English Touring Opera

English Touring Opera (ETO) is an opera company founded in 1979 under the name Opera 80. In 1992 the company changed to its present name. The company aims to bring high quality opera to areas of England that would not otherwise have ready access to such productions. Since 2002, its General Director (and acclaimed stage director of several productions) has been James Conway, who came from the Opera Theatre of Ireland. Its Music Director, also since 2002, is Michael Rosewell.

The company has always presented operas in English and it currently tours twice each year to more venues than any other opera company in the UK, going to about 33 theatres, many of which would not normally host opera performances. These include London, Cambridge, Exeter, Poole, Cheltenham, Malvern, Crawley, Sheffield, Wolverhampton, Buxton, Durham and Perth.

Outreach

In addition to theatre-staged operatic productions, ETO focuses on relationships with communities through education and outreach programs, and organizes projects for people of all ages and abilities – from on-stage workshops to residencies in schools and performances for children with special needs. Singers and musicians on tour with the ETO often step off-stage and into the classroom of outreach workshops alongside professional animateurs.

Tim Yealland is the current Artistic Associate for Education and overseas outreach and education programs.

One of ETO's outreach programs is Creative Residencies, in which young people with disabilities engage in week-long creative workshops.