The Royal Opera House has appointed Oliver Mears, currently Artistic Director of Northern Ireland Opera, as its Director of Opera. Mears will replace Kasper Holten in March 2017. 

Mears said: ‘I have had a wonderful time at Northern Ireland Opera over the last six years and am proud of the Company’s growth and artistic excellence. I’m thrilled to be joining The Royal Opera to work alongside Antonio Pappano, Peter Katona, Cormac Simms, John Fulljames and the team - we have already had some inspiring conversations and I look forward to the future working together.’

Mears has directed productions for Scottish Opera, Aldeburgh Music and Opera North, and his production of Britten's Noye's Fludde was staged in Belfast Zoo and was part of the London Cultural Olympiad in 2012.

Antonio Pappano, Music Director of The Royal Opera, said: ‘I have been very impressed by Oliver Mears all through the selection process. He is fiercely intelligent, very knowledgeable about what is going on in the world of the performing arts, in particular theatre and opera, and he has genuine passion for our art form. I look forward to a very productive collaboration with him and wish him all success.’

Mears introduces his 2011 NI Opera production of Tosca in the video below: