Since the foundation of Opera North in 1978, the Chorus of Opera North has established a reputation for quality and versatility. The Chorus features in most Opera North productions at the Leeds Grand Theatre, touring the North of England regularly and often travelling to Scotland, Northern Ireland and London. Festival appearances have included Edinburgh, Wiesbaden, Ravenna and Bregenz. The Chorus has performed Orfeo ed Euridice in Monte Carlo, Boris Godunov in Dortmund, Billy Budd in Rotterdam and The Cunning Little Vixen at the Gran Teatre Liceu, Barcelona.

On the concert platform, the Chorus has given the world premieres of Takemitsu’s My Way of Life and Philip Wilby’s A New World Dancing, as well as performances of the St John Passion; the Brahms, Fauré and Duruflé Requiems; Britten’s St Nicolas and Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms. The Chorus often gives concerts and recitals in the Howard Assembly Room at Opera North, as well as in other venues in Leeds and on tour. The Chorus featured in Phyllida Lloyd’s highly acclaimed production of Peter Grimes, which was the winner of the Southbank Show Award for Opera and the Royal Philharmonic Society Opera Award and was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award.

They also performed in Lloyd’s Emmy Award-winning live DVD recording of Gloriana, and in the world premiere of Jonathan Dove and Alasdair Middleton’s The Adventures of Pinocchio, later released by Opus Arte on DVD. The Chorus has made a number of outstanding recordings for Chandos including Michael Berkeley’s Baa Baa Black Sheep, Gerhard’s The Dueña, Walton’s Troilus and Cressida (for which Opera North was awarded the 1995 Gramophone award for Best Opera recording) and Verdi’s Nabucco and Don Carlos. For Deutsche Grammophon, it appeared with Bryn Terfel on If Ever I Would Leave You and Something Wonderful.