Opera North announces new general director

Leeds-based national opera company Opera North has today announced the appointment of Laura Canning to the role of general director and CEO. Taking up her role on 4 December, Canning will succeed Richard Mantle OBE, who retires from the company on 1 December after holding the role for almost 30 years.

Having held the role of director of artistic administration at Garsington Opera since 2015, Laura will take up her new role with Opera North after the close of the 2023 Garsington Opera Festival. She will join the company in December after a transition period in the autumn.

She said: ‘I am so excited to join Opera North at this crucial time in its development and to build on Richard’s enviable achievements. I have long admired the company’s artistic ambition, the strength and innovation of its outreach work and the world-class quality of its performers and staff. I am looking forward to working with this exceptional team to continue to bring the joy of opera to our communities, and to advocate for the artform across the country.’   

Canning’s twenty-five years of experience in the opera sector include a period as artistic administrator at Welsh National Opera. She also spent time as studio director for Houston Grand Opera where she led the company’s Young Artist Training Programme and created a new Vocal Academy for undergraduate singers.

Canning’s predecessor Richard Mantle said: ‘I am truly delighted by Laura’s appointment and very pleased to welcome her to Opera North… I am extremely confident and optimistic that Laura is the right person at the right time, and that she will prove to be an inspiring leader for this great company. Her experience and knowledge of the UK and worldwide operatic landscape, together with her espoused values of excellence, inclusivity and resilience will stand her in good stead at a time when opera in the UK is coming under scrutiny.’