Fancy sponsoring a few bars of Mozart?

The Classical Opera Company and WeDidThis have launched an exciting initiative to raise funds for a recording of Mozart’s first opera, Apollo et Hyacinthus. The campaign allows sponsors to fund anything from one to 600 bars of the recording, in return for rewards ranging from public accreditation to a personalised score and conductor’s commentary.

Mozart’s rarely performed first opera, Apollo et Hyacinthus, written when he was just 11, will be recorded by Ian Page and the Classical Opera Company in summer 2011, for release on LINN Records in 2012. It will be the Company’s fourth recording, and their third production of Apollo and Hyacinthus. The Company makes it its mission to champion neglected repertoire, as well as discovering and supporting young singers at the start of their careers.

WeDidThis is an online arts-only crowd-funding platform, which allows arts organisations to bring their audiences and supporters together to form a 'critical mass' of funders of the arts.

Zoë Cobden-Jewitt, Development Manager of the Classical Opera Company, commented: “Even in this present difficult climate, we continue to have fantastic support from our membership schemes and other sources. However, we absolutely recognise that we must always strive to increase our fundraising efforts and are therefore very excited to be part of the new WeDidThis initiative, and hope that it will encourage a younger, online media generation to become engaged in philanthropy via exciting arts projects, as well as reaching out in a different way to existing donors.”