We are saddened to hear of the death of Giles Havergal, whose long and illustrious career included directing many of Opera North’s best-loved productions.
Opera North was privileged to welcome Giles to Leeds on several occasions. Each time, the company benefitted from his incomparable artistic vision on productions such as Rossini’s The Barber of Seville whose laugh-out-loud comedic touches made it an instant audience favourite in 1986 and led to many revivals over the subsequent years. This talent for creating popular productions was shown again and again, as he tackled pieces from composers as diverse as Britten, Bartók and Lehár.
The way in which Giles skilfully nurtured the next generation of opera singers and musicians during many National Opera Studio and Royal Northern College of Music residencies with Opera North, also speaks volumes about the way he was able to connect with, and genuinely inspire, people of all ages.
Laura Canning, Opera North’s General Director, said:
“I first got to know Giles when I worked on his impeccable Barber of Seville at WNO. Since then, I have enjoyed many of his shows, most recently his Albert Herring which we performed in the Howard Assembly Room last year. Although Giles was too unwell to return to revive it, the insightfully drawn characters and innate theatricality of this delightful production shone with his touch.
“Giles was always a pleasure to work with both on and off the stage. He will be very fondly remembered by us all.”
