On September 27, the director of the association Opera Europa Nicholas Payne came to Krasnoyarsk to discuss the details of the Hvorostovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre’s becoming a member of the leading professional opera union of the world.

As the Artistic Director of the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre Sergei Bobrov said: “In January 2019, we join the international association Opera Europa, which implies the participation of the theatre in workshops achieving avant-garde solutions of new and classical opera works, workshops on marketing and youth policy. Our production Prisoner of the Caucasus sparked the great interest of the Directorate of this association - in April we were asked to tell the international community about this opera at a seminar in Brussels.”

For 34 years, Nicholas Payne has directed four opera houses in Great Britain - the Welsh National Opera in Cardiff, the Opera North in Leeds, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the English National Opera at the London Coliseum. In 2003, he headed the International Opera Association Opera Europa. Under his leadership, it became the leading professional opera association in Europe. Its members include more than 190 opera houses and festivals from 42 countries.