Stars from the world of opera and their supporters gathered at Harewood House, Leeds to launch and celebrate the Festival of Britten. David and Diane Lascelles, Earl and Countess of Harewood hosted the event to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of the greatest opera composers.

Opera North is performing four of Britten’s operas this year including three main stage opera productions that will tour, featuring a new production of Death in Venice and two revivals, one of the award-winning Peter Grimes, directed by Phyllida Lloyd, and a revival of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Appearing in the Festival of Britten is a host of distinguished artists including the singers Dame Josephine Barstow, Giselle Allen, Robert Hayward, Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts, Alan Oke and Peter Savidge; the conductors Richard Farnes and Jac van Steen and the directors Martin Duncan, Phyllida Lloyd and Yoshi Oida.

Opera North’s Festival of Britten is part of Britten 100, a centenary celebration of Benjamin Britten (1913-1976), launched last year by the Britten-Pears Foundation. Britten 100 is an unprecedented collaboration of leading organisations from the worlds of performing arts, publishing, broadcasting, film, academia and heritage: the widest ever global celebration of a British composer. Find out more at the Britten 100 website.