Tenors for a tenner as opera seeks new fans

Opera Holland Park is making thousands of tickets available at £10 to attract new audiences.

Another 1,200 are being given away free to young people aged nine to 18 who might not normally get the chance to see opera.

Associated Newspapers, which owns the Evening Standard, is helping to fund the free ticket scheme, which is in its fourth year. Booking opens today for the 2008 season.

Highlights include Simon Callow directing a production of Mozart's The Magic Flute. He is also re-writing the English libretto.

There will be performances of Amilcare Ponchielli's rarely performed opera La Gioconda - which includes the ballet later used in Walt Disney's Fantasia.

Popular hits such as Verdi's Il Trovatore and Puccini's Tosca will be seen alongside lesser known works such as Iolanta by Tchaikovsky.

Anyone who missed Juan Diego Flórez hit the top Cs as Tonio in La Fille Du Régiment at the Royal Opera House last year gets a chance of seeing Luciana Botelho, a Brazilian tenor, give the demanding part a shot.

Merrick Cockell, leader of Kensington and Chelsea council, said: "After the success of our investment in the new theatre, the Royal Borough is now pleased to be able to offer even more accessibly priced seats as well as continuing our free ticket and older people discount schemes. The borough is determined that as many of our residents as possible should be given the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular delights of Opera Holland Park."

This year will be the second season in the opera's new 1,020-seat theatre and also the second sponsored by Korn/Ferry International.

Holland Park has just received its first nomination in the prestigious annual Royal Philharmonic Society Awards. It is one of four contenders in the category for best series or festival.

To apply for free children's tickets, contact the Opera Holland Park box office from today on 0845 230 9769 quoting-"free tickets". One adult can accompany two children aged 16 or under for free. Seventeen and 18-year-olds can apply in their own right.