Opera North appoints Jasdeep Singh Degun as artist in residence

Leeds-based national opera company Opera North has announced the appointment of sitarist and composer Jasdeep Singh Degun as artist in residence as part of its new diversity-driven programme for a lead artist from a non-Western tradition.

During his 18-month tenure (ending in October 2023) Degun will develop programmes, attend meetings of the Planning and Senior Management Teams, and collaborate with the company’s Orchestra and Chorus, Education department and Howard Assembly Room, while pursuing his own projects and touring.

Dominic Gray, Opera North projects director said: ‘We’ve enjoyed a fantastic relationship with Jasdeep over the last five years; getting ever closer in exploring the ways that western and Indian classical music can share and learn from one another. To take this to the next level we wanted to move from a ‘project’ format to one of continued and sustained interaction.’

Born and raised in Leeds, Jasdeep worked with the company as music director for the first of the Company’s Resonance workshops in 2017 before composing and performing the sitar concerto, Arya, for the Orchestra of Opera North. He is currently supported by the PRS Foundation's Composers' Fund.

Degun, said: ‘As part of the closely-knit creative team for Orpheus, I'm excited to be further exploring the territory between my own tradition and western classical music, and I'm very much looking forward to being even more closely involved in Opera North's work over the next 18 months!’

He is currently working with early music specialist Laurence Cummings as joint musical director, composer, arranger and performer on Opera North and South Asian Arts-UK’s reimagining of Monteverdi’s Orpheus.

You can find out more about Opera North here.

You can find out more about Jasdeep Singh Degun here.