Our story
Bijou Opera creates high-quality, tailor-made opera for intimate spaces and curious audiences.
We specialise in reimagining opera often on a small scale or in a different guise, adapting great works and creating bespoke productions that respond to their venue, audience and occasion. From churches and festivals to unconventional spaces and private events, we believe opera is at its most powerful when it is close, immediate and human.
Founded by performers, conductors and producers with decades of professional experience, Bijou Opera combines musical excellence with flexibility, imagination and rigorous attention to detail. We work creatively within real-world constraints, designing productions that are artistically ambitious, logistically agile and financially realistic, without compromising on emotional impact.
At the heart of our work is a simple conviction: opera is not defined by scale, but by storytelling, music and connection.
What we do
Tailor-made operatic projects for festivals, venues and private clients.
Our work is led by context rather than scale alone, with each production shaped carefully around the client’s vision, considering purpose, location and audience. We respond creatively to each commission.
- Bespoke productions designed around venue, audience and occasion.
- Operas adapted for bespoke ensembles and varied formats.
- Innovative staged and concert concepts for conventional and unconventional settings.
- Musical accompaniment to complement the production and work within budgetary parameters.
- End-to-end production: musical direction, staging, casting and delivery.
- Optional community participation or engagement, where appropriate.
Alongside commissioned work, we are committed to keeping opera alive as a living art form; exploring ways to make it accessible, affordable and meaningful for communities who might not otherwise encounter it.
The founders
Bijou Opera was founded by soprano and producer Stefanie Kemball-Read, in collaboration with conductor, arranger and composer Stephen Anthony Brown.
Stefanie Kemball-Read
Soprano & producer
A classically trained coloratura soprano, Stefanie Kemball-Read has performed extensively in the UK and internationally, from leading operatic roles in theatres to performances in festivals, historic buildings and unconventional spaces. Alongside her performing and producing career, her background in investment banking brings a rigorous, professional approach to budgeting, planning and delivery, underpinning Bijou Opera’s bespoke, carefully produced model.
Stephen Anthony Brown
Conductor, singer, arranger & composer
Stephen Anthony Brown is a conductor, singer, arranger and composer of considerable breadth and versatility, and the founder of the acclaimed Opera in Oborne summer festival. He brings extensive experience in adapting operas for bespoke ensembles, commissioning new work and directing staged productions in both intimate and non-traditional settings.
Working together
Stephen has worked in close artistic collaboration with Stefanie for over fifteen years across a wide range of operatic and musical projects, and plays a central role in the artistic development and musical delivery of Bijou Opera’s work.
Together, they have delivered a wide range of operatic and musical projects, combining musical excellence with imagination and adaptability, shaped around context, audience and place.
From polo fields and Mediterranean marinas to churches and country homes, Stefanie and Stephen create bespoke musical experiences shaped to each setting.
Small and perfectly formed
Interested in commissioning an operatic project or giving opera a platform in your community? We’d love to hear from you.