213: Conductor Alice Farnham

In this episode, conductor Alice Farnham is working with English Touring Opera in September and October in performances of The Elixir of Love and Britten's Rape of Lucretia. The productions pop up in a variety of different locations across England. Visit the ETO website for more details.

When she and I met for this podcast interview, I provided a provocation. I'd seen something short and surprisingly thought-provoking on Instagram a week before inviting exploration of the definition of trust. Specifically the notion that trust is the active engagement of the unknown.

I saw connections with the work of performers of all kinds, indeed even those in the audition if you've an especially imaginative mind. I put the idea to Alice before the interview. The result was thought-prpvoking.

Here she talks candidly about what it takes to bring an opera to life — from building trust with singers and directors, to handling nerves before that very first rehearsal. She reflects on how rehearsal culture has changed, the unseen work of conductors, and the challenges of adapting Italian opera into English. We start with the mechanics and meeting the musicians for the first time.