A week of music-making in Brecon and Hay-on-Wye has ended in sell-out success for Mid Wales Opera (MWO), with local audiences turning out in force for its OpenStages 2026 project.

Two performances of Dido and Aeneas at Brecon Cathedral drew packed houses on Saturday, April 11, while a musical soirée at Hay Castle earlier in the week also sold out. Demand for tickets was so high that extra releases were issued, with a waiting list set up through Theatr Brycheiniog.

Central to it all was the OpenStages project itself - a week-long programme that brought together professional performers, students and amateur musicians to create a full production.

Rehearsing in venues across Brecon and Hay, the group worked as a single company under Mid Wales Opera’s creative team before taking to the stage at the end of the week.

The collaboration saw singers and musicians of all levels work together
The collaboration saw singers and musicians of all levels work together (Mid Wales Opera)

Artistic Director at MWO, Richard Studer, said: “What I love about MWO’s OpenStages projects like this production of Dido and Aeneas is that it’s an opportunity for early career singers, amateurs and professionals to work alongside each other in a supportive environment. I think it’s the responsibility of all artists at any level to have a strand of their work dedicated to connecting to new audiences and promoting their art form. It doesn’t matter what level of your career you have achieved, or where you are in terms of appreciation, we were all beginners once!”

Audience response to the performances was overwhelmingly enthusiastic
Audience response to the performances was overwhelmingly enthusiastic (Mid Wales Opera)

The production featured Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, performed in its original English libretto by Nahum Tate. Accompanied by the OpenStages Orchestra, the performances aimed to capture the immediacy of live opera, with a full work brought together in a matter of days.

Among those taking part was Welsh mezzo-soprano Louise Wood, who performed the role of the Sorceress.

A community chorus also played a central role, with singers of all ages and backgrounds helping to shape the sound and atmosphere on stage. Lucy Green, an alto who took part, said: “When I moved to Wales from London I thought I had given up opera singing. But seeing the poster about this my heart leapt - one of the greatest gems amongst all opera in the English language. I couldn't help myself applying!”

The orchestra was conducted by Jonathan Lyness and led by Elenid Owen, bringing together a group of string players for the performances.