Music
Rex Features
The piece, entitled Prima Donna, was commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, but Wainwright claimed that it was turned down for not being in English.
He told students at the Oxford Union: "The Metropolitan Opera didn't want it because it's written in French. In America they want everything to be American.
"With an opera, so many things can go wrong, you have to minimise the mistakes, and doing it in English can be one. Lots of operas are ruined by being in English."
The Canadian singer-songwriter added that the opera world is currently in a desperate position and has to "lower" itself to work with artists like him.
Prima Donna will open at the Manchester International Festival in July.
Wainwright will feature on the latest War Child charity album with a cover of Brian Wilson's 'Wonderful/Song For Children'.
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