Opera is a British monthly magazine devoted to opera, published in London and widely described as the world's leading opera magazine. Founded in 1950, it has reported on the art form continuously for more than seven decades, building an unrivalled global network of correspondents and a complete digital archive stretching back to its first issues. Published by Opera Magazine Ltd, it remains proudly independent.
Founding in 1950
The magazine was founded in 1950 by George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood, and launched at the house of Richard Buckle under the imprint Ballet Publications Ltd. Its origins lie in the earlier Ballet and Opera magazine, edited by Buckle, which split into two separate titles — Opera and Ballet — each serving its own art form. Lord Harewood, a noted opera enthusiast who would later direct the Edinburgh Festival and serve as managing director of the English National Opera, gave the new magazine aristocratic patronage and genuine passion for the art form. His involvement gave the fledgling title immediate credibility in the post-war cultural establishment, and the magazine quickly became essential reading for the British opera audience. From the beginning it was a magazine by and for opera-lovers.
Editors across the decades
After its founder, the editorship passed to Harold Rosenthal, who led the magazine from 1953 to 1986 — a 33-year tenure that shaped its scholarly yet accessible character. Rodney Milnes took over in 1986 and guided the title into the modern era; he later served as chair of the editorial board until his death in 2015. John Allison has held the editorship since 2000, overseeing the magazine through the digital transition and the expansion of its international coverage. This continuity of leadership — essentially four editors in more than seventy years — has given Opera a remarkable stability of voice. Rosenthal was also the author of standard reference works on opera, and his scholarly authority set the tone for a magazine that has always taken its readers’ intelligence seriously.
What the magazine covers
Each monthly issue carries features, interviews, reviews, news, gossip, recommendations and listings covering the ever-changing opera world. Regular sections include an editor's column, a newsdesk, in-depth reviews of productions across the UK and around the world, coverage of CDs, DVDs and books, obituaries, and a detailed calendar of coming events. "Opera around the World" reports on productions internationally, while "Opera in the UK" covers the domestic scene. The magazine's distinctive small format — once compared to the handbag-sized Glamour of the 2000s — and its clean design make it instantly recognisable on the shelf. A 2022 issue ran to 130 pages with a £6.50 cover price, and the publisher's rate card stated a readership of 30,000.
The global network of writers
Opera's greatest asset is its unrivalled, trusted network of writers in every corner of the globe. Correspondents report from the world's great opera houses — Milan, Vienna, New York, Paris, Berlin and beyond — as well as from festivals and smaller companies, giving readers a genuinely international picture of the art form. The late Luciano Pavarotti was among the magazine's admirers, calling it one of the true authorities of the opera world and saying he had read it for many years. That endorsement, reproduced on the magazine's rate card, speaks to its standing among performers as well as audiences.
The complete digital archive
In 2016 Opera launched its complete archive in partnership with Exact Editions, making all 66 years of back issues — every edition since February 1950 — available through an app and online. Institutional subscribers, including universities, government departments, colleges and libraries, can access the archive with IP authentication both on and off site, while individual subscribers receive access free. The archive's search technology allows readers to search for a term across a specific issue, year, decade or the entire run, and to bookmark relevant pages. Editor John Allison described it as the best resource in the operatic world, and Exact Editions' managing director called the magazine unrivalled in its field. The archive represents more than half a century of first-class analysis, reviews and features — a treasure trove of reporting and opinion spanning over seven decades.
Supplements and special issues
Over the years Opera has published an occasional series of supplements. These have included Thirty all-time great recordings (August 2002), Great Opera Houses of the World (July 2003), Great First Nights (September 2005), Opera stage on screen (September 2007), and two volumes of In character: Great singers in great roles (August 2004 and September 2006), alongside four volumes of reprints profiling singers grouped by voice type (2002–2004) and two volumes on directors (January 2006 and January 2007). A separate annual Festivals issue, listing opera and operetta festivals in the UK and around the world for the coming season, was published until 2012; from 2013 it was replaced by a festivals focus in the April edition, reflecting the ready availability of listings online.
The 1965 anthology
In 1965 Victor Gollancz Limited published a wide-ranging collection of articles that had appeared in the magazine during its first fifteen years. Alongside pieces by regular Opera contributors, the anthology featured articles by Benjamin Britten, Sylvia Fisher, Magda Olivero, Helga Pilarczyk, Dennis Arundell, Osbert Lancaster, Joan Cross, Gottfried Schmiedel and Erwin Stein — a roll call that demonstrates the calibre of writing the magazine attracted even in its youth.
Opera News joins Opera
In August 2023 the Metropolitan Opera announced that Opera News — the American magazine founded in 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild — would be discontinued that November and incorporated into the British magazine Opera. The Met Guild had concluded that Opera News was no longer economically viable in its current form; its print circulation stood at 32,000 with a digital audience of 11,000. The decision made Opera the surviving English-language monthly dedicated to the art form on both sides of the Atlantic, and underlined its position as the world’s leading opera magazine — a record of the art form without parallel in the English language, and a continuing champion of opera in all its forms.
Digital presence
The magazine's website, opera.co.uk, offers in-depth features, subscription opportunities, a free sample issue and a newsletter. Its social media following includes tens of thousands of followers across platforms — by 2022 it had amassed more than 42,000 followers on Twitter alongside its Facebook and Instagram audiences. The digital operation complements rather than replaces the print edition, which remains the heart of the brand. Readers can sign up for the newsletter, download a free sample to try the magazine, and move seamlessly between the monthly print rhythm and the continuously updated online coverage.
Legacy
For more than 75 years, Opera has documented the art form through its greatest eras — from the post-war rebuilding of European opera houses to the jet-age international circuit of star singers, from the rise of historically informed performance to the streaming era. Founded by opera-lovers and independent ever since, it continues to serve as the essential monthly record of the opera world: authoritative, international and written with evident love for the music. In a crowded field of classical music publications, its longevity and its archive make it, in its own masthead's words, the world's leading opera magazine.
