Bradford Cathedral Chorister Maria has successfully auditioned for the role of First Boy in Opera North’s upcoming touring production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute.

The production – which will visit theatres in Leeds, Newcastle, Salford, Nottingham and Hull – runs from this September through to March.

We asked Maria how she felt to be part of this production:
“I’m very honoured, as I was chosen from around 200 people. Being one of the six singing parts shows that my skills have been recognised.”

We also asked how she found the audition process, and whether she’s looking forward to going on tour.

“It was fun, but now I’m looking forward to making new friends and meeting new people to learn skills from.”

We also spoke to Maria’s parents, who were delighted about her success.

“We went to a meeting and the team is amazing – and it’s going to be such a magical experience for her. We’re looking forward to the tour as she’ll be visiting some beautiful places and theatres, and it will be an amazing time.”

Graham Thorpe, Bradford Cathedral’s Director of Music, says:
“We’re incredibly proud of Maria’s achievement. Maria is one of our outgoing head choristers and, as well as gaining a place with Opera North, she has just received a distinction in her grade 5 singing exam.

“I hope this opportunity will open new doors for Maria and of course, we are all so excited to come to the performances. Congratulations Maria!”

An Opera North spokesperson says:
“Congratulations to Maria! We are really looking forward to welcoming such talented young singers to join the cast of The Magic Flute this year. It’s a truly iconic opera – an epic quest story brought to life through some of Mozart’s most timeless and joyous music.

“It’s also a brilliant opera for newcomers and younger audience members- we’ll be performing it in English, and unusually for opera there is spoken dialogue as well as songs. Check out our New to Opera ticket deals at operanorth.co.uk for more information and great seats for only £20 each for new attenders.”

You can find out more about the tour at https://www.operanorth.co.uk/whats-on/the-magic-flute-2024/