If Opera

Name

If Opera

Legal name

Iford Arts Limited

Website

https://ifopera.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Opera

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (71119), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Opera & Operetta (MPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe) (MPAGABAG), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

Keywords

• Live opera performances
• Opera productions
• Outdoor classical concerts
• Baroque chamber concerts
• Opera education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradford on Avon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream through Bath Box Office. Tickets sold for opera productions, Picnic Proms, concerts, and special events. A £1 transaction fee applies per order. Under-18s receive complimentary tickets.
2. Membership & Patronage: Annual membership schemes (Gold, Silver, Under 35s Opera Club) and patron programmes (Benefactor, Accompanists, Founders) providing priority booking, member pricing, and exclusive benefits. Also Syndicate Members and Friends tiers.
3. Donations & Fundraising: Individual donations, summer fundraising appeals, gala dinners, and Baroque by Candlelight fundraising concerts. Gift memberships available. Supported by 150 Presidents, Syndicate Members, Patrons and Friends.
4. Corporate Partnerships & Sponsorship: Corporate partner programme, corporate sponsorship, and partnerships with brands such as Champagne Taittinger, Viking, and others. Sponsors of classical events and cultural programmes.
5. Government Grants: Cash infusion from government's Cultural Recovery Fund during the pandemic. Registered charity reliant on grant support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

If Opera is a not-for-profit professional opera company that produces live opera productions, Picnic Proms, family shows, and Baroque concerts in distinctive heritage venues across Wiltshire, Southwest England. The company operates a repertory ensemble model that provides stable, fair employment to emerging opera singers and runs community outreach via schools workshops and care home performances. Revenue is generated through ticket sales, annual memberships, individual donations, corporate partnerships, and grants.

Product overview

If Opera is a not-for-profit opera company offering a portfolio of live performance products and community engagement programmes. The core offerings include full-scale opera productions (Carmen, Rigoletto, La rondine), Picnic Proms combining outdoor concerts with dining experiences, and family-friendly shows with interactive workshops. Supporting programmes include the Young Artist Programme providing professional development for emerging singers, Schools Programme delivering educational workshops, and Community Performances at care homes. The company operates a repertory ensemble model, providing stable employment across multiple productions. Additional offerings include membership tiers (Friends, Patrons), corporate partnerships, gift vouchers, and volunteer/host programmes. Productions are staged at distinctive venues including Church Farm (current), Belcombe Court, and historic churches, with ticket sales managed through Bath Box Office/Spektrix.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Opera Productions Full-scale opera performances featuring emerging and professional singers, performed in distinctive heritage venues including Church Farm Wingfield, Belcombe Court, Iford Manor, and historic churches. Productions include classic works by composers such as Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti, Handel, and Offenbach (e.g., Carmen, Rigoletto, Lucia di Lammermoor, Orpheus in the Underworld).
• Picnic Proms Outdoor concert performances combining opera and classical music with picnic experiences in scenic garden settings, featuring the If Opera ensemble and guest musicians.
• Family Shows Family-friendly musical productions and interactive performances designed for children and families, including workshops and creative activities such as the interactive Man in the Moon family show.
• Baroque Concerts Specialist Baroque music performances including candlelit concerts featuring period instruments, such as 'Baroque by Candlelight' fundraising events and double-bill concerts in the 15th-century chapel.
• Young Artist Programme Professional development programme supporting emerging opera singers with performance opportunities, mentorship, and fair compensation within the repertory ensemble model.
• Membership & Patron Programme Annual membership and patronage programme offering priority booking, member pricing, and exclusive benefits across tiers (Gold, Silver, Under 35s Opera Club, Benefactor, Accompanists, Founders, Friends, Syndicate Members).
• Corporate Partnerships Sponsorship and corporate partnership opportunities for businesses to support opera productions and community programmes, with specific tiered benefits (e.g., partnerships with Champagne Taittinger, Viking, Bo Lee Gallery).
• Gift Vouchers Gift vouchers available for opera performances and season tickets, allowing recipients to experience If Opera productions; gift memberships also available.

Quantifiable outcome

• 140 emerging artists nurtured since 2010 programme start
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Champagne TaittingerminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 January 2026Champagne Taittinger partnered with If Opera for the 2026 season as a sponsor and partner. This partnership enhances the premium experience at If Opera events and provides brand visibility to a discerning opera audience.
• ZAREKtriominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZAREKtrio is a period-instrument chamber ensemble that partnered with If Opera for the Baroque by Candlelight fundraising concert. They perform baroque repertoire for violin, viola da gamba, and keyboard, bringing historically informed performance to If Opera audiences.
• VikingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerViking, an ocean and river cruise company, partnered with If Opera for Tales from Chez Bullier as part of Bath Festivals. Viking provides cultural enrichment programmes and has sponsored classical events, making this partnership aligned with their cultural sector commitment.
• Bristol EnsemblecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBristol Ensemble serves as If Opera's resident orchestra, providing live orchestral accompaniment across productions. Founded in 1994, the ensemble shares If Opera's ethos of equality and community focus. A natural partnership given proximity and shared values in the Southwest England arts scene.
• Charles Court OperaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharles Court Opera collaborated with If Opera on the Man in the Moon family show, an interactive musical production with an environmental theme created by John Savournin with music by Samuel Bordoli.
• The LOT ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe LOT Productions partnered with If Opera on the inaugural project Adjustments, a short film exploring how opera impacts the grieving process. Several crew members were trainees gaining professional experience through the production.
• Church Farm Wingfield (David and Fiona Robinson)coreOthersDavid and Fiona Robinson, long-standing If Opera Patrons, host the company at Church Farm Wingfield near Bradford on Avon. The bucolic setting allows expanded seating capacity from 300 to 340 per performance and includes a 15th-century chapel for Baroque double-bills. This is the primary venue for 2025-2026 seasons.
• Paul and Caroline WeilandcoreOthersPaul and Caroline Weiland hosted If Opera at their private estate Belcombe Court in Bradford on Avon for the 2022-2024 seasons. The estate features 60 acres of formal gardens, parkland, and woodland with Grade 1 listed house.
• Bath Box OfficecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBath Box Office acts as If Opera's primary ticketing partner, managing ticket sales for all events through both online and telephone channels. They act as Data Processor on behalf of If Opera and pass on necessary information for transactions.
• Bo Lee GalleryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBo Lee Gallery hosted a Champagne Reception as part of the If Opera 2026 events programme, serving as a partner venue and marketing channel.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Longborough Festival Opera: Cotswolds-based summer festival opera producing intimate-scale productions. Comparable regional UK summer opera model serving audiences in the West of England.
• English Touring Opera: UK-based mid-scale opera company producing chamber and full-scale operas. Most comparable peer — operates at similar scale, focuses on regional touring, and nurtures emerging singers.
• Opera Holland Park: London-based summer opera festival producing a repertory season outdoors. Comparable in repertory ensemble model, outdoor staging, and emerging-artist development mission.
• Grange Park Opera: Surrey-based opera company performing in heritage estate setting (West Horsley Place). Comparable summer festival format and repertory ensemble structure.
• Garsington Opera: Buckinghamshire summer opera festival at a private estate (Wormsley). Highly comparable: outdoor tented productions in heritage estate setting with premium hospitality and repertory programming.
• Buxton International Festival: Derbyshire summer arts festival with a strong opera programme. Comparable in producing chamber opera, nurturing young artists, and running an annual festival window.
• Charles Court Opera: UK small-scale opera company producing chamber works and family shows. Already a co-production partner (Man in the Moon), directly comparable in size and family-show programming.

Broad incumbents

• Glyndebourne: Leading UK summer opera festival at country estate. Compares on outdoor country-house opera format but operates at materially larger scale and longer season.
• Welsh National Opera: Larger UK opera company with regional touring and emerging-artist programmes. Comparable artistic mission around young talent but operates at substantially greater scale.

Regional players

• Bristol Old Vic: Southwest England's principal producing theatre. Compares as a Southwest arts partner and potential audience cross-promotion channel, though focuses on drama rather than opera.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/if-opera

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about If Opera