Our story
From 1985 to 2013, Cambridge Handel Opera Group (CHOG) put on biennial staged productions of Handel’s operas. Directed by the leading Handel scholar Dr Andrew Jones, CHOG’s productions stood out for marrying historically informed performances with historically appropriate stagings.
CHOC was formally established, with charitable status, in 2016, and aims to build on CHOG’s distinctive legacy.
In 2018 CHOC mounted its first fully staged production of Handel’s Rodelinda at The Great Hall, The Leys School in Cambridge to critical acclaim. A stellar cast joined stage director Max Hoehn and CHOC’s Artistic Director Julian Perkins for four performances and associated education work in a local school.
Read more about Rodelinda and all our previous productions by clicking the image.
In 2019, CHOC joined forces with the Academy of Ancient Music and Cambridge Early Music for the first time for a recording and concert performance of John Eccles’ Semele. Directed by Julian Perkins, this is the first professional recording of this work. It was shortlisted for the 2021 Gramophone Award and featured as Recording of the Month in BBC Music Magazine, Disc of the Month in Opera, Record of the Week on BBC Radio 3 and Editor’s Choice in Gramophone.
Read more about Semele and all our previous productions by clicking the image.
Owing to the Covid 19 pandemic, our staged production of Handel’s Tamerlano was postponed to April 2022. This brought together an array of leading professionals and emerging artists for a run of performances and related educational events. Described as ‘impeccably stylish’ (Opera) and ‘a triumphant vindication of Handel the musical dramatist’ (Lark Reviews), the production featured on BBC Radio 3’s Early Music Show.
You can read more about Tamerlano by clicking the image.
