Join us for Opening Night at the Royal Opera House: Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Aigul Akhmetshina and Rachel Willis-Sørensen — with superb Centre Stalls seats, Champagne dinner and an overnight stay at The Savoy

You are invited to join us for Opening Night at the Royal Opera House for one of the greatest and most thrilling operas ever written — Mozart’s Don Giovanni — with an outstanding international cast including two of today’s most exciting opera stars, mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina and soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen.

The date is Thursday, September 10, and this promises to be a wonderful night at Covent Garden. We have secured superb Row K seats in the Centre Stalls for our Members for the Opening Night performance at the Royal Opera House.

And we shall celebrate the occasion in suitably grand style.

Before the performance, we shall meet at The Savoy, where the evening begins with a glass of Champagne followed by a three-course dinner at Gordon Ramsay’s River Restaurant. After Don Giovanni, Members return to The Savoy for the night, staying in a Superior Queen Room — and with a complimentary room upgrade on arrival, subject to availability.

The complete CountryClubuk Opening Night experience is available to Members from £678pp, based on two sharing, saving £130pp (£260 per couple) against the equivalent published value of £808pp.

MOZART’S DON GIOVANNI AT THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

Few operas contain so much in one extraordinary evening.

Seduction and betrayal, comedy and tragedy, passion, vengeance and ultimately terrifying retribution — all are woven together by Mozart in music of breathtaking beauty and dramatic power.

Don Giovanni is the legendary libertine who believes that charm, wealth and audacity will allow him to take whatever — and whomever — he wants. But when one attempted conquest ends in murder, the consequences begin to close around him. By the opera’s unforgettable final scenes, the seemingly untouchable Don is confronted by a force even he cannot escape.

Mozart’s score is one glorious musical highlight after another, from Leporello’s famous Catalogue Aria and Don Giovanni’s breathless Champagne Aria to some of the most beautiful ensembles and dramatic writing in all opera. The work moves effortlessly from sparkling comedy to darkness and, finally, one of the most electrifying finales in the repertoire.

AIGUL AKHMETSHINA AS DONNA ELVIRA

For many opera lovers, one of the greatest attractions of this Opening Night will be the return of Aigul Akhmetshina to the Covent Garden stage.

A former member of the Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artists Programme, Akhmetshina has enjoyed a spectacular international rise and is now one of the most sought-after mezzo-sopranos of her generation, appearing at the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, Glyndebourne, Teatro Real and other leading opera houses around the world.

Her performances as Carmen have helped make her an international sensation; now we shall see another side of this remarkable singer as Donna Elvira — the woman Don Giovanni has seduced and abandoned, but who cannot entirely escape his hold over her.

It is a role demanding fire, vulnerability, anger and extraordinary vocal agility, and Akhmetshina’s combination of thrilling voice and dramatic presence should make her one of the evening’s most compelling figures.

RACHEL WILLIS-SØRENSEN AS DONNA ANNA

Alongside her is the magnificent American soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen as Donna Anna.

A regular guest at the world’s great opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper and Covent Garden, Willis-Sørensen has become particularly acclaimed in Mozart, Verdi, Wagner and Richard Strauss.

Donna Anna is a role she knows intimately and has sung at Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna and other major houses. Her powerful, radiant soprano brings both grandeur and emotional intensity to one of Mozart’s most demanding heroines.

To hear Willis-Sørensen and Akhmetshina together on Opening Night is reason enough for any lover of great voices to want to be in the auditorium.

AN ALL-STAR CAST FOR THIS OPENING NIGHT AT COVENT GARDEN

And the strength of this Don Giovanni extends throughout the cast.

Canadian bass-baritone Gordon Bintner takes the title role of Mozart’s irresistible and ultimately doomed anti-hero. An accomplished Don Giovanni who has appeared at leading houses including the Paris Opera, San Francisco Opera and the Royal Opera House, Bintner brings the vocal elegance, charisma and dramatic presence the role demands.

Roberto Tagliavini sings Leporello, Don Giovanni’s long-suffering servant and reluctant accomplice, while Bogdan Volkov appears as Don Ottavio.

Stefano Montanari conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

Kasper Holten’s spectacular production, with designs by the internationally acclaimed Es Devlin, creates a constantly shifting world around Don Giovanni, blurring reality with the increasingly dark and disordered world of the Don himself.

It promises all the ingredients of a great Covent Garden night: Mozart at his most inspired, an exceptional international cast and the special anticipation and excitement of Opening Night.

CHAMPAGNE DINNER AT THE SAVOY

Our evening begins just along the Strand at The Savoy.

We shall meet at The River Restaurant by Gordon Ramsay, The Savoy’s stylish and relaxed restaurant overlooking the Thames, where Members will begin the evening with a glass of Champagne to toast the occasion before enjoying a delicious three-course pre-theatre dinner.

With the Royal Opera House performance beginning at 6.30pm, it is the perfect way to begin our Opening Night celebrations before making the short journey to Covent Garden.

And after the final curtain, there is no need for the evening to end.

Members return to The Savoy for the night — the perfect conclusion to a very special London occasion.

OPENING NIGHT AT COVENT GARDEN

There is always something particularly exciting about Opening Night at the Royal Opera House.

The anticipation, the audience, the first performance of the season’s production and the knowledge that some of the world’s finest singers are stepping on to the Covent Garden stage combine to create an atmosphere quite unlike an ordinary night at the opera.

For CountryClubuk Members, we have secured superb Row K seats in the Centre Stalls for this Opening Night performance.

Thursday, September 10, 2026.

Champagne and three-course dinner at The River Restaurant at The Savoy.

Opening Night of Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Royal Opera House from superb Row K Centre Stalls seats.

Overnight at The Savoy.

For opera lovers — and for anyone looking for a very special night in London — this promises to be an occasion to remember.

We have secured a limited number of places for this very special Opening Night occasion and early reservation is recommended.

Make your reservations here, or call Member Services on 020 7399 2960.

This exclusive Opening Night experience is available to CountryClubuk Members. Not yet a Member? Discover the benefits of CountryClubuk Membership.

PLEASE READ: CountryClubuk Club Rules and Terms and Conditions