OPERA North has entered a new era after a peripatetic year during the multi-million pound refurbishment and renovation at Leeds Grand Theatre.

The season has started with a new production of Verdi's melodramatic opera Rigoletto, updated by director/designer Charles Edwards to modern-day Italy instead of the 16th century.

Alan Opie sings the title role, with Mexican tenor Rafael Rojas as the Duke of Mantua and the highly talented young Danish soprano Henriette Bond-Hansen. Martin Andre, so impressive in the 8 Little Greats of the 2004 season, conducts.

Performances continue in Leeds on Wednesday and on October 21 and 25 and December 6.

This is followed by a new Phyllida Lloyd production of Benjamin Britten's grimly evocative Peter Grimes which opens on October 26, with further performances on November 4 and December 5, 7 and 8.

The line-up is of Opera North regulars - Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts (Grimes), Giselle Allen (Ellen), Christopher Purves (Bulstrode) and Yvonne Howard (Auntie) and others, together with the all-important Opera North Chorus. Richard Farnes conducts.

The third opera (or in this case monodrama) of the autumn season is Poulenc's La Voix Humaine in yet another new production with soprano, Joan Rodgers, as the solo performer in this highly intense work. It promises to be a remarkable experience.

The orchestra is directed by Paul Watkins who, as well as winning the 2002 Leeds conductor's competition was also winner of the string section (cello) of the 1988 BBC Young Musicians competition.

After opening at Leeds, all production tour to The Lowry in Salford and to Nottingham, London and Newcastle Theatre Royal (November 28-December 2).