Written by Clementine Scott
When we’re all in the midst of lockdown and there’s a whole term of university work to be done at home, there’s joy to be found in Zoom-based discussion with an opera professional. Last Tuesday, NSOS were delighted to host ex-opera singer Mark Llewelyn as part of our Opera Insights series for an informal virtual chat about his enthusiastic efforts to engage children in opera from a young age.
Mark’s eagerness and passion for storytelling really came through on the call, and I was really happy to hear about the workshops he runs for schools, at which he covers both the music itself and the history and composers behind it, all in a way which makes opera feel accessible. It’s very exciting for the future of opera that in Mark’s experience few children have ever refused to engage with this material, and there was a sweet and memorable anecdote on the call about a little girl struggling with school who’d felt especially inspired to perform by the story of the female Baroque composer Francesca Caccini – Mark acknowledged emphatically the importance of representing minorities in his children’s history of opera, while maintaining historical accuracy.
The call finished with some helpful general advice from Mark about working in the industry, and he also told us about some exciting plans for the future of his ABC of Opera children’s book series, involving further books about different eras of classical music, TED talks and a potential stage show. For further insightful discussions with opera professionals, be sure to check out the NSOS Opera Insights Facebook page for further events!
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