Artistic Director
Lynn Binstock
Lynn Binstock has directed operas in the UK, USA and Germany including Turandot, Don Giovanni (Seattle Opera), Nixon in China, Telemann’'s Orpheus (Freiburg Opera), and her 4-in-1 showpiece Heroic Handel (English National Opera, Buxton Festival). Her most recent productions, for Unexpected Opera, were The Barber of Savile Row (2008 & 09 tours), A Pastoral Messiah (2009 tour, 2011 revival) and Orpheus Down Under (2010 tour). In 2012 she directs Edward German's Merrie England for Opera South.
An Associate and Assistant Director at the Royal Opera House, English National Opera and Scottish Opera for more than 15 years, Lynn was Head of Staff Directors at ENO for 7 years, after which she became Artistic Administrator for the company’'s Jerwood Young Singers Programme. Lynn has produced education projects for all of the UK’'s major opera companies (ROH, ENO, Glyndebourne, WNO and Opera North). She was a founder of Curious Opera Group, which presented school workshops and large-scale projects in southwest London for 10 years, including the Community Opera Uncle Remus (in collaboration with Pegasus Opera). Originally from the USA, Lynn came to the UK as a Marshall Scholar and completed a D.Phil. at New College, Oxford. She is now a British citizen.
Lynn began the journey towards building a new company when she directed The Bat’s Revenge (Die Fledermaus) at Wetherspoon’s Opera House Pub, Tunbridge Wells, in 2007. UNEXPECTED OPERA grew out of her interest in creating accessible and compelling opera experiences for new audiences, and providing opportunities for singers at the start of their careers.
