LOYOLA is a new opera about St Ignatius of Loyola, written by a Jesuit and sung by Indigenous people. The music was composed by Jesuit, Domenico Zipoli, and the staging is by Michael Walling, with Rafael Montero in the lead role of Loyola. The opera is sung in Spanish and has English surtitles.

Originally written around 1720 for performance by Indigenous musicians on the Jesuit missions in Latin America, the score was recently discovered in the Archives of Chiquitos in Bolivia. One of the first operas to emerge from the melting pot of Hispanic and Native cultures, LOYOLA combines the sounds of Europe’s 18th century with Indigenous tradition.

LOYOLA is a production by El Parnaso Hyspano, an ensemble led by Inca tenor, Rafael Montero, and dedicated to authentic performances of the Latin American baroque. This musical and cultural integrity is placed in a contemporary setting by director Michael Walling (The Ring – ENO), whose staging underlines the spiritual and existential dilemmas at the heart of this comic, impassioned and deeply spiritual work.

The production team is now in intensive preparation mode for the first UK staging of LOYOLA which will be performed as part of London's celebrated annual Grimeborn Opera Festival on 11th and 12th August. You can find more details and book tickets here.

Tickets are going fast, so we advise early booking!

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