Venera Gimadieva

The journey from dairy farmer to impresario, via an auditorium literally made of straw, seems unlikely until you get swept up by the enthusiasm of the man who made it. Louise Flind talks to Clonter Opera’s Jeffery Lockett, who turns 80 this year

Soprano Venera Gimadieva is a rising star of bel canto opera, bringing an unusual strength and modernity to the heroines of this repertoire. She talks to Ashutosh Khandekar about her wellplotted journey from exotic Tatarstan to the great stages of the opera world, acting on good advice whenever it came her way

A new opera aims to provide an enthralling night out for all the family when it opens the Royal Opera House’s refurbished and remodelled Linbury Theatre this month. George Hall meets composer Gavin Higgins

Kazushi Ono’s tenure as artistic director at Tokyo’s New National Theatre is being cemented with a new opera which is a real showcase of the richness and ambition of Japanese culture. Yukiko Kishinami interviews composer Akira Nishimura and director Yoshi Oida.

A small but adventurous company in Lithuania, flourishing under its charismatic founder-director, might be one of the opera world’s best-kept secrets – but not, surely, for much longer. Andrew Mellor shines the spotlight on Vilnius City Opera

An exquisite tone combined with film-star looks and a diligent work ethic put Lisa Della Casa in the international top tier. Yet she showed little interest in her own legacy when she retired, apparently at the height of her powers, and turned her back on the world of opera entirely

Simon Mundy meets the acclaimed soprano Rosemary Joshua in her new guise as head of the new Dutch National Opera Studio in Amsterdam, using her considerable experience to guide aspiring young artists as they embark on a challenging career path

The Mirjam Helin Competition is more than a talent show. For its founder, it was a personal quest to address the prejudice of an age that held back her own artistic potential. Andrew Mellor reports from Helsinki

Swedish soprano Cornelia Beskow is emerging as one of the leading lights of a new generation of Wagnerians. She talks to Andrew Mellor about her role-debut as an impressionable young Senta with Malmö Opera