About Divas & Scholars
We offer unique opera experiences, entertaining and informative events and opera tours in beautiful locations aimed at both opera connoisseurs and people new to the art form. You’ll meet the singers and speakers over drinks or dinner.
DIRECTORLucy Woodruff BA (Hons), MA
Lucy is the founder/director of Divas & Scholars. Her fascination with opera was fuelled by a few years spent living in Vienna. On returning to London she began organising recitals for rising star opera singers and later developed a successful programme of lecture-recitals and master classes at the Cadogan Hall. Lucy now curates glamorous opera evenings, combining live performance, discussion and dinner. She has collaborated with opera stars, conservatoires, opera companies and festivals and provides a platform for opera insiders to promote themselves, their productions and recordings. She arranges opera tours to UK and international festivals.
She has written and is currently producing a series of opera related documentaries – Temples of Opera – highlighting the architecture, history and life of the world’s opera houses.
This year Lucy was appointed Events Director of the Vienna Opera Festival/Academy.
Opera Rara
Divas & Scholars has collaborated with Opera Rara with several promotional events. For over 40 years Opera Rara has been bringing neglected masterpieces back to life through their acclaimed concerts and award winning recordings. Under the expert guidance of their former Artistic Director Sir Mark Elder and current Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi, Opera Rara has won numerous awards for their recordings. They work with some of the finest opera singers including Ermonela Jaho. Renee Fleming made one of her first recordings with the company.
The Grange Festival
We hosted a series of pre-festival series of Divas & Scholars events for The Grange Festival at The Club at The Ivy in London. Also Divas & Scholars arranged a successful opera tour to the festival. The Grange is a fine neo-classical mansion in Hampshire with it’s own opera house in a magical bucolic setting. The festival led by Artistic Director Michael Chance CBE presents both established stars of the opera as well as nurturing some of the brightest young talents.
National Opera Studio
We have given performance opportunities to the exceptional young singers from the renowned National Opera Studio. Divas & Scholars curated an Opera Studies Series teaming up stars of the opera world with the NOS Young Artists. The studio provides intensive and bespoke professional training at the highest level for a small group of singers and répétiteurs each year, and prepares them for life on an international operatic stage as some of the leading artists of their generation. They work in partnership with all six of the leading opera companies in the UK: English National Opera, Glyndebourne, Opera North, the Royal Opera House, Scottish Opera and Welsh National Opera. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa said of the NOS: “From my regular visits to the National Opera Studio, is clear to me… the work achieved here is extremely valuable and gives a unique groundwork for the young singers of the future.”