Welsh National Opera (WNO) has announced a significant leadership change with the appointment of opera and theatre director Adele Thomas and creative producer Sarah Crabtree as the company's joint General Directors and CEOs, effective from January 2025. This decision follows former CEO Aidan Lang's announcement of his retirement from the company last September.

Thomas and Crabtree expressed their enthusiasm about their new roles, stating, 'We are passionate exponents of the power of opera; the impact of the raw, unadulterated voice, its profound liveness, and its dedication to scale that enables us to tell the great stories of our time ... We want to bring a new, diverse audience to opera in Wales and beyond while respecting and nurturing WNO’s existing loyal audience. We have a shared commitment to transformational change and a drive to nurture the artform of opera to its next stage of development, particularly given the challenges that the industry has faced in recent years. At the heart of our philosophy is a deeply held belief in the democratic spirit in which WNO was founded and still holds today: that opera is for everyone.'

Adele Thomas has rapidly become a prominent figure in the opera world since directing her first opera in 2017. Thomas has since directed numerous acclaimed theatre and opera productions, including for Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and the Royal Opera in London. Thomas, who herself comes from Port Talbot in Wales, is currently preparing to direct WNO’s upcoming production of Verdi’s Rigoletto, set to premiere at Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff this September before touring to several cities.

Sarah Crabtree has been the Creative Producer and head of Linbury Theatre at The Royal Ballet and Opera since 2017, and brings a strong track record of curating bold and accessible opera programmes. Prior to her work at the Royal Opera, Crabtree worked at Opera Holland Park from 2005-2016. 

Yvette Vaughan Jones, Chair of WNO’s Board, expressed her excitement about the appointments, stating, 'I am delighted that Adele and Sarah will be joint Co-General Directors and CEOs of WNO. They are the future, and they understand the possibilities of opera for future generations. Their vision for the future of the Company is incredibly exciting. They understand exactly what is needed to take WNO forward and the next steps the opera industry needs to take, particularly in the complex and challenging environment we are currently operating in. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our Interim General Director, Christopher Barron, for all his hard work since joining the Company. Chris will remain with us until the end of September.'