George Benjamin opera Picture a Day Like This explores how appearances can be deceiving in modern UK society. Social media and curated images often mask inner struggles, yet Benjamin’s latest work brings these truths to the stage.
The UK premiere follows a bereaved mother searching for happiness to recover her lost child. She meets lovers, a craftsman, a composer, and a wealthy collector. Despite outward appearances, none are content. Benjamin’s long-term collaborator, playwright Martin Crimp, provides a taut, uncompromising text. Their partnership has now produced four operas, blending European fairytales with the darker sides of humanity.
Premiering in 2023 at Aix-en-Provence, the production later moved to London’s Royal Opera House Linbury Studio Theatre. Audiences across the UK responded to its innovative staging and dreamlike score, performed by The Mahler Chamber Orchestra under Benjamin’s direction. The 2024 recording won the Contemporary Recording category at the 2025 Gramophone Awards. Benjamin described the creative process as long but rewarding, with Crimp sending story texts that would shape years of work.
Teaching remains central to Benjamin’s career in the UK. As Henry Purcell Chair of Musical Composition at King’s College London, he has mentored numerous students, including composer Dai Fujikura. Benjamin emphasizes the importance of international collaboration, while also highlighting UK orchestras’ strong support for contemporary works.
Benjamin’s earlier UK performances continue to captivate audiences. Shadowlines, a solo piano piece, showcased virtuosic interpretation at the Aldeburgh Festival in Suffolk. Ringed by the Flat Horizon, his orchestral breakthrough, was revived by the London Philharmonic Orchestra to mark his composer-in-residence appointment. The residency also includes mentoring five young UK composers for new chamber orchestra works.
Despite ongoing UK success, Benjamin remains discreet about future projects. He emphasizes careful planning and creation before discussing upcoming works. Audiences and students across the UK await his next compositions with anticipation.
George Benjamin opera productions reveal hidden depths behind human experience. Picture a Day Like This confirms Benjamin’s status as one of the UK’s leading contemporary composers.
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