In the soap opera he earned notoriety by kidnapping Sally Webster and her children, a performance that won him Villain of the Year at the National Soap Opera awards.

BBC: Stephen Billington: A prize villain

Resident opera company Welsh National Opera is the big success story of the past year, playing to almost full houses.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Wales | Just the ticket for arts centre

Vienna State Opera house - known as the Wiener Staatsoper - is one of the busiest opera houses in the world, producing 50 to 60 operas a year in approximately 200 performances.

BBC: Vienna opera director collapses during performance

Tony Hall, boss of the Royal Opera House (ROH) in London, is jumping on the bandwagon, with last year's acquisition of Opus Arte, a maker of DVDs.

ECONOMIST: New York��s Metropolitan Opera has pioneered a new model

Best vocal performance was one of the strongest categories this year, but a disc called OPERA PROBITA from Cecilia Bartoli was easily my favorite.

NPR: Critic's Picks for Classical Music Grammys

Over 10 months, the venerable Minnesota company began a program with the aid of Opera Solutions Inc. of New York, an eight-year-old analytics firm.

WSJ: Data Analytics: So, What's Your Algorithm?

Next year Mr Mortier will take over as head of the New York City Opera, next door to the mighty Met.

ECONOMIST: New York��s Metropolitan Opera has pioneered a new model

It has been nominated again this year and is up against Billy Elliot the Musical, The Phantom of the Opera and Wicked for the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award - the only Olivier voted for by the public.

BBC: Matilda's 'marvellous' Broadway debut hailed by critics

When Mr Hytner decided a year ago that the theatre should follow opera into live transmissions, he thought the presence of a film star could only help to make a splash.

ECONOMIST: ��Ph��dre�� at the National Theatre

Now in its 65th year, the international festival presents a rich programme of classical music, theatre, opera and dance in six major theatres and concert halls and a number of smaller venues.

BBC: king lear