The Royal Opera House (ROH) has announced its first live concert series since closing its doors at the start of lockdown in March.
Live From Covent Garden, a series of three performances to be broadcast live, will begin on June 13 with an evening hosted by ROH director of music Antonio Pappano and BBC presenter Anita Rani.
It will include work from Benjamin Britten, Handel, George Butterworth and Turnage, performed by stars including Louise Alder, Toby Spence and Gerald Finley.
🥳 We're excited to announce our first live concert since the beginning of lockdown
Although our theatre remains closed to live audiences, join us from our home in Covent Garden via YouTube and Facebook on 13 Junehttps://t.co/cF1X0nc4ST #OurHouseToYourHouse
— Royal Opera House (@RoyalOperaHouse) June 3, 2020
The event will be free to watch on YouTube and Facebook, while subsequent concerts on June 20 and June 27 will be available to watch live and on demand for £4.99.
The concerts will celebrate ballet and opera, while social distancing and lockdown measures mean the ROH venue remains closed to audiences.
The series is curated by Mr Pappano with Oliver Mears, director of opera, and Kevin O’Hare, director of the Royal Ballet.
The institution, which has a nearly 300-year history, has previously said it is losing £3 of every £5 of its revenue while its doors are closed because of the pandemic.