STARTING with the welcome return of Opera Bohemia, Bute Arts Society has announced, subject to confirmed funding, a further three galas for spring and summer 2026 along with a further increased ten-concert Winter Season. Opening with gala performance from Opera Bohemia on Saturday, April 11, with Die Fledermaus to be followed in August by Illyria Theatre and the Pirates of Penzance and a further increased Jazz Weekend with 11 very varied performances in September.
Then comes the Winter Season with a special classical jazz performance from Nikita Lukinov, piano, with Ivan Varchenko on saxophone and piano, accompanying Alisa Apreleva on vocals – an established folk and jazz artist and graduate of Berklee College of Music – all as a prelude to the jazz weekend on the new Yamaha grand piano.
Bute Arts Society is well placed to be a large contributor to the Bute Town of Culture in 2028 proposal with a large and varied performance base using a variety of venues including the Isle of Bute Church, the Joint Campus, the Glenburn Hotel and if plans come to fruition.
Furthermore, the Discovery Centre and Rothesay Pavilion could be in use in Spring 2027 with a planned grand opera.
Elsewhere, Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II from Opera Bohemia, Scotland’s professional touring company, returns to Rothesay for a riotous afternoon of mischief, mistaken identities, and irresistible melodies. Director John Wilkie and designer Alisa Kalyanova transport a hilarious tale of revenge at a lavish party from Austria to Scotland.
A star-studded cast includes Scottish favourite Catriona Clark, former Scottish Opera Emerging Artists, Laura Margaret Smith and Ross Cumming, and American baritone Whitaker Mills – who recently made his debut at New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Featuring the Opera Bohemia Ensemble conducted by Alistair Digges and performed in English, it is operetta at its most entertaining — fast-paced, funny, and full of charm.
