The 15 September marks the opening of David McVicar’s spectacular production of Die Zauberflöte at The Royal Opera House. Brenda Rae makes her anticipated house debut as the Queen of the Night, with performances conducted by Hartmut Haenchen. These performances follow Brenda’s critically acclaimed Zerbinetta at the Edinburgh International Festival in August where she was described as ​“handling her soprano like a sparkler, and etching superheated, multicoloured spirals of sound on the evening air” (The Spectator). Alexandra Lowe, a current Jette Parker Young Artist, sings First Lady and Papagena, as well as appearing in numerous productions across the season including Peter Grimes, Le nozze di Figaro and Pierrot Lunaire. Hanna Hipp , an alumna of the prestigious Jette Parker programme, sings Second Lady and, later in the season, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro under Antonio Pappano.