Christine Jane Chibnall in Conversation

Join us for an interview with Christine Jane Chibnall as she reflects on decades of experience in programming, casting, education, and cross-artform collaboration both in opera and beyond. Over the course of her career, Christine has been at the forefront of artistic innovation, including landmark projects at Opera North such as

• West Side Story (1988), a large-scale community production directed by Graham Vick at Salts Mill
• Three in One Season (1999), the first UK season to use a single shared set for multiple productions (Katya Kabanova, La Traviata, Don Giovanni), directed by Tim Albery, Annabel Arden, and David McVicar
• Eight Little Greats (2004), a flexible season of short operas presented singly or in varied combinations
• Orpheus (2022), a re-imagining of Monteverdi’s opera for South Asian and Western Baroque performers, led by Laurence Cummings and Jasdeep Singh

Over the course of the hour, Christine will give her insights into the past, present and future of opera in the UK as well as discuss specific productions. The session will be co-delivered with the undergraduate modules MUS2331/3331 Opera North: Opera in Practice. It will conclude with the opportunity for questions from the audience.

Christine Jane Chibnall read English at University College London before joining Welsh National Opera, where she began her career assisting the Head of Music and Chorus Master. Alongside this role, she founded the company’s Education Department, developing an extensive adult education programme that brought leading figures such as Sir Michael Tippett, Eric Crozier, and Sir Charles Mackerras into direct engagement with audiences. She also established WNO’s Small-Scale Touring Programme, taking a wide range of productions across Wales and significantly expanding the company’s national reach. Christine went on to serve as Director of Planning and Head of Casting at Opera North for over 40 years, assuming overall responsibility for main stage programming from 1994. During this period, she played a central role in shaping the company’s artistic identity and reputation for innovation.

Christine also initiated and developed highly successful collaborations with Phoenix Dance, working closely with Dane Hurst, and with Leeds Playhouse, where, in partnership with director James Brining, productions of Into the Woods, A Little Night Music, and My Fair Lady received widespread critical acclaim. Now working as a freelancer, Christine continues to develop her own projects while remaining deeply committed to the nurturing of young singers. She also works with a range of organisations to help shape the future of opera in the UK, drawing on decades of experience in programming, casting, education, and cross-artform collaboration.