Renowned Scottish Composer brings Balkans Opera to Scotland

Tune Up ends this season of Scottish tours in spectacular style with the Opera Circus production of Nigel Osborne’s Differences in Demolitions, a magical new chamber opera which premiered last year in the Bosnian city of Mostar.

A collaboration between the UK and Bosnia & Herzegovina, Differences in Demolitions is also a celebration of Scottish composer Osborne’s 60th year and is inspired by Bosnian ‘Sevdah’ (meaning love or longing) music. Osborne’s powerful story of greed, desire and conflict - which draws from The Balkans’ rich musical heritage and the ‘destruction and demolition’ caused by ethnic diversity - will be performed at venues across Scotland in May.

Now in its fifth year, the Scottish Arts Council’s Tune Up initiative takes the highest quality music, from traditional to experimental, world music to cabaret, chamber music to pop and rock, to venues across Scotland, and has established itself as a significant international touring programme.

Commissioned in 2006 by Opera Circus’ artistic director Tina Ellen Lee, the production originally partnered with The National Theatres of Mostar and Sarajevo, Musicians without Borders and the Mostar Sinfonietta and toured five major cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, alongside an education and training programme which will also accompany the Scottish tour.

Featuring libretto by renowned Bosnian poet Goran Simic (based on his poem of the same name) Differences in Demolitions has received critical acclaim across the UK with the Times Literary Supplement describing it as “the most lyrically beautiful and stirring new opera heard in years”.

The opera, which includes an ensemble of artists from Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia and the UK will also tour Turkey, Georgia and the Balkans this year, before heading to the US in 2009.

Like many of Opera Circus’s productions, and in the spirit of Tune Up, the production is designed to connect with a wide range of audiences, particularly those who would not normally attend an opera.

Commenting on the tour Ian Smith, Head of Music at the Scottish Arts Council, said: 'Nigel Osborne’s work with children and young people affected by the trauma of conflict in those areas of Eastern Europe where “ethnic cleansing” became sadly so prevalent, has demonstrated so forcefully how music is the single language that can bring communities and young lives back to normality again - something we in the West take so much for granted.

‘As one of Europe’s most pre-eminent composers and Reid Professor of Music at Edinburgh University, Osborne is also highly regarded as an educator and innovator, and as the creator of a new musical instrument to enable children with severe mental and physical disabilities to be able to create music.

'Differences in Demolition brings all this exceptional creative genius to the Tune Up stage and we are both honoured and delighted to be able to promote this incredibly significant work, with the bonus of associated educational workshops by Opera Circus. A great end to a great season!’

Tour dates - May
14 – Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy
16 – Macrobert, University of Stirling
20/21 – Eden Court, Inverness
24 – Byre Theatre, St Andrews
27/28 – Tron Theatre, Glasgow
31 – Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh

Notes to editors

1. The Scottish Arts Council is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) which was established by Royal Charter in 1994 and is also a Lottery distributor. The organisation serves the people of Scotland by fostering arts of excellence through investment, development, research and advocacy. Our corporate aims are: to support artists to fulfil their creative and business potential; to increase participation in the arts; and to place the arts, culture and creativity at the heart of learning. We invest £60m each year, including £15 million of National Lottery funding. For more information visit: www.scottisharts.org.uk
2. Nigel Osborne’s works have been performed by leading orchestras and ensembles, including the Moscow and Berlin Symphony Orchestras, the Philharmonia of London and Los Angeles Philharmonic.
3. Differences in Demolitions cast includes: Susan Bisatt, Monica Brett-Crowther, Aidan Burke, Andy Morton, Robert Rice and Miaden Vasari. Directed by Lenka Udovicki with set designed by Marijela Margeta and lighting design by Nick McCall.
4. For more information on Tune Up, visit www.tuneup.org.uk.
5. Tune Up is currently seeking proposals for new touring projects in Scotland between September 2008 and August 2009. Detailed proposal guidelines and application forms can be downloaded from www.tuneup.org.uk/section/apply
6. Artistic Director of Opera Circus, Tina Ellen Lee is available for interview. For further information on the tour and artists involved, and to arrange interviews, please contact Everymatic on 0141 204 3567 / alex@everymatic.com / sally@everymatic.com  

Contact email(s)

media.office@scottisharts.org.uk

Issued by: Scottish Arts Council