The European premiere of Michael Berkeley's opera For You, with libretto by Ian McEwan, will be on Thursday 25 November. It will take place in Italy at Teatro Olimpico, Piazza Gentile da Fabriano, Rome at 8.30pm. There will be a further performance on Saturday, 27 November at 5.30pm. For more details, download a flyer here.

A new anthem for Liverpool Cathedral, with words by Rowan Williams, will be premiered on 28th November.

Michael is writing a new opera based on Ian McEwan's novel Atonement, with a libretto by poet Craig Raine. Michael and Ian announced the new project at their recent talk at the Purcell Room on London's Southbank. • BBC News article

They also discussed their recent collaboration, the opera For You (below), which will be released on the Signum label in 2010. For You was previewed on BBC Radio 3's Late Junction with Robert Sandall on 17 June, when listeners heard the whole of the first scene.

On Nov 24th Sir Mark Elder will conduct For Mrs Tomayasu, from Or Shall We Die? at a Musicians Against Nuclear Arms concert in St. James, Piccadilly.

Great British Composers: From Elgar to Ades is a new exhibition at The National Portrait Gallery, on now. Amongst the pictures is a photograph of Michael with Lennox Berkeley by Angela Gorgas.

Touch Light will be performed on Saturday 25 September at Notre Dame, Boulogne, France. Also on the programme is Handel's Dixit Dominus and Vivaldi's Gloria. Performed by Lorna Anderson, Julie Cooper (soprano), Robin Blaze (countertenor), Choir of The King's Consort, The King's Consort, Robert King (conductor). Tickets from www.musiques62.fr Box office: 00 33 (0)3 21 21 47 30.

Fierce Tears I and II have been recorded by oboist James Turnbull with Huw Watkins playing the piano. Watch this space for release details of the disc which will also include Berkeley's Second Still Life in which James is joined by the harpist Claire Jones.

Collision, examining the intersection of research in music and contemporary art, is to open at the Leeds Art Gallery on 18 September and run until January 2011. It has also been on display at St. Mary's Pro Cathedral in Dublin. Collision is a collaboration with visual artist Kevin Laycock.

Michael is currently writing three songs for baritone Jeremy Huw Williams, to be premiered in 2010, and a cello and piano work for Adrian Brendel.

The Royal Ballet have been performing the Ballet Rushes this February and March. Principal dancer Alina Cojocaru also danced the final Pas de Deux at the Mariinsky Theatre in Russia on April 26th.

Future plans include a song cycle for Claire Booth and the Nash Ensemble and a full scale opera, Atonement, to be premiered in Germany in April 2013.