1. Let’s start simple – who are you, and how would you introduce yourself to someone new?

I’m Richard and I’m the artistic director of Mid Wales Opera, simply what you see is what I do! My principal responsibility is to direct and design the productions for MWO but there is so much more to it than that. MWO is a small team and collectively we work together to create the programme of events, outreach and community projects that support the main productions but also build and connect with our audiences and the communities we work in.

2. What does a typical day look like for you, and where/how does this project fit into your life?

Nothing is typical! Creative work like everything else requires a level of management and admin so a day can be a mix of meetings, studio work, developing strategies or workshops. The really fun bit is of course when we are in rehearsal – at this point all the planning has hopefully been done and it’s true creative time, working with the singers, stage management and theatres, crafting the performance.

3. What first drew you to get involved in these type of projects?

I think it’s the responsibility of all artists at any level to have a strand of their work dedicated to connecting to new audiences and promoting their art form. It doesn’t matter what level of your career you have achieved, or where you are in terms of appreciation we were all beginners once! What I love about MWO’s OpenStages projects like this production of Dido & Aeneas is that it’s an opportunity for early career singers, amateurs and professionals to work alongside each other in a supportive environment.

4. Tell us a bit about the people (or animals!) you share your life with outside of this work.

So I live on the Welsh Borders in the fantastically creative community of Presteigne. Outside of opera I’m part of this great community of artists but my 24/7 companion is a small, sometimes annoying, Jack Russell called Mabel who accompanies me everywhere including rehearsals – she’s slept through more operas than most!

5. What’s a moment from the last 12 months that really stands out to you in a positive way?

It’s always the same every year – ‘Schools week’ where MWO go into a primary school and help the kids write, create and perform their own mini opera to their classmates and parents. It’s an incredibly intense five days but it’s such a pleasure to build these lasting memories for a new generation discovering the arts sometimes for the first time.

6. And on the flip side, what’s been a tougher moment, and how did you navigate it?

This isn’t a ‘moment’ as such but more the perennial battle of fundraising. If we are to continue presenting live opera across Wales, touring to every corner and community at prices that are affordable we need support and with global funding of the arts decreasing year on year the battle to survive gets harder.

7. What keeps you motivated when things feel challenging, either in life or within the project?

You have to step back, breathe and think on what you have achieved, even if things may not be perfect or turn out exactly as you had envisioned, that you tried should always be a positive.

8. Is there someone you admire who has shaped the way you approach what you do?

Too many to mention but it is worth remembering that we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us whether it’s the composer of the opera you are working on or the music teacher who singled you out and gave you the lift & confidence you needed to pursue what you love (thank you Mrs Wilson!)

9. If you could instantly gain one ability to make a difference in your community, what would it be?

I’ve said it before in interviews – the ability to alter time. Time heals, gives you space to reflect before moving on in any given direction. The world would be a better place if some decisions had been scrutinised a little more!

10. What’s something small (or simple) that brings you a lot of joy?

Watching Mabel fall off the garden wall because she gets distracted.

11. When was the last time something made you laugh far more than it should have?

Again – anything Mabel does and every time a singer makes a confident entry on stage in the wrong place – it’s just funny.

12. If we gave you complete freedom and an unlimited budget, what would you love to create or make happen with Mid Wales Opera?

I think in the current climate to build a legacy funding solution for all the art forms.

13. What’s your favourite opera scene or piece to produce / perform / watch and why?

Always the show I’m currently working on is the ‘correct’ answer (but secretly it’s Rossini’s Barber of Seville -I’ve a passion for slapstick and theatre of the absurd…)

14. If you suddenly found yourself representing your country on a world stage, what would you want it to be for?

Well it wouldn’t be sports but I’m a very good dog whisperer.

15. Music can be powerful, is there a piece of music that you always come back to, and why does it matter to you?

There are many but one of the most powerful is Dido’s Lament at the end of the opera. I first directed it the morning after my grandfather, who was my absolute hero, died. It’s one of those pieces that leaves me emotionally vulnerable which is a very good thing but I can’t keep repeating it in rehearsal. We talk the aria through, run it once and then I have to leave.

16. A bit of fun – which kind of TV challenge do you think you’d secretly excel at? Survival, singing, talent, cooking etc.

I don’t think I’d excel at it but I’d love to try and make Keith Brymer Jones cry on the great Pottery Throwdown.

17. If you could invite any four people for dinner, who would make the guest list and what would be on the menu?

Tracey Emin, Lucien Freud, Hogarth and Daisy May Cooper. We would dine on Damien Hirst’s shark in protest at the banality of his later work…

19. Is there a place that feels particularly meaningful to you, somewhere you return to, or think about often?

My studio desk. Happiness is a pen and a piece of paper being creative.

20. Finally, what has being part of this project meant to you so far or what impact have similar projects had on you?

It’s not about the grand gestures or polished performances it’s the little moments of connection, working to a common goal.