In December 2018 Omar Shahryar (2003) appeared on Channel 4 News to talk about his pioneering opera for young people on the difficulties they face talking about the effects and causes of terrorism: https://www.channel4.com/news/students-stage-opera-about-terrorism-threat
‘A Shoe Full of Stars’ went on to win the Best Opera prize at the international Young Audience Music Awards held in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, beating fierce competition from world-renowned opera houses. The project is now looking to tour the UK and Europe – keep an eye out for it at www.operaschmopera.co.uk.
2019 will see Omar’s next youth opera, The Magic Lantern, performed at London’s Royal Opera House, as well as him following in the footsteps of Dr Smith by becoming a Doctor (of music) himself.