Britain Begins Celebrating Britten on BBC

Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Billy Budd at Opera Australia

BBC Radio 3 will begin a yearlong celebration of the life of Benjamin Britten on January 26th with a broadcast of the English National Opera’s 2012 production of Billy Budd starring Benedict Nelson. That broadcast will be followed on June 7th with Peter Grimes, live from the Aldeburgh Festival, and Gloriana, live from the Royal Opera House, on June 29th. The Aldeburgh Festival was founded by Benjamin Britten and his partner Peter Pears in 1948.

Each opera broadcast will be introduced by a BBC Radio 3 Opera Guide, which will be available to download for free from the station’s website after the performance.