[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Richmond Opera was founded as Isleworth Baroque by Helena Brown (1948-2012), then a harpsichordist with the English Chamber Orchestra and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.

[3][8][9][10] In 2002 Brown gathered together singers and musicians, many from an adult education class run by Hounslow London Borough Council, to perform Handel's Acis and Galatea.

[3] Staged in the conservatory of Syon House in Isleworth, the performers competed with the sounds of heavy rain (the roof leaked), low-flying aircraft, and the cries of peacocks in the surrounding grounds.

[12] Janet Oates, now a composer, choir master and professional singer, took part in Isleworth Baroque's first production and remained with the company as a soloist, musician, and director for 15 years.

[1][28] In 2016 Bramley expanded Isleworth Baroque's purview with performances of Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial by Jury and Mozart's The Magic Flute.