The Opera Group

John Fulljames Artistic Director

John is Artistic Director of The Opera Group where his recent work includes Edward Rushton’s The Shops, Jonathan Dove’s The Enchanted Pig (with the Young Vic), Judith Weir’s Blond Eckbert and Shostakovich’s The Nose and the world premieres of Edward Rushton’s Birds. Barks. Bones. and The Young Man with the Carnation. Other recent productions include Romeo et Juliette and Hansel and Gretel (Opera North), Gianni Schicchi (Greek National Opera), Tobias and the Angel (Young Vic), Nabucco (Opera Holland Park) and premieres by Elena Langer, James MacMillan and Stephen McNeff for ROH2, ENO and Almeida Opera. Susannah (Wexford) and The Emperor of Atlantis (OTC) both won the Best Opera Production Award at the Irish Theatre Awards. 

Patrick Bailey Music Director

Patrick Bailey is Music Director of The Opera Group with whom he has conducted Blond Eckbert, The Nose (both at the Royal Opera House), The Martyrdom of St. Magnus, Candide, Trouble in Tahiti, Mahagonny Songspiel; the premiere of The Shops by Edward Rushton (ROH/Bregenz Festival, Austria) and new work by Ken Hesketh, Tim Coker and David Bruce.  Future plans include a new Julian Philips opera at Glyndebourne.  Other recent engagements include the UK premiere of Prometeo at the Royal Festival Hall.

He has conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Britten Sinfonia, Endymion, English Sinfonia, ViVA, Sinfonia 21, Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra, New Music Players, Fibonacci Sequence, Royal College of Music Symphony Orchestra and at festivals including Aldeburgh, Brighton, Bath and Cheltenham.  Recordings include Ed Hughes’ scores to the films Battleship Potemkin and Strike (Tartan Films) and The Shops for NMC.

Sherry Neyhus Executive Producer

Sherry Neyhus joined The Opera Group as the company’s first Executive Producer in October, 2006. She has worked in arts management for over 15 years - joining the acclaimed Bathhouse Theatre in Seattle, USA in 1989 developing innovative education and outreach programmes and eventually becoming Director of Administration and Finance (1989-1996). An experienced fund developer and event planner, she was responsible for two of Seattle’s major cultural events - the Seattle Art Museum’s Black & White Ball (May, 1996) and the grand re-opening of the Henry Art Gallery (April, 1997). Since re-locating to London in 1998 to earn an M.A. in Theatre Administration at Goldsmith’s College, she has been Administration Manager at the Theatre Royal Stratford East and most recently, Project Director for professional development programmes in the National Theatre’s Education Department.

Nate Sence
Assistant Producer

Trustees

Lindsey Glen, David Howie, Anthony Newhouse, Andrew Newman, Claudia Pendred (Chair), Andrew Rothery and Emma Southworth.