New Appointments To Boards Of Opera North And Kino

Opera North, the national opera company in the north of England, has announced the appointment of three new trustees to its Board: Anthony Freud OBE, Kaley Gardiner and Ani Kaprekar. Together they bring a wide array of significant experience across the opera industry, business and technology, diversity and inclusion, marketing and audience development to the Company’s governance at a crucial time of evolution for the opera and the performing arts.

Anthony Freud has managed international opera companies, as general director of Welsh National Opera (1994 – 2005), Houston Grand Opera (2006 – 2011) and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, a position he held for 13 years before retiring in July 2024.

Having been involved with Opera North from a distance since the early 1980s, I am thrilled to be joining the Opera North family. This is a time of great change for the performing arts in general and opera in particular, and, with my experience of running opera companies on both sides of the Atlantic, I look forward to working closely with this outstanding company and board to build on its extraordinary achievements and to secure for it an exciting and successful future.Anthony Freud

I am passionate about expanding opera's reach to diverse audiences and harnessing its transformative power to bring healing and unity in today’s world.Ani Kaprekar

Manchester-based, Mumbai-born tech influencer and business leader Ani Kaprekar blends international business acumen with creative pursuits as an actor, storyteller and poet.

Kaley Gardiner is a qualified executive coach, and a leader in strategic marketing, brand development, e-commerce and digital transformation.

Belinda Williams was owner founder of the North Yorkshire-based Yorkshire Provender soup brand. Belinda developed, marketed and led the brand to sale in 2017

Opera North’s commitment to engaging with the community through innovative programmes and outreach is truly inspiring. I have always believed in the life-changing impact of the arts, and I am excited to contribute to an organisation so passionately dedicated to enriching the lives of others through the power of music and performance.Kaley Gardiner

Kaley Gardiner will additionally join the board of directors of Opera North Trading Ltd, the commercial arm of the company operating Kino, Opera North’s restaurant and bar on New Briggate in central Leeds, adjacent to Leeds Grand Theatre and the Howard Assembly Room. Kaley will be joined on the Opera North Trading Ltd board by food industry entrepreneur Belinda Williams.


We are delighted to welcome Anthony, Ani and Kaley to the Board of Trustees at Opera North. Each brings a huge and distinctive degree of experience, talent and professional knowledge to the Board at a crucial moment. I am also very pleased that Kaley and Belinda will additionally join the board of non-executive directors for Opera North Trading Ltd, helping us to steer the future of our commercial arm including our restaurant and bar, Kino, to support the financial future of Opera North.Laura Canning, General Director, Opera North