In The Studio: Tarik O’Regan

This April a new opera with music by the composer Tarik O’Regan will have its premiere at Houston Grand Opera. Called The Phoenix, it’s based on the life of Lorenzo Da Ponte, best known as Mozart’s librettist.

The opera has been years in the making, from Tarik’s first idea to the final rewrites. In The Studio follows Tarik through the months of creating the music, the orchestrations and the workshop processes with his collaborator, the librettist and director John Caird.

From Tarik’s original base in the former Swaziland, now known as eSwatini, to meetings in London and rehearsals in Houston, we hear how the process of working on an opera is a global business and how the music evolves over many months from first sketches to opening night.

• Presenter: Sophie Ribstein.
• Produced by Emma Kingsley for BBC World Service.

Publicity contact: EM3