Scotland's first ever opera festival is coming to Dundee later this year, with a truckload of local talent in tow.
Opera Festival Scotland says there is "something for everyone" in its programme of events, which includes highlights of Scottish Opera's recent shows, a history of opera in the country, and live performances of Verdi's Aida and Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. The event is capped off by a competition between four young singers hoping to win the first Opera Festival Scotland Trophy and a £1,500 career grant, among other prizes.
Festival organisers say they strived to make the event as local as possible. The ensemble for Aida - a story of starcrossed lovers set in Ancient Egypt - features Montrose-born Susan McNaught as the lead, and is made up of singers from Tayside Opera, the National Youth Choir of Scotland Dundee and Stonehaven Chorus, among others. The festival also features a singing competition for non-professionals, and public masterclasses.
