The Longborough Podcast offers listeners the opportunity to hear directly from the artists and figures at the forefront of the industry. Each episode will explore a particular composer, work or role, welcoming friends from the world of opera and the arts - including singers, players, directors, conductors and more - for some thought-provoking discussions.

The first few episodes include:
1. Music journalist Richard Bratby, Longborough Music Director Anthony Negus and bass-baritone Paul Carey Jones trace Wotan’s journey through Wagner’s Ring cycle.
2. Writer and librettist Sophie Rashbrook, sopranoLee Bisset and historian Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough explore the roles of women in Wagner’s Ring cycle.
3. A conversation about The Cunning Little Vixen in context of Janacek’s works, hosted by Richard Bratby.
4. Opera director and librettist Sir David Pountney and Longborough’s Artistic Director Polly Graham uncover the use of comedy in Wagner’s Ring cycle.

Listen to the first episode here: https://lfo.org.uk/our-story/podcast

Longborough Artistic Director Polly Graham comments: “What we hope to achieve from this podcast is a chance to open up some of the amazing works we had programmed for 2020, and to celebrate the thinking of the artists we work with. The lockdown has been hugely challenging for the performing arts, but it has given us the opportunity to think creatively about different experiences we can still offer audiences. We miss our audiences so much and cannot wait to connect with them again through live theatre and music. In the meantime, we hope this podcast will continue to feed their imagination. We are so grateful for their continued support at such a challenging time.”

The news comes following the success of Longborough’s recent fundraising campaign that generated £300,000, two-thirds of which went directly to the freelance artists involved in the postponed 2020 festival’s four productions. The remainder will help to develop further work for artists this year, as well as to help the organisation mitigate upcoming financial uncertainty. As a privately-funded charity, Longborough relies on ticket income to sustain its work.

How to Listen:

The podcast will be available free of charge at lfo.org.uk and on most podcast platforms.

Listen and subscribe at lfo.org.uk/podcast or search “Longborough podcast” on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Acast or Stitcher.