A b o u t t h e C a r l R o s a T r u s t
The Carl
Rosa Opera Company still holds the
record as the longest-running and most successful travelling opera
company in British history. After successful seasons touring opera in
English in the United States of America during the late 1860s, Carl
Rosa (1842–1889) and his wife Euphrosyne
Parepa-Rosa (1836–1874) organised
their first season in Manchester in 1873. The new Company was called
the Carl Rosa Opera Company and toured the length and breadth of
Britain from then until its final performance in London (Don
Giovanni at the Prince’s Theatre) on
17th September 1960.
The Carl Rosa Trust Ltd was established in May 1953 through an
agreement made between Annette Phillips (then Artistic and Managing
Director of the Carl Rosa Company) and the
Arts Council of Great Britain. From 1953 to
1960 the Trust was responsible for the running and administration of
the Company.
Since 1960, when the Carl
Rosa Opera Company gave its last performance,
the Carl Rosa Trust has used its resources to support opera singers by
awarding grants. The Carl Rosa Trust is active today in its role as
sole custodian of the Carl Rosa Archive.
