Mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly has garnered some of Britain’s highest honours for her work. But such recognition is in stark contrast to the treatment experienced by musicians post-Brexit, she says.
Connolly called the government’s failure to prioritise an agreement allowing musicians visa-free travel to Europe, after Britain finally quit all EU structures at the end of 2020, “absolutely outrageous”.
“I feel that we have the right to be angry,” she told AFP, emphasising the importance of early exposure to continental experience for British musicians to reach the highest levels.
Mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly. Photo: operabase.com
Connolly, 57, who was made a dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 2017 for her services to music, has sung at the world’s most prestigious opera venues.