The Royal Opera

The Royal Opera traces its lineage to the Covent Garden Theatre of 1732, becoming a permanent opera company in the post-war reconstruction of British cultural life. Today it is among the most prestigious houses in the world, presenting a season that ranges from Handel and Mozart through the great Italian and German repertoire to bold new commissions. The company is celebrated for the scale and finish of its stagings and for attracting the finest singers, conductors and directors of the day. Its orchestra and chorus are central to British musical life, and its productions frequently travel internationally and to cinema screens. Sharing the Royal Opera House with The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera anchors one of the few institutions in the world where ballet and opera of the very highest order share a single stage across a continuous season.