PR O M I S E FU L F I L L E D
RO YA L OP E R A HO U S E
AN N U A L RE V I E W 2005/06
Royal Opera HouseCovent GardenLondon WC2E 9DDTelephone +44 20 7240 1200www.roh.org.uk
Registered Charity no.211775
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PR O M I S E FU L F I L L E D
RO YA L OP E R A HO U S E
AN N U A L RE V I E W 2005/06
Board of TrusteesDame Judith Mayhew Jonas – Chairman
The Countess of ChichesterSir David Clementi (appointed July 2006)
Marco CompagnoniPeggy Dannenbaum (appointed July 2006)
Sir David LeesSir Frank LoweThomas Lynch
Professor Margaret MadenNicholas PrettejohnSimon Robertson
Simon Robey (appointed July 2006)Dame Gail RonsonThe Lady Sainsbury
Kenneth TharpJudith Weir
Bonnie Greer (resigned May 2006)Lord Eatwell (retired January 2006)
Sir Stuart Lipton (retired February 2006)
Executive ManagementTeamTony Hall – Chief Executive
Monica Mason – Director, The Royal BalletAntonio Pappano – Music Director, The Royal Opera
Deborah Bull – Creative Director, ROH2Caroline Bailey – Director of Marketing
Elizabeth Bridges – Director of PersonnelRuth Jarratt – Director of Policy Development
Darryl Jaffray – Director of Education and Access (retired May 2006)Peter Katona – Director of Opera Casting
Sarah Kemp – Director of Finance and Business AffairsChristopher Millard – Director of Press and Communications
John Mortlock – Deputy Director of FinanceElaine Padmore – Director of OperaHazel Province – Orchestra Director
Paul Reeve – Director of Education (appointed May 2006)Anthony Russell-Roberts – Administrative Director, The Royal Ballet
Amanda Saunders – Director of Development John Seekings – Director of Operations and Company Secretary
Governance and ManagementThe direction and control of the Royal Opera House is determined by the Board of Trustees,which meets at least seven times per year. The role of the Board is to
approve and monitor strategy of the Royal Opera House and ensure that it is beingeffectively managed. The Trustees are also responsible for the appointment of the
Chief Executive as well as the most senior management positions.The Chief Executive,with the assistance of the Executive Team,manages the day-to-day operations
of the Royal Opera House.
TA B L E of CO N T E N T S
KE Y F I G U R E S
CH A I R M A N’S S TAT E M E N T
CH I E F EX E C U T I V E’S R E P O RT
ST R AT E G I C F O C U S
PA RT I
QU A L I T Y
PA RT II
SC O P E
PA RT III
PA RT I C I PAT I O N
PA RT IV
EN R I C H M E N T
PA RT V
IN N O VAT I O N
PA RT VI
FI N A N C E
.
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06The year at a glance
PAGE NO.2
£2RAISED FOR EVER Y
£1 RECEIVED
AS PUBLIC SUBSIDY
7THSUCCESSIVE
BALANCED BUDGET
OV E R £7 M I L L I O N
GENERATED BY
ONLINE TICKET SALES
.
FI N A N C E
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06The year at a glance
PAGE NO.3
285PERFORMANCES
ON THE MAIN STAGE
426PERFORMANCES
ON OTHER STAGES
.
PE R F O R M A N C E
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06The year at a glance
PAGE NO.4
41,000+ PEOPLE WATCHED OUR WORK
ON 19 RELAYS TO
BP SUMMER BIG SCREENS
140,000+ CHILDREN AND ADULTS
REACHED BY OUR
EDUCATION PROGRAMMES
9324 CHILDREN ATTENDED
OUR SCHOOLS’ MATINEES
.
RE A C H
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06The year at a glance
PAGE NO.5
58% OF TRAVELEX £10
MONDAY TICKET-HOLDERS
WERE NEW CUSTOMERS
42%OF TRAVELEX £10
MONDAY ATTENDEES CAME
FROM OUTSIDE LONDON
50% OF E-TICKETS WERE SOLD
TO NEW CUSTOMERS
.
AC C E S S
DA M E JU D I T H MAY H E W JO N A SChairman
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Chairman’s statement
PA G E NO.7
2005/06 has been another year of progress andsuccess. This is due partly to the drive and devotion ofthe staff of the Royal Opera House, but also to therather humbling level of support that we receive. Quitesimply the Royal Opera House could not exist withoutthe extensive and generous financial commitment ofso many people to our cause.
We are extremely fortunate that we have so manysupporters – companies and individuals, trusts andcharities – who share our vision of how the Opera House should be during the first decade of the 21st
century, and how we deliver this through the varied workthat we do. We cannot stand still, however, and we need to look to extend the circle of our support ever wider.
Among our most consistent supporters are BP,JPMorgan, Legal & General, Travelex plc, The PaulHamlyn Foundation and Oak Foundation, the Trust Members, Friends of Covent Garden and theAmerican Friends. This year a new American Friendsof Covent Garden Honorary Chairman and Chairman,Mrs Walter Annenberg and Mr Alexander Ercklentz,respectively, have taken over the reins, and theirinvolvement and energy is most welcome. They have avariety of new ideas to augment all of the positive workthat has been done in the past.
CH A I R M A N’S S TAT E M E N T
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Chairman’s statement
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As ever, many of our cornerstone productions havebeen made possible by sponsorship. Our Ring cyclecontinued this year, enabled by the extremelygenerous lead support of The Dalriada Trust with significant commitment from Peter Borender, Marina Hobson MBE and The Hobson Charity. Couttsgenerously sponsored the revival of Otello in their thirdSeason as a partner with the Royal Opera House. Zoeand Martin Harris kindly supported the revival of TheRoyal Ballet’s Nutcracker. We would also like to thankDianne and Michael Bienes, David Brownlow, TheLinbury Trust, Deirdre and Thomas Lynch, and Tamarand Bob Manoukian, for their continued commitmentto productions by The Royal Ballet.
In addition, we are very grateful to Simon andVirginia Robertson for their unstinting support ofwork presented by ROH2, enabling audiences to enjoynew choreography by The Royal Ballet in the LinburyStudio Theatre. We are also grateful to the RobeyFamily for their support of Open House initiatives andfree lunchtime recitals in the Crush Room.
Various legacies and bodies continue to makesignificant contributions to our current and futurestability as an organization. Sir Donald Gordon, the Royal Opera House Endowment Fund, whosechairmanship Dame Vivien Duffield has now assumedafter Lord Sainsbury’s invaluable work in the role, andthe Jean Sainsbury Royal Opera House Fund, are allcentral to our ability to steer a steady course.
No Chairman’s statement would be completewithout an acknowledgement of the calibre of theindividuals responsible for the creative output of the
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Chairman’s statement
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Royal Opera House. Monica Mason’s leadership ofThe Royal Ballet has taken the company to new heightsin its 75th year; Antonio Pappano continues to inspirewith his musical insight and virtuosity, supported by an exceptional orchestra; and Deborah Bull neverceases to stimulate and surprise with ROH2. Theircontribution to our artistic reputation cannot beoverstated. In addition, I must also thank Tony Hall for his pioneering leadership of an inspired anddedicated executive team who, in turn, are supportedby a huge family of committed employees, all sharingthe same goals. It is undoubtedly through the strengthof this teamwork that the Royal Opera Housecontinues to provide a financially secure, forwardthinking and vibrant home for our artistic companies.
This year has seen some changes to our Board ofTrustees. We have has said goodbye to Sir Peter Davis,Lord Eatwell, Bonnie Greer and Sir Stuart Lipton, all of whom have given so much to the Royal OperaHouse. In their place we welcome the arrival of SirDavid Clementi, Peggy Dannenbaum and Simon Robey.They join a Board which is absolutely committed tocontinuing the great work that goes on here.
Finally, I would like to extend our sincere thanks toArts Council England, whose consistent support is thebedrock upon which the Royal Opera House rests.
It has been a privilege to have witnessed this year’sachievements, and to have participated in them in a smallway, and I look forward to even greater things to come.
Dame Judith Mayhew JonasChairman, Royal Opera House
TO N Y HA L LChief Executive
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Chief Executive’s report
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I believe that the Royal Opera House representssomething that is absolutely world-class. This is notmeant as an arrogant or hubristic statement. Withoutdoubt, there are certain facts about which we can beproud. This Review documents many of them anddemonstrates that ‘world-class’ is neither an idle norboastful claim. In the context of the Royal OperaHouse the term refers to the quality of our people, thestandards of our productions and the diversity of ourwork and initiatives. Unique? Unashamedly so.
We shy away from labels such as ‘elite’, because ofthe obvious negative connotations of exclusiveness. ButI want people to take away from here the fact that we areelite in the sense that we have the best singers, dancers,directors, designers, orchestra, chorus, backstage crewand administrative staff. We are also amongst the best in our ability to reach out to as wide and diverse a community as possible, and this Review includes awealth of information about the programmes that werun to inspire and interest a vast number of people inopera and ballet. We do everything that we can toensure our audiences arrive to a warm welcome andleave with unforgettable, exceptional experiences.
One of the compelling things about the RoyalOpera House today is that we have grown to become a
CH I E F EX E C U T I V E’S R E P O RT
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Chief Executive’s report
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place that is delivering a broader range of opera andballet, music and dance, than any other opera house inthe world. Fact. There is an enormous array of activitygoing on here, day in, day out, throughout the yearand over our long Season. This is something whichdistinguishes us and we will continue to build on that.
The Royal Opera House’s role is more, though,than just being a place that does opera and ballet. We contribute to the artistic wellbeing of this country.If we are somewhere that is world-class, somewherethat is training the next generation to be world-class,and somewhere that is offering the chance for anyoneto come and see opera and ballet, we are somewherethat is giving real value to the public. Equally, if you goto a school that is working with our EducationDepartment, the young people there are learning thejoy of opera and ballet; but they are also learning somevery basic things to do with team building, creativityand communication, as well as developing their ownself-esteem. All those skills and competencies are thingswhich Britain needs if it is to build on the growth thatwe have seen in our cultural and creative sector, whichhas grown faster than the rest of the economy by anaverage of 8%, in the last five or six years.
I hope that during the course of the last year theRoyal Opera House has proved that we have things to say, and contributions to make, that affect thebroader cultural sector positively, and that we can offerinsights into where we should be going. We must be a key part of the big debate about arts and culture inthis country, and the creative economy. Organizationstend to focus on what they are doing, at any particular
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Chief Executive’s report
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moment, because that’s what they are judged by. We are judged by what goes on stage tonight, not greatthoughts about the future. Yet both have value and are vitally important for the artistic welfare of thecountry. We will work alone, and with others, to secureand invigorate the present and future of the arts.
We are ambitious, and to realize our ambitions wemust increase our revenue potential beyond ourpublic grant. The issue for us over the next five yearswill be to find new sources of income for the OperaHouse. This document highlights some of the ways in which we are already doing that.
This year has marked a transition in FinanceDirectors from Anne Bulford, who left us to go toChannel 4, to Sarah Kemp. She brings with her aremarkable array of skills, not just as a Director ofFinance, but also in business affairs and rights andcommercial developments. We need the breadth ofher expertise as we look to the future progress of thisorganization. We have broken even for the seventhyear and, as ever, that has taken a supreme effortachieved through the hard work of people inside theROH, and a lot of support from people andorganizations outside, not least the Arts Council.
Having directed the Development Department for five years, Ruth Jarratt moved across to becomeDirector of Policy Development in January. Ruth hasmade a terrific contribution to the Opera House,directing a strong team of individuals successfullydoubling development income over the period. I’mdelighted that her deputy, Amanda Saunders, is ournew Director of Development.
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Chief Executive’s report
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Another change in core personnel is theretirement of Darryl Jaffray, who has had a remarkablecareer working in the Education Department and asDirector of Education. Darryl’s achievement has beento make education central to the work of the RoyalOpera House. I’m thrilled that her deputy, Paul Reeve,will be our new Director of Education.
This has been another year of significantachievement for the Royal Opera House facilitated bycountless numbers of dedicated, incredibly talentedpeople. We will develop and build on our successes tomake this place that we love even stronger and moreexciting, with a sound and sustainable long-termfuture. To everyone who works here and supports us:thank you.
Tony Hall Chief Executive, Royal Opera House
T H E RO YA L OP E R A HO U S E H A S
F O U R S T R AT E G I C C O N S I D E R AT I O N S:
AU D I E N C E S
PU B L I C VA L U E
NU RT U R E
BE S T P R A C T I C E.
TH I S RE V I E W I L L U S T R AT E S
H O W W E M A K E T H E RO YA L OP E R A
HO U S E W H AT I T I S T O D AY:
A W O R L D-C L A S SS TA G E F O R
B A L L E T & O P E R A
QU A L I T Y
PA RT I
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Quality
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GR E AT N A M E SR E S O N AT E F O R
A R E A S O N: OU R S TA G E I S T H E P L A C E T H AT
O U T S TA N D I N G A RT I S T S C O M E T O S H O W
T H E W O R L D W H AT T H E Y C A N D O.AU D I E N C E S H AV E R E C O G N I Z E D
T H AT T H E Y A R E C A PA B L E O F T H E
E X T R A O R D I N A R Y. TH E R E I S N E V E R
A D AY W H E N W E A R E W I T H O U T TA L E N T
O F T H I S M A G N I T U D E.
TH E W O R L D S TA G E
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Quality
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Carlos AcostaCuban
Des Grieux Manonand Romeo Romeo and Juliet
Marcelo AlvarezArgentinian
Riccardo Un ballo in maschera
Ildebrando d’ArcangeloItalian
Selim Il turco in Italia
Cecilia BartoliItalian
Fiorilla Il turco in Italia
Piotr BeczalaPolish
Duke of Mantua Rigoletto
Leanne BenjaminAustralian
Title roles Manonand The Firebird
Federico BonelliItalian
Polyphonia and Albrecht Giselle
Alina CojocaruRomanian
The Lesson and Gloria
José CuraArgentinian
Dick Johnson La fanciulla del West
Joyce DiDonatoAmerican
Rosina Il barbiere di Siviglia
Plácido DomingoSpanish
Siegmund Die Walküre
Sorella EnglundDanish
Madge La Sylphide
Renée FlemingAmerican
Desdemona Otello
Flemming FlindtDanish
Choreographer The Lesson
Cristina Gallardo-DomasChilean
Cio-Cio-San Madama Butterfly
Lisa GasteenAustralian
Brünnhilde
.
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Quality
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Angela GheorghiuRomanian
Mimi La bohème
Sylvie GuillemFrench
Title roles Manonand Marguerite and Armand
Thomas HampsonAmerican
Renato Un ballo in maschera
Ben HeppnerCanadian
Title role Otello
Dmitri HvorostovskyRussian
Renato Un ballo in mascheraand title role Eugene Onegin
Johan KobborgDanish
Production La Sylphideand Dance Teacher The Lesson
Stefanos LazaridisGreek
Designer Die Walküre
Dominique Le GendreTrinidadian
Composer Tales of the Islands
Robert LepageCanadian
Director 1984
Lorin MaazelAmerican
Composer and conductor 1984
Charles MackerrasAustralian
Conductor Un ballo in mascheraand The Bartered Bride
Roberta MarquezBrazilian
Sugar Plum Fairy The Nutcrackerand title role Giselle
Ana Maria MartinezPuerto Rican
Violetta La traviata
Karita MattilaFinnish
Amelia Un ballo in maschera
Waltraud MeierGerman
Sieglinde Die Walküre
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Matjash MrozewskiCanadian
Choreographer Castle Nowhere
Anna NetrebkoRussian
Gilda Rigoletto
Marianela NuñezArgentinian
Title role Sylviaand Odette/Odile Swan Lake
Ivan PutrovUkranian
Title role Pierrot Lunaireand Symphonic Variations
Johan ReuterDanish
Title role Wozzeck
Dorothea RöschmannGerman
Contessa Almaviva Le nozze di Figaro
Tamara RojoSpanish
Title roles Manon, Romeo and Juliet and Ondine
Erwin SchrottUruguayan
Figaro Le nozze di Figaro
Glen TetleyAmerican
Choreographer Pierrot Lunaire
Violeta UrmanaLithuanian
Lady Macbeth Macbeth
Katie Van KootenAmerican
Helena A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Rolando VillazónMexican
Duke of Mantua Rigolettoand Lensky Eugene Onegin
Zenaida YanowskySpanish
Title roles Manon and Sylvia
Miyako YoshidaJapanese
Title roles Ondine and Giselle
.
Anna Netrebkoas Gilda in Rigoletto
Ivan Putrovas Pierrot in Glen Tetley’s Pierrot Lunaire
HO M E G R O W N
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T H E RO YA LOP E R A HO U S E I S
T H E G U A R D I A NO F I T S A RT F O R M S
I N BR I TA I N. IT S S TA G E S, I N F L U E N C E A N D P R O F I L E
H E L P T O E N C O U R A G E, I N S P I R E A N D
S U S TA I N BR I T I S H A RT I S T S . IN T U R N
T H E I R W O R K E N C O U R A G E S, I N S P I R E S A N D
S U S TA I N S O U R A U D I E N C E S.
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Quality
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Thomas AllenSharpless Madama Butterfly
and Prosdocimo Il turco in Italia
Emma BellLeonora Maskarade
Les BrotherstonDesigner The Soldier’s Tale
Paul BrownDesigner The Midsummer Marriage
Susan BullockMarie Wozzeck
Darcey BussellA Month in the Country
and La Fête étrange
Charlotte BroomMrs Alving Ghosts and Fox Pinocchio
Paule ConstableLighting Macbeth
and Le nozze di Figaro
Jonathan CopeBeliaev A Month in the Country
Adam CooperTitle role The Soldier’s Tale
Lauren CuthbertsonSymphonic Variations
Edward DownesConductor Rigoletto
Mark ElderConductor La bohème
and Il barbiere di Siviglia
Richard EyreDirector La traviata
Susan GrittonIsmene Mitridate, re di Ponto
and Marenka The Bartered Bride
Daniel HardingConductor Wozzeck
Matthew HartThe Devil The Soldier’s Tale,
Osvald Ghostsand title role Pinocchio
Richard HickoxConductor
The Midsummer Marriageand A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Gwyn Hughes JonesPinkerton Madama Butterfly
Simon KeenlysideWinston 1984
Matilda LeyserAerialist Deadpoint
ˆ
.
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Quality
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Phyllida LloydDirector Macbeth
Alastair MarriottChoreographer Tanglewood
Cathy MarstonChoreographer Ghosts
Sally MatthewsSifare Mitridate, re di Ponto
David McVicarDirector Le nozze di Figaro
Steven PimlottDirector Eugene Onegin
Rosalind PlowrightFricka Die Walküre
David PountneyDirector Maskarade
John B. ReadLighting consultant to The Royal Ballet
Christine RiceEmilia Otello
Amanda RoocroftJenifer The Midsummer Marriage
and Tatiana Eugene Onegin
Toby SpenceCount Almaviva
Il barbiere di Siviglia
Bryn TerfelWotan Die Walküre
John TomlinsonWanderer Siegfried
John TreleavenTitle role Siegfried
Will TuckettChoreographer Timecode,
The Soldier’s Tale and Pinocchio
Graham VickDirector The Midsummer Marriage
Edward WatsonPalemon Ondine
and Dance Teacher The Lesson
Keith WarnerDirector Die Walküre, Siegfried
andWozzeck
Christopher WheeldonChoreographer Polyphonia
Jane and Louise WilsonVideo installation The Knot Garden
.
Darcey Bussell and Steven McRaein Alastair Marriott’s Tanglewood
Edward Watson and Lauren Cuthbertsonin Ashton’s Symphonic Variations
Bryn Terfelas Wotan in Die Walküre
Adam Cooperin the title role The Soldier’s Tale
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PA RT II
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Scope
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OU R CO V E N TGA R D E N S I T E I S
A L I V E W I T HP E R F O R M A N C E S
A N D E V E N T SA S R I C H L Y VA R I E D A S T H E TA S T E S
A N D FA C E S O F T H O S E W H O C O M E
T O WAT C H O U R W O R K. TH E M A I N
A U D I T O R I U M, CL O R E ST U D I O UP S TA I R S , LI N B U R Y ST U D I O TH E AT R E, FL O R A L
HA L L, CR U S H RO O M: T H E M O O D S O F
T H E RO YA L OP E R A HO U S E.
SC O P E
Main Auditorium
Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro
Main Auditorium
Tamara Rojo and Federico Bonelliin Kenneth MacMillan’s Requiem
Clore Studio Upstairs
Leanne Cope in Will Tuckett’s Timecode
Will Kemp as the narrator in Will Tuckett’s The Soldier’s Tale
Linbury Studio Theatre
Floral Hall
Snow Patrol in concert in the Floral Hall
Crush Room
ROH Orchestra Section PrincipalTimpanist Russell Jordan taking part in Percussion Day in the Crush Room
MA I N AU D I T O R I U M
146 O P E R A A N D 139 B A L L E T
P E R F O R M A N C E S S E E N B Y
555,657 P E O P L E
CL O R E ST U D I O UP S TA I R S
95 P E R F O R M A N C E S S E E N B Y
12,590 P E O P L E
LI N B U R Y ST U D I O TH E AT R E
208 P E R F O R M A N C E S S E E N B Y
50,540 P E O P L E
FL O R A L HA L L
62 P E R F O R M A N C E S S E E N B Y
13,985 P E O P L E
CR U S H RO O M
61 P E R F O R M A N C E S S E E N B Y
8118 P E O P L E
.
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Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Scope
The unparalleled spectacle of attending a performancein the main auditorium, the feeling of privilege when witnessing the rise of a new talent in the CloreStudio Upstairs or the Linbury Studio Theatre, the simple pleasure of dancing in the Floral Hall, or the old-world salon elegance of a recital in theCrush Room, every experience of the Royal OperaHouse is unique. Our stages continue to offer a trulystimulating range of work and the opportunity to enjoywonderful artists, both established and emerging, in outstanding productions.
Opera
In a year full of memorable performances, a keyhighlight of 2005 was the Company’s performance ofWagner’s Die Walküre at the BBC Proms in the RoyalAlbert Hall, half way through its new Ring cycle. With Music Director Antonio Pappano creating animmediate rapport with the Orchestra of the RoyalOpera House from the opening bars, the performanceended with an exhilarating ovation for PlácidoDomingo (making his long awaited Proms debut), Lisa Gasteen, Eric Halfvarson, Waltraud Meier andBryn Terfel. In November 2005 the Company had the
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pleasure of celebrating the 80th birthday of theremarkable Sir Charles Mackerras when he conductedperformances of Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera andSmetana’s The Bartered Bride.
Ballet
The Royal Ballet continued to flourish under thesteady yet inspired direction of Monica Mason. Thereturn of Kenneth MacMillan’s The Rite of Springthrilled audiences afresh, with the full force of theCompany on display and a direct link to MacMillan’soriginal choreography through the coaching of his original Chosen One, Monica Mason herself. In the 80th birthday year of the great Americanchoreographer Glen Tetley, Royal Ballet dancersplayed out his great masterpiece of the 20th century,Pierrot Lunaire, with the natural élan that has come tocharacterize the Company.
Tamara Rojo as the Chosen One in MacMillan’s The Rite of Spring
Cecilia Bartoli as Fiorillain Il turco in Italia
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Scope
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AP R I L
NE W P R O D U C T I O N SUn ballo in maschera Antonio Pappano/
Mario Martone/Sergio TramontiRhapsody Frederick Ashton/Sergey Rachmaninoff/Jess Curtis00:00:00 Timecode Will Tuckett/Martin Ward/Robin Husband
.KE Y D E B U T S
Karita Mattila – Amelia Un ballo in mascheraMarcelo Alvarez – Riccardo Un ballo in mascheraThomas Hampson – Renato Un ballo in maschera
Zenaida Yanowsky – Chosen One The Rite of SpringAlina Cojocaru and Federico Bonelli – Ondine and Palemon
.LA N D M A R K P E R F O R M A N C E S
Tombeaux revival David Bintley/William Walton/Jasper ConranJane and Louise Wilson – video artists – The Knot Garden
The Rite of Spring Kenneth MacMillan/Igor Stravinsky/Sidney Nolan
Tales of the Islands World Premiere Dominique Le Gendre, concert performance
Tamara Rojo and Jonathan Cope – Ondine and Palemon.
HI G H L I G H T S O F T H E Y E A R
2005
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MAY
NE W P R O D U C T I O N S1984 Lorin Maazel World Premiere
Lorin Maazel/Robert Lepage/Carl FillionOrphée Philip Glass British Premiere Rory MacDonald/
Francisco Negrin/Es DevlinThree Songs – Two Voices World Premiere Christopher Bruce/
Jimi Hendrix/Marian BruceIl turco in Italia Adam Fischer/ Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier
.KE Y D E B U T S
Marianela Nuñez – Odette/Odile Swan LakeThomas Allen – Prosdocimo Il turco in Italia
.LA N D M A R K P E R F O R M A N C E S
Simon Keenlyside – Winston 1984Miyako Yoshida and Edward Watson – Ondine
Cecilia Bartoli – Fiorilla Il turco in Italia.
AWA R D SRO YA L PH I L H A R M O N I C SO C I E T Y AWA R D S 2006 Antonio Pappano – named conductor of the year
Ben Heppner – named singer of the year for his performance of the title role in Peter Grimes with The Royal Opera
Thomas Adés – won best large-scale composition for The TempestCharles Mackerras – awarded the RPS Gold Medal and the
BBC Radio 3 Listeners’ Prize.
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JU N E
NE W P R O D U C T I O N SInspired by Ashton Kim Brandstrup/Antony Dowson/
Wayne McGregor/Peter Quanz.
KE Y D E B U T SDmitri Hvorostovsky – Rigoletto
Leanne Benjamin – Girl in Blue Les BichesDarcey Bussell and Rupert Pennefather – A Month in the Country
.LA N D M A R K P E R F O R M A N C E SRolando Villazón – Duke of Mantua Rigoletto
Anna Netrebko – Gilda RigolettoAlina Cojocaru and Johan Kobborg – Two Footnotes to Ashton
Tea Dance in Trafalgar Square – Guinness World Record for thebiggest ever open air tea dance, with 195 couples
Sylvie Guillem and Jonathan Cope – A Month in the Country.
AWA R D SBBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition:
Andrew Kennedy winner Rosenblatt Recital Song PrizeHa Young Lee winner the Audience Prize
.
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JU L Y
KE Y D E B U T SAleksandra Kurzak – Aspasia Mitridate, re di Ponto
David Daniels – Farnace Mitridate, re di PontoSally Matthews – Sifare Mitridate, re di Ponto
.LA N D M A R K P E R F O R M A N C E S
Renée Fleming – Desdemona OtelloPlácido Domingo and Waltraud Meier –
Siegmund and Sieglinde Die WalküreThe Royal Opera and the Orchestra of
the Royal Opera House conducted by Antonio Pappano BBC Proms Die Walküre
.AWA R D S
Tamara Rojo winner 2005 Prince Asturias Award for the Arts.
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SE P T E M B E R
NE W P R O D U C T I O N SMaskarade Carl Nielsen Michael Schønwandt/
David Pountney/Johan EngelsGhosts World Premiere Cathy Marston/Dave Maric/
Jon Bausor/Peter Anderson.
KE Y D E B U T SEmma Bell – Leonora Maskarade
.LA N D M A R K P E R F O R M A N C E S
Dom Sébastien, roi de Portugal Gaetano Donizetti The Royal Opera/Mark Elder in concert
La fanciulla del West Giacomo Puccini Antonio Pappano/Piero Faggioni/Kenneth AdamMatthew Hart – Osvald Ghosts
.
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OC T O B E R
NE W P R O D U C T I O N SSiegfried Richard Wagner Antonio Pappano/
Keith Warner/Stefanos LazaridisThe Lesson Flemming Flindt/Georges Delerue/Bernard Dayde
La Sylphide August Bournonville/Johan KobborgFIRSTS Deadpoint New Commission Matilda Leyser
.KE Y D E B U T S
Glen Tetley choreographer Pierrot LunaireTamara Rojo – Marguerite Marguerite and Armand
Alina Cojocaru – The Sylph La Sylphide.
LA N D M A R K P E R F O R M A N C E SLisa Gasteen – Brünnhilde Siegfried
John Tomlinson – Wanderer Siegfried and King Fisher The Midsummer MarriageSorella Englund – Madge La Sylphide
Johan Kobborg –The LessonIvan Putrov – Pierrot Lunaire
.
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NO V E M B E R
NE W P R O D U C T I O N SA Midsummer Night’s Dream Benjamin Britten Richard Hickox/
Olivia Fuchs/Nicky TurnerTanglewood Alastair Marriott/Ned Rorem/Adam Wiltshire
.KE Y D E B U T S
Alina Cojocaru and Thiago Soares Gloria.
LA N D M A R K P E R F O R M A N C E SCharles Mackerras conducting Un ballo in maschera
Zenaida Yanowsky – title role ManonNina Stemme – Amelia Un ballo in maschera
.
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DE C E M B E R
NE W P R O D U C T I O N SPinocchio World Premiere Will Tuckett/Martin Ward/
Quay Brothers/Nicky GillibrandIl barbiere di Siviglia Gioachino Rossini Mark Elder/
Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier.
KE Y D E B U T SRoberta Marquez and Sarah Lamb –
Sugar Plum Fairy The NutcrackerFederico Bonelli, Rupert Pennefather and
Viacheslav Samodurov – Prince The NutcrackerRory MacDonald conducting Il barbiere di Siviglia
.LA N D M A R K P E R F O R M A N C E SJoyce DiDonato – Rosina Il barbiere di Siviglia
Will Kemp – Stromboli PinocchioMark Elder conducting Il barbiere di Siviglia
.
Carlos Acosta and Sarah Lambin Jerome Robbin’s Afternoon of a Faun
Plácido Domingoas Siegmund in Die Walküre
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JA N U A R Y
NE W P R O D U C T I O N SLe nozze di Figaro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Antonio Pappano/David McVicar/Tanya McCallin.
KE Y D E B U T SSimon O’Neill – Jeník The Bartered Bride
Miah Persson – Susanna Le nozze di FigaroRinat Shaham – Cherubino Le nozze di Figaro
.LA N D M A R K P E R F O R M A N C E S
Charles Mackerras conducting The Bartered BrideAntonio Pappano conducting Le nozze di Figaro
Irwin Schrott – Figaro Le nozze di FigaroPaule Constable lighting – Le nozze di Figaro
.AWA R D S
The National Dance Critics’ AwardsBest female dancer Marianela Nuñez
Outstanding artist (Classical) Rupert PennefatherBest Choreography (Classical) Christopher Newton
recreating Frederick Ashton’s SylviaCompany Prize for Outstanding Repertoire (Classical)
The Royal BalletOutstanding achievement in Dance Monica Mason
.
HI G H L I G H T S O F T H E Y E A R
2006
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FE B R U A R Y
NE W P R O D U C T I O N SGentle Giant World Premiere Stephen McNeff/
Mike Kenny/Alex Lowde.
KE Y D E B U T SYakov Kreizberg conducting Macbeth
Mara Galeazzi and Viacheslav Samodurov GiselleAlexandra Ansanelli and Federico Bonelli – Tchaikovsky pas de deux
Susan Bullock – Marie WozzeckValeri Hristov – Ivan Tsarevitch The Firebird
.LA N D M A R K P E R F O R M A N C E S
Johan Reuter – title role WozzeckSarah Lamb and Carlos Acosta – Afternoon of a Faun
.AWA R D S
Lisa Gasteen awarded the Order of Australia.
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MA R C H
NE W P R O D U C T I O N SEugene Onegin Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky Philippe Jordan/
Steven Pimlott/Antony McDonaldCastle Nowhere World Premiere Matjash Mrozewski/
Arvo Pärt/Yannick LariveeThérèse Raquin European Premiere Tobias Picker/
Timothy Redmond/Lee Blakeley/Emma Wee.
KE Y D E B U T SCarlos Acosta – Romeo Romeo and Juliet
Sarah Lamb, Martin Harvey, Steven McRae and Gary Avis – Polyphonia
Rupert Pennefather and Martin Harvey – Requiem.
LA N D M A R K P E R F O R M A N C E SFirst Drafts –Vayamos al Diablo Liam Scarlett
The Chorus of the Royal Opera – Eugene Onegin.
AWA R D SSimon Keenlyside winner, 2006 Laurence Olivier Award
for Outstanding Achievement in Opera, for performances in The Royal Opera’s 1984 and ENO’s Billy Budd.
.
PA RT I C I PAT I O N
PA RT III
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T H E RO YA L OP E R AHO U S E I S N O T
A N E X C L U S I V E C L U B.OP E R A A N D B A L L E T C A N I G N I T E
A N Y O N E’S PA S S I O N, B U T T O G I V E T H AT
E X P E R I E N C E T O A S M A N Y P E O P L E A S
P O S S I B L E M E A N S P R O V I D I N G S U S TA I N E D
S U P P O RT A N D O P P O RT U N I T I E S T O T H O S E
T H AT M I G H T O T H E RW I S E N E V E R S T E P
O V E R O U R T H R E S H O L D.
PA RT I C I PAT I O N
Children from all walks of life come to theRoyal Opera House and experience an incredible
range of events, performances, workshops andactivities, stimulating the mind and heart.
Participants at Percussion Day
The Creative Teachers initiative provides courses with creative writing, composing, singing
and design elements, reaching 50 schools each year, with 3000 participants.
A Creative Teachersworking session
More than 500 students booked onlinefor the Travelex £10 Student Standby tickets for the first night performance of Wozzeck.
The Travelex £10 Student Standby website
Turtle Opera, a ten-week creative project culminating in a performance in the Clore, involved
14 young people with autism in music-making,singing, dancing and design.
Participants in Turtle Opera
There were 19 events on BP Summer Big Screens, in locations around the country,
including a mixed programme from The Royal Ballet, Rigoletto and La bohéme.
BP Summer Big Screen in theCovent Garden Piazza
Touring internationally allows us to export our creativity and maintain our global reputation
for excellence.
Royal Ballet International Touring, open air class
Our aim is to sustain attendance rather than just encourage a once-in-a-lifetime attitude for people new to what we do.
To this end The Paul Hamlyn Club, now in its second year, wasestablished giving all those who previously attended a Paul
Hamlyn Foundation performance the opportunity to returnto the ROH at a discounted price.
Hamlyn matinee audience
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We are thrilled that people want to come to the Royal Opera House, but beyond that we also have to open them to the possibilities and experiences that our performances offer. We have to make themfeel the incredible array of emotions that our work can provoke. There is no point to what we do unless it has meaning for all those who experience the workof the Royal Opera House whether in person at Covent Garden, through touring, on television,through our BP Summer Big Screens, through aneducation activity or via our website. We need to help people feel that they have a stake in what we do, that our existence matters to them because of the wonderful sights, sounds and emotions we create. Many of our initiatives enable this to happen:from our education programme, through to ourtechnological innovations, and a new commitment toregional touring.
We would be unable to open the Royal Opera Houseso effectively to our audiences without the support ofour sponsors, both individual and corporate. Businessessuch as BP, Coutts, JPMorgan, Legal & General andTravelex. Supporting bodies such as the Paul HamlynFoundation, with its patronage of discounted tickets,and The Oak Foundation, which continues to support
PA RT I C I PAT I O N
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the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme andChamber Opera Series. Individuals such as the RobeyFamily, who have supported our Open House initiativesallowing us to give such things as free lunchtime recitalsto the public; Simon and Virginia Robertson with theirbacking of choreographic development with The RoyalBallet in the Linbury Studio Theatre and the Clore Studio Upstairs; and Marina Hobson and the HobsonCharity for significant support of both The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera. Their participation in the cause of the Royal Opera House enables theparticipation of thousands of other people. We need to make our sponsors feel involved and valued, so that in turn we can continue to make our audiences feelinvolved and valued.
Youth
A child from any walk of life can come to the RoyalOpera House and experience an amazing range ofevents, performances, workshops and activities with asingle aim: to stimulate the mind and heart.
There were a number of pieces guaranteed tocaptivate a young audience, this year. Timecode, a newsmall-scale dance work for children and families,opened at the Clore Studio Upstairs in April 2005 andthen embarked on a regional tour. Pinocchio was a newmusic/dance/theatre production by Will Tuckett,building on the success of his previous work, The Windin the Willows, which then became our first ever mid-scale tour. Gentle Giant was a fresh opera for childrenand families. First performed in the Clore in February
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2006 with special schools’ performances, it tooenjoyed a short regional tour and, thanks to thesupport of JPMorgan was performed for certainschools in particularly disadvantaged areas to anenthusiastic reception. All performances weresupported by workshops for schools and families basedaround the various productions.
Chance to Dance introduced 48 London schools to ballet, benefiting 1800 children of all backgroundsand cultures aged between 7 and 11. In addition, thescheme provided scholarship classes for 300 children.
Teachers
Our initiatives to inspire teachers and equip them withbetter skills, and a greater creative ability to invest intheir pupils, entered into its 21st year in the form of the umbrella programme Creative Teachers. Thisprovides courses with creative writing, composing,singing and design elements, reaching 50 schools each year, and a total of 3000 participants in theresulting in-school projects. The location varies and in 2005/06 centred on Kent, Cornwall, Slough andSunderland. Creative Voices is a Creative Teachers course specifically developed for South Africa, forteachers and students aged 9 to 14 in Johannesburg,Soweto and various townships. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) features ongoingartistic professional development for in-housedancers, chorus members and musicians, to ensurewave after wave of people who can pass on their skills to the young.
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Pricing
While there are many ways to experience the RoyalOpera House we wish to ensure that price is never an obstacle to attendance. Removing price barriers to participation is a core consideration of our strategyto enable as wide and diverse an audience as possibleto attend our performances and other activities.
Once again, the six Legal & General Schools’Matinees last Season gave 12,000 children from acrossBritain the chance to see a performance, with ticketprices kept to £6 and newcomers prioritized.
The Travelex Student Standby scheme wasintroduced in September 2005, allowing students to sign up to receive last-minute e-mail/text offers of tickets for only £10. In the first eight months of the scheme more than 7000 students subscribed.
January 2006 marked the 20th anniversary of ourrelationship with the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, duringwhich time almost 170,000 people have experienced a performance at the ROH. The Paul HamlynPerformances are given by The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera at hugely reduced prices for peoplewho have never attended the Royal Opera House, with ticket prices from £5 – £15. All performances in the 2005/06 season were sold out. Prior to eachperformance, there are activities for both children and adults – backstage tours, music, dance or singingworkshops, the opportunity to try on hats andcostumes, or see how shoes are dyed – designed todemystify and delight. Our aim is to sustain attendancerather than just encourage a once-in-a-lifetime
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“YOU HAVE CERTAINL Y GIVEN A
PRICELESS EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE
THAT MANY WOULD NEVER EXPERIENCE
IN THEIR LIFETIME.
” Teacher – Granville Community School, Derbyshire – at a schools’ matinee
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attitude for people new to what we do. To this end The Paul Hamlyn Club, now in its second year, was established giving all those who previouslyattended a Paul Hamlyn Foundation performance theopportunity to return to the ROH at a discountedprice. In the 2006/07 Season 6500 tickets across theyear are allotted for members, (20 tickets for everymain stage performance), and 500 across the year atthe Linbury Studio Theatre. We hope that this willencourage people to come again and again to theRoyal Opera House.
During Christmas 2005 we presented a recordnumber of free events in the Floral Hall and Crush Room, including carol concerts, jazz, ROHbrass, a mini Messiah, sing-a-long, a Teadirect FloralDance and participatory orchestral workshops. Theseformed the Twelve Days of Christmas, complementingthe performances of Pinocchio in the Linbury StudioTheatre, and The Nutcracker and Il barbiere di Siviglia onthe main stage. We are also pleased to be able to offer avariety of free events such as ROH Jazz The LunchtimeLine-up in the Floral Hall on Tuesdays, and a range of Monday lunchtime chamber music recitals bymembers of the Orchestra of the ROH, the Royal Opera Chorus, and the Jette Parker YoungArtists Programme.
Disability
Our commitment to enabling more directengagement with our art forms by people withdisability continues.
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Turtle Opera, a ten-week creative projectculminating in a performance in the Clore, involving14 young people with autism in music-making, singing,dancing and design. Monday Moves is a weekly creativedance class for visually-impaired adults.
Media
Our ability to reach into every region and every homewas extended in 2005/06. The influence of television,in particular, in not only carrying our performancesbut raising our profile and awareness of what we haveto offer the public, cannot be underestimated.
BBC2Darcey Bussell: Britain’s Ballerina was broadcast in December 2005, followed immediately by herperformance in the title role of Sylvia. The new production of Le nozze di Figarowas broadcast in April 2006.
BBC4A live relay of Il barbiere di Siviglia was shown inDecember 2005. Pinocchio, a new ROH2 production withchoreography by Will Tuckett, aired in January 2006.
ITVITV News, London Tonight, showed a piece inDecember 2005 on the Paul Hamlyn Foundationperformances of The Nutcracker. This included afeature on two of the children in the performance whoare currently at The Royal Ballet School and hadattended the Chance to Dance scheme.
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Channel 4In September 2005 Channel 4 News filmed a rehearsalof The Lesson, prior to its first performance by TheRoyal Ballet at the Royal Opera House. FlemmingFlindt and Monica Mason were both interviewed.
Our relays and outdoor events have gone fromstrength to strength. There were 19 events on BPSummer Big Screens, in locations around the country,including a Mixed Programme from The Royal Ballet,Rigoletto and La bohème.
Touring
Taking our work to targeted areas in England is anongoing endeavour for the Royal Opera Housethrough our On the Road programme. It is particularlyimportant for us to reach young audiences to enable them to experience our work in their ownenvironment. This year Gentle Giant toured toHextable, Cambridge and Totnes, Pinocchio toured to Norwich, Salford and Ulverston, and further toursof The Wind in the Willows and Timecode are planned.
Touring internationally allows us to export ourcreativity and maintain our global reputation forexcellence. In summer 2005, The Royal Balletcompleted a successful tour of the Far East, taking inKorea, Singapore and Japan.
Explore
We want people to be able to engage as fully as possible with the life of a piece. Our Insight Programme
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has been created to inform and stimulate ouraudiences. Its events are linked to specific opera andballet performances. They provide a uniqueopportunity to find out more about each productionand feature invited specialists, members of theproduction team, and artists. Pre-performance talksare free to performance ticket holders, and are givenan hour before the start of a production by invitedspeakers, or staff and artists of the Royal Opera House.Masterclasses take members of the public behind the scenes to watch artists overcome the challengesfacing them in the roles they undertake.
EN R I C H M E N T
PA RT IV
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AL L O W I N G A RT I S T ST H E F R E E D O MT O D E V E L O P
D I F F E R E N T FA C E T SO F T H E M S E LV E S
A N D T O AT T E M P T N E W C H A L L E N G E S
I N A N E N C O U R A G I N G E N V I R O N M E N T
N U RT U R E S O U R C R E AT I V E E S S E N C E. WE H AV E A R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y T O
H E L P I N D I V I D U A L S T O R E C O G N I Z E
A N D F U L F I L T H E I R P O T E N T I A L.
EN R I C H M E N T
To enable the Royal Opera Houseto become a laboratory for new opera,
ROH2 has formed OperaGenesis.
OperaGenesis in the Clore
Choreographer Cathy Marston completed her finalyear as an Associate Artist in 2006 with the creation of
her first full evening work, Ghosts.
Clemmie Sveaas as young Mrs Alvingin Cathy Marston’s Ghosts
Sharing the Stage is now in its third year ofpartnership with Southbank Sinfonia, an orchestra
which bridges the gap between graduation and the winning of a first contract.
A Sharing the Stage rehearsal
We hope to recruit up to 20 apprentices each year who will undertake full-time vocational training in
stagecraft practices such as prop and costume making,armoury, stagehand work and set-building.
A member of the Prop MakersDepartment at work
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We have a responsibility to help individuals torecognize and fulfil their potential, but in addition we want to support maturing artists as they progresstheir careers, even if their paths ultimately take thembeyond the Royal Opera House. By doing this we fulfil our obligation to our art forms and help toinvigorate them with new skills and talent. We are the home of opera and ballet in Britain and as such we should be accountable to our public. We have aduty, as a leading arts organization, to demonstratesound strategic and day-to-day administration. Ourcontinuous examination of how we can improve tomake us an even better run, more responsive, moderninstitution, will uphold the Royal Opera House’sposition as a beacon for best practice in the arts.
Opera
Without risk art stagnates. As much as any other artform opera needs a place to experiment. To enable theRoyal Opera House to become a laboratory for newopera, ROH2 has formed OperaGenesis, with supportfrom the Genesis Foundation. Its objectives are toencourage new writing and performance at all levels,to unite talented composers with librettists, and to
EN R I C H M E N T
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evolve new opera and new operatic forms within astructured programme. The Genesis Foundation isone of the UK’s leading philanthropic foundationsand in 2005 a five-year plan for opera development was agreed with ROH2. This has already begun to bear fruit, with 16 creative teams formed to developnew ideas. One of these projects – nitrogenesis – the rakein progress – builds on our collaboration with blacktheatre group NITRO. Within this, we plan to create a single work based on The Rake’s Progress, involving eight composers, three writers and aphotographer. To extend the potential of the programme an online community,Operagenesis.com, has now been established. It allowsusers, worldwide, to share insights and thoughts andseek out potential creative partners.
Dance
Dancelines is a new initiative to assist in developing new choreographic talent. Choreographer KimBrandstrup led a two-week course for choreographers,from 25 July to 6 August, in the dance studios at theRoyal Opera House. Music Seen, Motion Heard: a newdance and music synergy focused on the relationshipbetween music and dance and involved fivechoreographers, three musicians and fifteen dancers.
Our Associate initiative, across opera and dance,exists to build creative relationships with artists andcompanies which we believe can help us to meet ourartistic objectives. Associates come to us with freshideas which we can then develop in partnership with
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them, often leading to productions in the Linbury andClore. Choreographer Cathy Marston completed herfinal year as an Associate Artist in 2006, with thecreation of her first full evening work, Ghosts. Ourother Associates are Dominique Le Gendre, WalkerDance Park Music and NITRO.
ROH2 continues to give groups of young peoplethe opportunity to perform in the Linbury throughthe ROH2 programme Springboard – Platform for Workby and for Young People. This year we have welcomedgroups from Ballet Central, Bird College, RambertSchool, the Orpheus Trust, and Diamohk Children’sDance Company.
Music
Sharing the Stage is now in its third year of partnershipwith Southbank Sinfonia, an orchestra which bridges the gap between graduation and the winningof a first contract. The scheme helps to explore and address the concerns and needs of youngprofessional musicians as they look to begin theircareers. Access to rehearsals of the Orchestra of theRoyal Opera House, opportunities to perform withthem, orchestral and sectional coaching, talks fromleading members and the staging of mock auditions,all come under the umbrella of the programme.Members of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera Housework closely with Southbank musicians on a range of performance skills, guiding and supporting their development. In doing so, we are exploring someof our own attitudes to the role of the musician and
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“I LOVED THE ACTIVITIES
WE DID TODAY AND I ESPECIALL Y
LOVED PLAYING THE MUSIC.
” Charlotte, aged 6 – Rolvenden Primary, Kent
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the orchestra within the community, including the wayin which we seek out and recruit musicians into ourorchestra, resulting in new training and interactiveprojects for our own musicians.
We should challenge received wisdom if better ways of doing things become apparent. In spring 2005 we interviewed all applicants for two SecondViolin posts, abandoning the traditional, prescriptiveprocess of CV-based shortlists and rigid auditions.Each candidate was given feedback and advice after their performance, an innovation that wasreceived extremely positively by all. By doing this wehope to lead the way towards a more productive audition process whereby appropriate talent is foundfor a position, but all talent is helped and encouraged.
Two new initiatives have been created by the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme, aimed atfostering a continuing association with former Young Artists while supporting their furtherdevelopment. The first is a position for singers calledJette Parker Principal. It will be an occasional position offered when a balance of roles with The Royal Opera is available for a suitable singer.Recipients will be offered a one-year contract whichwill allow them to undertake roles for The RoyalOpera, while having access to all of the coachingfacilities provided by the Programme. LioraGrodnikaite will be the first Jette Parker Principal,beginning work with the company at the start of the 2006/07 Season. In addition, the Programme hasstarted a scheme which allows all Young Artists who have left, the chance to return in order
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to prepare entire roles intensively with the Director of Musical Preparation, David Gowland, and theProgramme’s language, movement and acting coaches.
Training
We have initiated an innovative new scheme to tackleskills shortages and increase diversity within thecultural sector. Following discussions with a wide rangeof potential partners, including Creative and CulturalSkills (the sector skills’ council), the National Theatreand several other national and regional theatres, arange of education providers (including RADA andLAMDA) and The Prince’s Trust, we are now able tooutline our plans. We hope to recruit up to 20apprentices each year who will undertake full-timevocational training in stagecraft practices such as prop and costume making, stagehand work and set-building. This will be complemented by learningand the gaining of qualifications in conjunction with a further or higher education body. Apprenticeshipswill initially be aimed at the 16 – 24 age-group. The programme will last approximately 15 months.The ROH and other participating theatres’ employeeswill act as mentors, sharing their experience and skillswith apprentices. We aim to attract young people froma broad range of social, economic and culturalbackgrounds, and The Prince’s Trust has offered torefer young people to us and help to deliver a two-weekGet Into Stagecraft course, offering socially excluded 16 – 24 year-olds a taste of theatre life. It will continueto support those who progress to an apprenticeship.
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“THE COURSE HAS GIVEN ME
THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP MANY
CREATIVE SKILLS AND GO BACK
TO SCHOOL TO GIVE MY CHILDREN
A CHANCE TO DO THE SAME.
” Amy Scholey – Teacher, Auriol Junior School
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“I FEEL EMPOWERED. THE TEAM ENSURED ALL TECHNICAL,
CREATIVE AND PERFORMANCE
SKILLS NECESSAR Y FOR CHILDREN
TO LEARN WERE COVERED, SO I WILL
BE ABLE TO LEAD THEIR JOURNEY
FROM MY OWN BASE OF KNOWLEDGE
AND UNDERSTANDING.
” Kirsten Simmons – Teacher, Burbage Primary School
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This is an important and exciting programme that will enhance the pool of employees available to theROH and theatres across the country. At a later date wealso hope to be able to offer new apprenticeships inadministration, aimed at graduates.
Value
As a national icon it is important that we help to shapethe future of this country in situations where ourexpertise and experience may be beneficial. This iswhy we are the sponsoring organization, from thecultural sector, for the Public Value Project being ledby The Work Foundation. The project aims to helppolicy makers, public managers and institutions tounderstand the idea of public value and to see how itcan be applied in practice. We believe that this willprove immensely productive in making Britishorganizations more responsive to the public’s needs.
IN N O VAT I O N
PA RT V
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WE S T R I V E T O S E TT H E C R E AT I V E
A G E N D A F O R O P E R AA N D B A L L E TI N BR I TA I N
A N D I N F L U E N C E I T I N T E R N AT I O N A L L Y, B Y P R O D U C I N G P E R F O R M A N C E S O F
D I S T I N C T I O N. TH I S M E A N S B E I N G B O L D
I N O U R A RT I S T I C D E C I S I O N S,E N C O U R A G I N G, FA C I L I TAT I N G A N D
H O S T I N G N E W W O R K, A N D R E F U S I N G
T O R E S T O N O U R L A U R E L S.
IN N O VAT I O N
April 2005 saw a controversial world premiere of 1984, a new opera by Lorin Maazel
based on George Orwell’s dystopian vision.
Simon Keenlyside as Winston in Lorin Maazel’s 1984
The Royal Ballet presented a hugely exciting number of premiere productions, with new talent
and stimulating work to the fore.
Leanne Benjamin and Martin Harvey inChristopher Wheeldon’s Polyphonia
First Drafts in November 2005 and March 2006featured more than ten new ballets by emerging
choreographers from amongst the ranks of The Royal Ballet.
First Drafts – Kenta Kura and Laura McCullochin Ernst Meisner’s Maybe Living
By utilizing the latest technology the Royal Opera House can better support its productions,
offer greater creative options to our directors and designers, and give more to our audiences.
A computer animated image for Stefanos Lazaridis’designs for Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen
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We are a complex, multi-faceted organization and we must foster fresh ideas in all areas of our operationto be the benchmark for excellence in everything thatwe do, thereby ensuring our current and long-termfuture success.
Opera
This year proved exceptionally fertile for new andcreatively audacious productions and the presentationof neglected pieces.
April 2005 saw a controversial world premiere of1984, a new opera by Lorin Maazel based on GeorgeOrwell’s dystopian vision. A strong cast, includingSimon Keenlyside in an award-winning performance,was directed by Robert Lepage, making his RoyalOpera debut. The following month the Britishpremiere of the Philip Glass opera Orphée was staged in the Linbury Studio Theatre by The Royal Opera in aproduction by Francisco Negrin, conducted by RoryMacdonald, and featuring a number of Jette ParkerYoung Artists in principal roles.
September 2005 offered two contrasting works. At the start of the month Dom Sébastien, roi de Portugalwas performed in concert, offering a rare opportunity
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to hear Donizetti’s dark, dramatically satisfying finalwork. Maskarade, Carl Nielsen’s effervescent comedy,featured for the rest of the month in a new productionby David Pountney.
The ROH2 programme in the Linbury StudioTheatre included a new co-production, with MusicTheatre Wales, of Michael Tippett’s The Knot Garden,with specially commissioned video installations by Jane and Louise Wilson. Upstairs in the Clore, ROH2premiered a new opera for families, Gentle Giant, byStephen McNeff.
In a music-based project, ROH Associate ArtistDominique Le Gendre was commissioned to create anew chamber piece, Tales of the Islands, which set thepoems of Derek Walcott for a group of players from theOrchestra of the Royal Opera House.
Dance
Both The Royal Ballet and ROH2 presented a hugelyexciting number of premiere productions, with newtalent and stimulating work to the fore.
We staged world premieres in the shape ofChristopher Bruce’s ballet Three Songs – Two Voices, May 2005, Alastair Marriott’s Tanglewood, November2005, and Canadian choreographer MatjashMrozewski’s Castle Nowhere in March 2006.
As part of the Ashton Centenary Monica Masoncommissioned new work in June 2005 by KimBrandstrup, Antony Dowson, Wayne McGregor andPeter Quanz, presented by The Royal Ballet in theLinbury Studio Theatre. The ROH2 programme also
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commissioned a new full-evening work from CathyMarston, Ghosts, given its premiere in September 2005. A collaboration between choreographerMarston, designer John Bausor, video artist PeterAnderson and dramaturg Edward Kemp, Ghostsproved to be a captivating piece which sold-out tworuns of performances.
For Christmas, ROH2 commissioned a hugelysuccessful new work for families from Will Tuckett.Pinocchio, integrating song, dance and narrative in afast paced re-telling of the familiar story, wonwidespread critical acclaim and delighted packedhouses. In addition, ROH2 re-staged Tuckett’sadaptation of Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale, which hadproved so popular at its first run of performances.
ROH2 spilled out of the building into the CoventGarden Piazza with Gravity and Levity, by LindseyButcher, which fused aerial dance with film shorts,woven together through sight and sound, to create a live arts event that took place partially within theLinbury StudioTheatre as well as outdoors.
Exposure
As a leader in the arts we welcome to Covent Gardennew artists, and those from different disciplines andtraditions, to broaden their experiences, nurture theirtalent and enrich what we can offer to our audiences.
First Drafts in November 2005 and March 2006,featured more than ten new ballets by emergingchoreographers from amongst the ranks of The RoyalBallet, including Erico Montes, Pietra Mello-Pittman,
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Ernst Meisner, Xander Parish, Kristen McNally, LiamScarlett, Jonathan Watkins, Ludovico Ondiviela andVanessa Fenton.
In October 2005 Firsts, in its third season,introduced a startlingly original range of talented newartists. This year the programme included Deadpoint, a world premiere by aerial artist Matilda Leyser. Other aerial theatre was presented by Wired AerialTheatre with their solo piece performed by bungeeexpert Wendy Hesketh. Irven Lewis Dance Theatreand Indian dance artist Vena Ramphal presentedfurther eclectic dance work.
The Summer Collection was a double season in theClore featuring new:currents, followed by Snagged andClored, 12 – 23 July 2005. new:currents comprised four programmes of choreography by a range ofinternational artists, based in the UK, whose work has developed out of diverse cultural traditions. It included new ROH2 commissions for Saju Hari and Cody Choi and the world premiere of a new workby Bawren Tavaziva. Snagged and Clored offered anexhaustive menu of innovative choreographers,highlighting the vibrant creative energy of today’scontemporary dance scene. It included new work bySnag choreographer Joanna Fong and New Art Club.
In October 2005, Ballet Black, a neo-classical balletcompany for dancers of black and Asian descent, madeits first appearance in the Linbury Studio Theatre aspart of Black History Month. Its distinctive blend ofbeautiful music and stunning choreographydemonstrated the artistic strength of the company.
Mavin Khoo Dance presented Devi: the Female Principle,
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a world premiere performance in the Linbury Studio Theatre, in February 2005. This major newwork was also officially selected to be performed at the Venice Biennale in June of the same year. Using Sufi poetry and ancient Tantric texts, the piecefused classical ballet and Bharata Natyam, (one ofIndia’s oldest dance-forms), to celebrate the sensualityand physicality of the feminine within Hindu and Islamic perceptions.
Technology
Staying at the forefront of technical developments isessential for any organization with a global standing.By utilizing the latest technology the Royal OperaHouse can better support its productions, offer greatercreative options to our directors and designers, andgive more to our audiences.
We are the first opera house in the world toincorporate virtual reality as a core aspect of ourproduction design process. Our NVIDIA Quadrotechnology enables lighting and set changes to bedesigned and animated in a virtual computerenvironment, which can then be replicated in the realworld. The ROH team spent two years producing an accurate model of the main auditorium which wasthen imported into the virtual environment of thesystem. Once a sequence of lighting movements hasbeen finalized in the virtual system it can then be usedto programme the lighting console which controls thelights on the physical stage. The system also allowsbetter planning of scenery and set piece changes as it
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enables a view of the stage from the perspective of anyseat in the house.
The work of the Royal Opera House should bepreserved for posterity and be made available as widelyas possible. To this end we have installed a state of theart high-definition mixing and production systemfrom Sony, now housed in a purpose-built audiovisualproduction suite in our sub-stage floors. This gives usthe ability to produce full, live or recorded broadcasts.Consequently we will develop a range of CD and DVDrecordings of our productions, broadening our reachacross the world and expanding our income potential.This new development will complement the RoyalOpera House Heritage Series CDs, launched during2006, which will release 25 operas over the next four years, immortalizing some of the greatestperformances of the last few decades.
FI N A N C E
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MORE THAN £2 GENERATED FOR EVER Y £1R E C E I V E D I N P U B L I C S U B S I D Y
A S E V E N T H S U C C E S S I V E
B A L A N C E D B U D G E T
A S E V E N T H S U C C E S S I V E Y E A R
O F P O S I T I V E C A S H B A L A N C E S R E TA I N E D
T H R O U G H O U T T H E Y E A R
OU R I N C O M E G R E W T O £80.2M
(2004/05: £74.5M)
70% O F R E S O U R C E S
ALLOCATED TO FRONT-LINE PERFORMANCE,E D U C AT I O N A N D O U T R E A C H A C T I V I T I E S
MO R E T H A N 40% OF DONORS/SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS
W E R E N E W T O T H E RO YA L OP E R A HO U S E
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The Royal Opera House exists to produceextraordinary opera and ballet. Sound financialgovernance and strategic planning enable that tohappen in perpetuity. They also maintain our unique landmark site in an appropriate state for one of the world’s great opera houses. We have takensignificant steps in this financial year to establish and invigorate new income streams, particularly in the area of commercial licensing and CD sales. We anticipate that the tangible financial benefits of these enterprises will be seen in the near future.They demonstrate our ability to augment our various public subsidies through our own initiatives, in order to support and expand our artistic ambitions.
Results
For the seventh year in succession we have balancedthe books, with the result for the year ending 26 March2006 being a surplus on unrestricted general funds of £40,000. This takes account of monies needed forthe essential replacement and major refurbishment of capital equipment. Also for the seventh year insuccession, the Royal Opera House held positive cashbalances throughout the year.
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Our balanced budget was achieved by responsiblecost-control and by meeting increased incometargets. In 2005/06 our income grew to £80.2m. We staged 285 Royal Opera and Royal Balletperformances, as well as hosting three weeks ofperformances by the Kirov. Box Office income was strong across the year, with the majority ofperformances sold out – our average audienceattendance is 90%. Private sector funding continuedat last year’s levels. Commercial income from retailsales, catering, and commercial venue-hires keptpace with inflation. We are confident that significantrevenues can be generated from commercialactivities including books, CDs, and licensed productand substantial progress to enable this has been made this year.
Investment
In 2005/06 we once again directed around 70% ofresources to front-line performance, education andoutreach activities.
As in previous years, we generated more than £2for every £1 received in public subsidy. The ArtsCouncil England grant is, however, the foundationon which our finances are built. In 2005/06 the RoyalOpera House received Arts Council England fundingof £24.9m, including an increase over the 2003/04grant of some £1.2m, ahead of inflation, to enablefurther expansion of the ROH2, Education andAccess programmes.
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Capital Fund
In 2005/06 we set aside £2.6m in a capital fund tomaintain our heritage site in the heart of London andto invest in future capital equipment requirements.
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TO TA L IN C O M E
2006 £80.2M
A ACE £24.9M
B Box office £30M
C Donations, legacies and similar incomingresources £16.2M
D Commercial trading, touringand other income £7.6M
E Summer season £0.7M
F Interest income £0.8M
2005 £74.5M
A ACE £23.1M
B Box office £27.2M
C Donations, legacies and similar incomingresources £15.8M
D Commercial trading, touringand other income £6.9M
E Summer season £0.8M
F Interest income £0.7M
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TO TA L CO S T S
2006 £80.2M
A Performance, education and outreach £55.6M
B Premises and depreciation £9.3M
C Marketing and publicity £5.6M
D Management and administration £3.0M
E Fundraising £2.4M
F House management £1.7M
G Capital fund £2.6M
2005 £74.5M
A Performance, education and outreach £52.4M
B Premises and depreciation £8.7M
C Marketing and publicity £5.3M
D Management and administration £2.9M
E Fundraising £2.6M
F House management £1.8M
G Capital fund £0.8M
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Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Supporters and Sponsors
Simon Robertson – ChairmanDavid BrownlowThe Countess of ChichesterMarco CompagnoniPeggy DannenbaumThomas LynchDame Judith Mayhew JonasSimon RobeyDame Gail RonsonBernard TaylorSir Brian WilliamsonLady Young of Graffham (appointed January 2006)
Sir Peter Davis (retired July 2005)
ROYAL OPERA HOUSE
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE 2005/06
The Royal Opera House gratefullyacknowledges the generosity of allthose who have supported us thisfinancial year.
Arts Council England
IndividualsAnonymous (7)Mr Philip J AdkinsMr David BainDianne & Michael BienesPeter BorenderRobin & Patricia BrokeLady BrownDavid BrownlowJohn & Susan Burns Mr & Mrs Alan CarrDenis & Ronda CassidyLeigh Collins Marco CompagnoniMr & Mrs Nicholas CoulsonKarl & Peggy DannenbaumPeter & Barbara Elliston Mr & Mrs Kurt EngelhornPeter & Fiona EspenhahnJohn A FranklinMrs Gabriela GadeliusMr & Mrs Jacques-Henri Gaulard Sir Donald GordonDr Carolyn Greenwood
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Supporters and Sponsors
ROYAL OPERA HOUSE
SUPPORTERS AND SPONSORS 2005/06
Mr Geoffrey GriffithsJoseph Hackmey Zoe & Martin HarrisMarina Hobson MBESarah Jane InghamMr & Mrs Christopher
W T JohnstonMrs Philip KanDerek Kingsbury CBEMrs Wendy Lee-GrahamDeirdre & Thomas LynchTamar & Bob ManoukianElizabeth & Andrew MorisonCatherine & David MossMr Fraser PartridgeJean & Hélène PetersJürgen & Clarissa PierburgDiana & David PillingJudith PortraitFrances PrescottSimon & Virginia RobertsonThe Robey Family Mr Gerald M Ronson &
Dame Gail Ronson DBEJanine Roxborough BunceHugh StevensonSue & Stuart StradlingPhil & Caroline SwallowAllen Thomas Mrs Maurice TrowbridgeMr & Mrs John Steven WardAdrienne Waterfield
Royal Opera House – Annual Review 2005/06Supporters and Sponsors
CorporateAccentureAudi The BOC GroupBombardier Skyjet International BPThe Canary Wharf GroupCoutts & CoHuntswoodJPMorganKPMGLegal & GeneralLehman Brothers LovellsMAC NomuraPerrier JouëtReed ElsevierTeadirectThe Telegraph GroupTravelex PlcTravel for the ArtsUBSUBS Wealth Management Vodafone Waitrose
Jane & Anthony WeldonDr & Mrs Michael WestRobert W WilsonDavid & Liz WoottonJayne Wrightsman
Trusts and FoundationsAmerican Friends of Covent Garden
& The Royal Ballet Inc The Audrey Sacher Charitable Trust BBC Children in Need The Candide Trust The Dalriada TrustDunard FundThe Friends of Covent GardenGenesis FoundationThe Headley TrustHedley FoundationThe Helen Hamlyn TrustThe Hobson CharityThe Jean Sainsbury Royal
Opera House Fund The Linbury TrustOak FoundationPaul Hamlyn FoundationThe Robert Gavron Charitable Trust The Royal Opera House
Endowment Fund The Samuel Sebba Charitable Trust The Shauna Gosling Trust The Stella and Alexander
Margulies Charitable Trust
Photography kindly supplied byRob Moore (Pages 16, 68, 84),Clive Barda (Pages 22, 28, 54), Bill Cooper (Pages 23, 33, 94),
Dee Conway (Pages 27, 43, 53, 82), Johan Persson (Pages 29, 34, 35, 36, 96, 97),John Lloyd Davies (Pages 38, 81),Robbie Jack (Pages 39, 61),Catherine Ashmore (Page 44),
ROH Education (Page 62), Emma Wee (Page 64), Lee Mawdsley (Page 66),Rebecca Erol (Page 69),Graham Burke (Page 83)
PR O M I S E FU L F I L L E D
RO YA L OP E R A HO U S E
AN N U A L RE V I E W 2005/06
Royal Opera HouseCovent GardenLondon WC2E 9DDTelephone +44 20 7240 1200www.roh.org.uk
Registered Charity no.211775
Managing Editor Dan Foulkes for MilknosugarDesign Navyblue Design GroupPrint Graphicom Srl
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