Buxton Festival

Buxton Opera House in Derbyshire, UK, was designed by Matcham and opened in 1903, but by 1932 it was used mostly as a cinema. From 1936 until 1942 the building hosted an annual summer theatre festival with the Old Vic Theatre Company, but then continued its role as a cinema, and gradually lapsed into dilapidation.

In 1976 Malcolm Fraser, then lecturer in opera studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, visited the building and realised its potential as the venue for an opera festival. During the next three years he spent much time and energy creating what we now know as the Buxton Festival.

The opera house reopened after two years of renovation work on 30 July 1979, the first night of the first Buxton Festival. This first festival featured the first ever complete performance in Britain of Lucia di Lammermoor and Peter Maxwell Davies' opera The Two Fiddlers. Over the years since then, the festival has become known for first productions, unusual and rarely performed opera, and an artistic policy of centering its productions on a common theme or themes.

Further information: buxtonfestival.co.uk

 

A selection of articles about Buxton Festival

Ensemble. A Big Disappointment - In the last of his reports from the 2024 Buxton Festival, Mike Wheeler experiences Ethel Smyth's comic opera 'The Boatswain's Mate'

Ensemble. Unanimity and Feel for Lively Interaction - Mike Wheeler hears music by Bridge, Elgar and Brahms from the Dante Quartet

Ensemble. Music of the Spheres - Mike Wheeler listens to an eclectic programme from pianist Ryan Drucker at the Buxton Festival

Ensemble. Intelligently Structured and Winningly Executed - Mike Wheeler is impressed by Fenella Humphreys and Martin Roscoe's Buxton Festival recital marking the centenary of the death of Gabriel Fauré

Ensemble. A Zany Kind of Sense - Mike Wheeler experiences Franz Joseph Haydn's opera buffa 'La Canterina'

Ensemble. A Spirited Performance - Mike Wheeler was in the audience at Buxton for Giuseppe Verdi's 'Ernani'

Ensemble. All the Expressive Bases Well Covered - Mike Wheeler was at the conclusion of Buxton Festival's Paul Lewis Schubert sonata series

Ensemble. Brilliantly Imaginative Staging - Mike Wheeler witnesses the devastating conclusion to Handel's 'Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno' at the Buxton Festival

Ensemble. Clearly Going Places - Mike Wheeler listens to the Kleio Quartet's Buxton Festival recital

Ensemble. Dramatically Unsatisfactory - Mike Wheeler explains his opinion of Peter Brook and Jean-Claude Carrière's take on Bizet's 'Carmen'

Ensemble. Contrasting Emotional Worlds - Mike Wheeler notes the distinction of Paul Lewis as a Schubert interpreter at the 2024 Buxton Festival

Mozart in Italy - Mike Wheeler, in the first of several visits to this year's Buxton Festival, listens to a discussion between Jane Glover and Leah Broad

Ensemble. Contrasting Moods - Mike Wheeler, in his last report from this year's Buxton Festival, is impressed by Sacha Rattle and Peter Donohoe

Ensemble. Bold Choices - Mike Wheeler congratulates Nicky Spence and Joseph Middleton on their Buxton Festival programme

Ensemble. An Outstanding Player - Mike Wheeler reports on Jack Hancher's Buxton Festival guitar recital

Ensemble. Another Case of Mendelssohn's Influence? - Mike Wheeler listens to Verdi and Borodin from the Victoria String Quartet at the Buxton Festival

Ensemble. Opening up New Possibilities - Mike Wheeler comes across another strand in the concept of historical performance whilst reviewing Handel's 'Orlando' at the Buxton Festival

Ensemble. Really Nice People - Mozart's 'Il Re Pastore' at the Buxton Festival impresses Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Misunderstandings and Jealousy - Mike Wheeler reports on the gender-politics of the Buxton Festival's production of Bellini's 'La Sonnambula'

Ensemble. A Fine Balance between Funny and Sad - Mike Wheeler reports from the Buxton Festival on 'The Land of Might-Have-Been'

Ensemble. Vitality and Imagination - Mike Wheeler listens to the Delphine Trio, in his last report from the 2022 Buxton Festival

Ensemble. Songs from the Shows - Mike Wheeler enjoys a 'Strictly Musical' evening at Buxton Opera House

Ensemble. Handel vs Bononcini - Mike Wheeler listens to the English Concert and soprano Anna Dennis at the Buxton Festival

Ensemble. A Welcome Opportunity - Mike Wheeler listens to the recital 'Colour My Song' at the 2022 Buxton Festival

Ensemble. Effectively Communicated - Mike Wheeler listens to Kate Whitley and Laura Attridge's oratorio 'Our Future In Your Hands' at Buxton

Ensemble. Full of Vitality - Mike Wheeler listens to the Solus Trumpet Ensemble at the 2022 Buxton Festival

Ensemble. An Extraordinary Journey - Mike Wheeler listens to Charles Owen's piano recital at the 2022 Buxton Festival

Ensemble. Cohesive Ensemble Playing - Mike Wheeler reports on Jonathan Dove's 'Mansfield Park' at the Buxton Festival

Ensemble. Sit Back and Enjoy the Ride - Mike Wheeler experiences 'Viva la Diva' at Buxton

Ensemble. Warmth and Sassiness - Mike Wheeler was at Buxton Opera House for 'Gypsy: A Musical Fable'

Ensemble. Taut and Focused - Mike Wheeler reports from the Buxton Festival on Rossini's 'La Donna del Lago'

Ensemble. Backwards and Forwards - Mike Wheeler rounds up his coverage of the 2021 Buxton Festival with concerts by Sarah Connoly, Roderick Williams and Natalie Clein

Ensemble. A Session of Role-play - Mike Wheeler is impressed by a very unusual performance of Handel's 'Acis and Galatea'

Ensemble. Camping it Up? - Mike Wheeler has some doubts about the Buxton Festival production of Pauline Viardot's opera 'Cendrillon'

Ensemble. Utterly Compelling - Errolyn Wallen's sequel to Purcell's 'Dido and Aeneas', experienced by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. A Fairy-tale Opera for the 21st Century - Mike Wheeler experiences Jonathan Dove's 'The Enchanted Pig' at the Buxton Festival

Ensemble. Quietly Compelling - Two Buxton Festival concerts involving the guitar, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. A Long-lost Operatic Masterpiece? - Mike Wheeler is not so sure about Malcolm Arnold's 'The Dancing Master', as performed at the Buxton Festival

Ensemble. Whatever He's On, I Want Some - Mike Wheeler listens to Kathryn Stott's Buxton recital

Ensemble. Virtuoso Exuberance - Mike Wheeler listens to the Pelléas Ensemble at the Buxton Festival

Ensemble. A Magical Production - Mike Wheeler reports on the Buxton Festival's first ever musical - Stephen Sondheim's 'A Little Night Music'

Classical music news. Buxton Festival - The Buxton International Festival (8-25 July 2021) announces its headline events

Ensemble. Music through Breath - Adrian Kelly talks to Christian Curnyn about Handel's 'Acis and Galatea' as part of the Buxton International Festival Digital 2020 Season, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. A Connolly Smorgasbord - A selection of performances by Sarah Connolly, as part of the Buxton International Festival Digital 2020 Season, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Where to now for the Arts in the UK? - Annie Lydford, Julian Glover and Emily Gottlieb in conversation with Michael Williams as part of the Buxton International Festival Digital 2020 Season, reported by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Artificially Injected? - Mozart from Omer Meir Wellber and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra with 'a number of surprises' as part of the Buxton International Festival Digital 2020 Season, experienced by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Especially Enjoyable Hard Work - Paul Kerryson and Wyn Davies explore the work of Stephen Sondheim and 'A Little Night Music', in conversation with Michael Williams, as part of the Buxton International Festival Digital 2020 Season, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Perspectives: Words and Music - Mike Wheeler watches Buxton Festival's film 'Kate Whitley and Laura Attridge in conversation with Michael Williams', discussing the creation of the opera/oratorio 'Our Future, In Your Hands'

Ensemble. Each Performance is a Unique Event - Mike Wheeler watches the film 'Adrian Kelly and Jacopo Spirei - La donna del lago and the role of the stage director' from the Buxton Festival's online offering

Ensemble. Breathless Excitement - In the last of his reports from the 2019 Buxton Festival, Mike Wheeler listens to music by Jean-Féry Rebel, Telemann, Marco Ucellini, J S Bach, and an improvisation on 'La Folìa', played by Improviso

Ensemble. Fierce Commitment - Gillian Moore talks about her book 'The Rite of Spring. The Music of Modernity' and then Philip Moore and Hugh Watkins play Stravinsky's 'Le Sacre du printemps', preceded by John Adams' 'Hallelujah Junction', all reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. An Irresistible Challenge - Mike Wheeler listens to an operatic rarity - 'Lucio Papirio Dittatore' by Antonio Caldara

Ensemble. Ballet of Sheep - Opera Della Luna's 'Orpheus in the Underworld' at the Buxton Festival, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. A Local Heroine/Antiheroine - Mike Wheeler experiences the pasticcio 'Georgiana' at the Buxton Festival

Ensemble. Vintage Buxton - Mike Wheeler reports on the current production of 'Eugene Onegin'

Ensemble. Genuine Insights - Lizzie Ball and Morgan Szymanski at the Buxton Festival impress Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Plus and Minus - Songs and arias from Jennifer Davis and Caroline Dowdle at the Buxton Festival, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. 'Opéra comique' meets 'Easy Rider' - Mike Wheeler reports from Buxton on Opera Della Luna's 'The Daughter of the Regiment'

Ensemble. A Potent Realisation - Mozart's 'Idomeneo' at the Buxton Festival, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Compact and Fast-moving - Verdi's 'Alzira' at the Buxton Festival impresses Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Early Opera in the English Provinces - Roderic Dunnett applauds some of this year's successes and glances ahead to 2018

Ensemble. A Free-flowing Style - Mike Wheeler experiences the first professional opera specifically commissioned in Welsh

Ensemble. Asking Better Questions? - Schubert, Barber, Beethoven and Shostakovich from the Brodsky Quartet, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Piquant Contrast - Mike Wheeler listens to Schulhoff and Tchaikovsky from members of the Fibonacci Sequence

Ensemble. Piquancy and Elegance - A recital by Claire Wickes and Tomos Xerri, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Emotional Extremes - Wagner, Duparc, Cecilia McDowall and Poulenc from Rachel Nicholls and Paul Plummer, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Typically Thoughtful - Paul Lewis at the Buxton Festival, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. On the Verge of Greatness - Mozart's 'Lucio Silla' at Buxton, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Social Comedy - Britten's 'Albert Herring' at the Buxton Festival, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Grippingly Staged - Verdi's 'Macbeth' at the Buxton Festival, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Most Entertaining - Peter Eötvös' 'The Golden Dragon' impresses Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. An Attractive Programme - Baroque music and English string classics from the Northern Chamber Orchestra, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Sheer Enjoyment - Haydn, Bartók and Dvorák from the Chilingirian Quartet, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Sparkle and Brilliance - An exploration of the celebration and imitation of national styles, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. A Captivating Evening - Vivaldi's 'La Sena Festeggiante', reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Fighting for Justice - Florieke Beelen, Ensemble 10/10 and Clark Rundell, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Resonant Baritone - Mike Wheeler describes Josep-Ramon Olivé and Ben-San Lau's Buxton debut

Ensemble. Magical Stillness - The Elias Quartet plays at Buxton, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ferocious Energy - Jackie Campbell's piano recital at Buxton, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Refined Phrasing - Gemma Lois Summerfield and Sebastian Whybrew at Buxton impress Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Lucid Sense - Handel's 'Tamerlano' at Buxton, enjoyed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. On Vibrant Form - Bellini's 'I Capuletti e I Montecchi' at the Buxton Festival, recommended by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. First Thoughts - Mike Wheeler reports on Beethoven at the 2016 Buxton Festival

Ensemble. Alleged Dances - Psappha at the Buxton Festival, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Sense of Purpose - Schumann and Fauré from The Schubert Ensemble delight Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Understated Power - Roderick Williams and Susie Allan at the Buxton Festival impress Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Shifting Moods - Catalan pianist Eudald Buch at the Buxton Festival, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Haunting Effect - Spanish and Catalan music from Maria Camahort and friends, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Invigorating Music - Telemann, J S Bach and Handel from Mary Bevan and members of the English Concert, enjoyed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Frustratingly Patchy - Charpentier's 'Louise', reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Quartet for the End of Time - Mike Wheeler continues his reports from Buxton

Ensemble. Poise and Elegance - Tchaikovsky and Mozart from the English Chamber Orchestra, enjoyed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Refreshingly Inventive - A recital by Soraya Mafi and Ian Tindale captivates Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. More than a Mere Curiosity - Verdi's 'Giovanna d'Arco', reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. A Flawed Production - Mike Wheeler has some reservations with Donizetti's 'Lucia di Lammermoor' at Buxton

Ensemble. Completely Bonkers - H K Gruber's 'Gloria - A Pigtale', reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Fatally Compromised - Rossini's 'Otello', reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Delicate Sensitivity - The Innovation Chamber Ensemble at Buxton, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Steely Force - A devastatingly fresh take on 'Orfeo ed Eurydice', admired by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Whipped Cream - Buxton Festival's 2014 Opera Gala, attended by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Dramatic Weaknesses - Dvorák's 'The Jacobin', reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Celebratory and Ambiguous - Mozart, Judith Weir and Ravel from the Lawson Trio at Buxton, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Jaw-droppingly Compelling - A Sciarrino and Maxwell Davies double bill from Music Theatre Wales, by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Beautifully Judged - Ravel for piano duet, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Terrific Energy - A short double bill from Buxton's Young Artists programme, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Fresh Insights - Paul Kildea discusses work on his recent book about Britten, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Typically Convoluted - Mike Wheeler returns to Buxton for Vivaldi's 'Ottone in Villa'

Ensemble. Enjoyably Daft - Mike Wheeler experiences Mozart's 'La Finta Giardiniera' at Buxton

Ensemble. Colourful Treatment - French comedies launch the Buxton Festival, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. An Interesting Production - Britten's 'The Turn of the Screw', reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Thrilling Singing - A Sibelius and Rimsky-Korsakov double bill, experienced by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Less is More - Handel's 'Jephtha' at Buxton, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. First-class Second-rate Strauss - Mike Wheeler visits the Buxton Festival

Ensemble. Dark Lyricism - Mark-Anthony Turnage's 'Greek' at the Buxton Festival, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Emotional Awakening - More from the Buxton Festival, with Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. The Passing of Time - Donizetti's 'Maria di Rohan' at the Buxton Festival impresses Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Profoundly Satisfying - Cherubini's 'Medée', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Real Poise - Sinfonia Viva at the Buxton Festival, enjoyed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Limpid Clarity - 'The Barber of Baghdad' by Peter Cornelius, experienced by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Family Life - A Bernstein double bill at Buxton, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. A Small Masterpiece - Richard Rodney Bennett's 'All the King's Men' impresses Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Political Overtones - George Benjamin's 'Into the Little Hill', reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Terrific Pace and Direction - Verdi's 'Luisa Miller' at the Buxton Festival, recommended by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Total Confidence - Sinfonia Viva's summer schools project, 'Floratorio', reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Compelling Performance - Members of Psappha at the Buxton Festival, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. A Slow-burn Approach - 'The Lighthouse' by Peter Maxwell Davies, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Grippingly-staged - Mike Wheeler is delighted to be surprised by Donizetti's 'Lucrezia Borgia'

Ensemble. Buoyant and Fresh - André Messager's 'Véronique' delights Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Full Rein - Sinfonia Viva at the Buxton Festival, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Off the Wall - Contemporary opera at the Buxton Festival, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Pace and Wit - Albert Lortzing's 'Der Wildschütz', reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Propulsive Energy - Sinfonia Viva at the Buxton Festival, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Beautifully Judged - Mike Wheeler makes a final visit to the Buxton Festival for Mozart's 'The Marriage of Figaro'

Ensemble. Capturing the Essence - Mike Wheeler returns to the Buxton Festival to hear members of Sinfonia Viva

Ensemble. Uniformly Strong - Tobias and the Angel, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Nimbleness and Warmth - The Armonico Consort at the Buxton Festival, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. A Surreal Evening - Mike Wheeler reports from the Buxton Festival