A History and A Journey
by Timothy Dean – Vice President and former Artistic Director

When I received the phone call in July 1987 asking me to conduct Don Giovanni for a new company called British Youth Opera and when, subsequently, Denis Coe, the founder asked me to become Music Director, I was delighted to accept, although I had very little idea of what a significant impact it would have on my life. Denis was a determined, courageous and visionary leader, alongside whom I learnt much, and who provoked respect and affection from all of us who worked with him.

Anyone who has been involved in the genesis of an organisation will know that it isvery often the first change of leadership that is the most difficult and the most critical. When Denis suddenly fell ill in the spring of 1997,it was indeed at a critical time. BYO was without its founder, chairman, home performing venue, plans or budget; we were temporarily in crisis. For all of us involved in the company, it was time to take stock and re-evaluate what BYO was about and whether it was worth fighting for. We fought on, and survived. The crisis became an opportunity to review the company’s purpose, work and structure at every level, in order to implement the next stage of the company’s development.

The loyalty and commitment of Board members, staff and supporters during those ‘lean’ years was invaluable, as was the continued support of South Bank University, without who have provided uswith an administrative home for so many years.

For several years now, we have begun to see the fruit of many of the decisions taken then. A commitment to training, of which excellence of performance is an inevitable and organic outcome, became the cornerstone of our mission – not just for singers, but also for music staff, orchestral players, directors, conductors, stage management and administration. The staff and the Board have worked together closely to achieve our goals and start, and respond to, new initiatives.

During my five years as Artistic Director, we received the news that Arts Council England were to commit themselves to supporting our work. The funding was, of course, welcome, but even more importantly, it represented a significant vote of confidence in the company and the role British Youth Opera had to play in the context of opera training in the UK. Gradually we began to implement a series of innovative year-round workshops and masterclasses to support and complement our Summer Season which are now a regular part of our programme.

We were delighted in 2004 to cement a key partnership with our ‘sister’ orchestral training organisation Southbank Sinfonia; with aspirations and standards so well-matched, the association has had a remarkably smooth honeymoon period, which we hope will lead to a lasting union. Already we have developed our relationship further by working together joint productions in 2006 and 2008 at the Anghiari Festival in Tuscany.

Finally, after many years in different venues since the old Sadler’s Wells Theatre was knocked down in 1995, and several years trying to make the Queen Elizabeth Hall operate like a theatrical space, in 2005 we were thrilled to mount our inaugural season at the Peacock Theatre. Managed as it is by Sadler’s Wells, it gives a link back to the past, while providing us with ideal facilities for taking the company’s work forward into the future.

One of the reasons many of us have continued our association with BYO for so long is that we receive so much more from that involvement than we put in. It is difficult to describe the satisfaction we feel in seeing the cast lists of the UK’s opera companies overflowing with our alumni, or, for example, the excitement of seeing one of our previous assistant conductors taking up the position of Music Director at English National Opera.

Twenty-one years on, it is with justifiable pride that we can look back on our achievements. However, in a professional world  which is complex, unstable and often downright confusing, young artists need more opportunities for training and support than ever before. It is for this reason we look forward to the years ahead with a sense of how much more we can, and will, achieve.