Caption: Presenters John Suchet and Margherita Taylor will host this weekend's Opera in the Park in Leeds
Classic FM presenters John Suchet and Margherita Taylor have been announced as the hosts for this weekend’s Opera in the Park at Temple Newsam.
The duo, who currently host their own programmes on the national classical music station which celebrates its 20th birthday this year, will be appearing at the annual outdoor concert taking place on Saturday 21 July with gates opening at 6pm.
They will introduce Yorkshire’s-own opera superstar Lesley Garrett CBE to the stage, who will be performing along with renowned baritone David Kempster to music arranged and performed by the Orchestra of Opera North.
Organisers Leeds City Council and Opera North have also announced that internationally- acclaimed tenor Ji-Min Park, currently performing at the Royal Opera House in London, will perform at the event. Together with Lesley Garrett and David Kempster, the trio they will sing some of the greatest and most recognisable music from operas such as La traviata, La bohème, Tosca and musicals My Fair Lady and Porgy and Bess.
As part of the stunning climax to the show on Saturday, a spectacular fireworks display will accompany the finale of the event.
John Suchet hosts Classic FM’s flagship weekday morning programme, having joined the station in 2010. He is best known for presenting ITN’s News at Ten for almost 20 years as part of a successful career at the television news network which spanned more than three decades.
Margherita Taylor hosts the Smooth Classics programme every weekday evening from 10pm, after first appearing on Classic FM in April 2007. She can also regularly be seen on ITV’s Daybreak and This Morning and is well known for being the launch presenter of Channel 4’s youth show T4.
Both presenters will be appearing in Leeds as part of Classic FM’s special 20th birthday celebrations which coincide with the station becoming media partner for Opera in the Park.
Ji-Min Park is taking the place of Noah Stewart, who is unfortunately unable to attend due to a late change to his schedule in America.
Due to the recent adverse weather conditions, the organisers are working hard to restore and maintain ground conditions although it is anticipated that there may be some disruption to the car parks. Organisers are therefore requesting that people car share wherever possible and/or use the designated taxi/pick-up and drop-off point or special bus service provided to get them to and from the event.
The dedicated bus service (X27) will run every 20 minutes on Saturday from 16:40 from City Square, stand P5 (outside Mill Hill Chapel) with a return service from 21:00 from Temple Newsam back to City Square. Tickets are priced at £3.80/£2.00 return and all pre-paid tickets (eg Metro Card, Day Riders etc) will also be valid on this service.
Tickets for this year’s Opera in the Park are now available priced at £7.50 for LEEDSCard holders, £6.50 for LEEDSCard Extra holders and £5 for Breezecard holders. General admission is £10 or £35 for four tickets for small group bookings of family/friends.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.leeds.gov.uk/opera or in person or by telephone from City Centre Box Office in The Carriageworks on Millennium Square (0113 224 3801) and Leeds Visitor Centre at Leeds Train Station (0113 242 5242). Tickets are also available from the visitor shop in the courtyard at Temple Newsam and from Leeds Grand Theatre box office.
A special discounted ticket package for those wishing to attend both Opera in the Park and the popular Classical Fantasia event at Kirkstall Abbey on Saturday 1st September are also available to purchase this year from the City Centre Box Office or Leeds Visitor Centre only.
Leeds City Council executive member for leisure and skills Councillor Adam Ogilvie said:
“This year’s Opera in the Park promises to be a fantastic event and hopefully the rain will stay away so everyone can enjoy a fantastic evening in the amazing surroundings of Temple Newsam Estate.
“The line-up is arguably the best ever for the event so we look forward to seeing everyone there having a great time on Saturday night.”
For further information on Opera in the Park visit www.leeds.gov.uk/opera or contact Leeds City Council’s events team on 0113 395 0891 or email events@leeds.gov.uk
Note to editors:
The LEEDSCard scheme is open to anyone aged 19-59 in Leeds on an annual membership and offers discounts and exclusive offers across the city all-year round at leisure facilities, events, shops, museums, theatres and restaurants. For more information on how to get a LEEDSCard visit www.leeds.gov.uk/leedscard or call 0113 224 3636. Breezecard is FREE for persons under 19 and for further information visit www.breezeleeds.org
A booking/transaction fee will apply to bookings made online or by telephone.
Classic FM
Celebrating its 20th Birthday this year, Global Radio-owned Classic FM attracts an audience of over 5.4 million people each week. Programmes are hosted by a diverse range of broadcasters and musicians including John Suchet, Alan Titchmarsh, Myleene Klass, Alex James, Margherita Taylor and Nicholas Owen. Since its launch, Classic FM has aimed to break down the barriers to classical music and in so doing, introduce an entirely new audience to the genre. The station seeks constantly to expand its listener base through groundbreaking new audience initiatives and partnerships. Classic FM is available across the UK on 100 - 102 FM, digital and online at classicfm.com
ENDS
For media enquiries please contact:
Roger Boyde, Senior communications officer,
Leeds City Council, Tel 0113 247 5472
Email: roger.boyde@leeds.gov.uk
