won many awards, and provides the intimacy of a small theatre with splendid acoustics. The main event is the summer festival which runs from May to August and stages a number of operas including special commissions and premieres. Operas premieres at Glyndebourne include works by Britten and Birtwistle, and first professional productions of operas which are now standard in the repertoire. The festival is part of the summer social scene: performances are timed to finish in time for the last train to London, evening dress is de rigueur and the audience can picnic on the lawn during the long interval. Coaches link Lewes station and Glyndebourne. Tickets range widely in price but are very scarce. Members have priority and there is a 20 year waiting list. For the rest of the year the opera company performs as Glyndebourne on Tour, appearing at Glyndebourne and other venues. Other events include pre-performance talks. Tickets for these events are cheaper and more available. The opera house has wheelchair spaces at foyer circle level only. There are lifts to all levels, and disabled toilets are available. The auditorium is equipped with a sound enhancement system.
Contact
Glyndebourne Productions Ltd,Glyndebourne , BN8 5UU, Telephone: +44(1273)812321 | Fax: +44(1273)812783 | Official site