The UK’s Opera North Announces 2022 Resonance Artists

The five artists for Opera North’s residency program are musician Azizi Cole, whose 2021 Resonance residency was postponed due to the pandemic; flutist Naomi Perera; percussionist Arian Sadr; composer and multi-instrumentalist Hannabiell Sanders; and tabla player Mendi Mohinder Singh.

For the application process, candidates had to be professional composers, musicians, or music-maker from a minority ethnic background, aged 18 years old or over, and living in the north of England. 

The 2022 artists will hold three-month residencies in Leeds, UK, from January to April this year as part of the Resonance Residencies program. 

From the end of February, each artist will be given a week of free rehearsal space in central Leeds and a bursary of up to £3,500 to cover fees for those involved and other expenses. Additionally, they will receive support from technicians, producers, and other music industry professionals. 

The Resonance artists will also be able to document their projects by creating a short documentary film and a work-in-progress performance or livestream.

“The residency will allow me to continue exploring the different ways in which Ladies of Midnight Blue [project title] can tell stories through our music by adding electronics and visuals,” said Sanders in the press release. “I will co-create a portable stage set with Yilis del Carmen Suriel, and the artist James Davoll that will add a new visual experience for our audiences, and we’ll use the residency to practice with it and test out its capabilities,” she added.

Resonance is Opera North’s workshop program for minority ethnic musicians, working in any genre. Launched in 2017, it is part of PRS Foundation’s Talent Development Partner Network supported by PPL.

The program was designed as an opportunity for musicians to generate new ideas, collaborate with multidisciplinary artists, and take projects to the next level. Project ideas can include but are not limited to telling stories through music or collaborating with filmmakers or visual artists.

For artists, the residency could be the beginning of a first project or the opportunity to continue one already in the works. Resonance led a successful socially distanced “Lockdown Edition” in summer 2020 and was held in person in 2021.

According to Opera For All, alumni of the program have since created major works such as a concerto for sitar and orchestra titled Arya by Jasdeep Singh Degun as a commission for Opera North, and Orpheus in the Record Shop — a play by rapper and playwright Testament, which was filmed in 2021 for BBC Four’s “Lights Up” season.

Additionally, Resonance alumni Keisha Thompson worked with singers, a sound designer, and poet to develop her new play The Bell Curves, which covers the ethics of DNA hacking, alongside religion, politics, science, and gospel music.

“The Resonance commission has been a true blessing,” Thompson said. “I cannot explain how uplifted I have felt...To be given the space to hone my practice has helped me to see things a new way and I cannot thank Opera North enough for inviting me into the [Resonance] family.”

Applications for Resonance 2022 have closed, but those interested and eligible for the next round may express their interest by emailing this address: [email protected] 

“It is fantastic to welcome another group of artists to spend time developing their ideas and trying out new areas of work here at Opera North,” said Jo Nockels, the company’s projects director. “While they come from vastly differing musical backgrounds, this year’s artists share a concern with contemporary experiences, and the primacy of rhythm and percussion,” Nockels added. 

For more information on each of the 2022 artists, click here.