Biographies 2008
Christopher Ainslie countertenor
Christopher Ainslie began singing as a chorister in the choir of St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town, his home city. In 2005 he moved to London to study at the Royal College of Music. He now studies privately with Mark Tucker, Paul Farrington and Audrey Hyland.
Christopher’s performance in the title role of Handel’s Poro (conducted by Laurence Cummings, and part of the 2007 London Handel Festival) was highly acclaimed. Other Handel opera roles include Medoro in Orlando with Independent Opera at Sadler’s Wells, Alessandro in Tolomeo Rè d’Egitto, part of the 2006 London Handel Festival and Arsamenes in an Edinburgh Festival Fringe production of Xerxes. In 2007 he covered the role of Ottone in the English National Opera production of Monteverdi’s Poppea.
His oratorio performances include Handel’s Solomon, conducted by Laurence Cummings, The Messiah, conducted by Sir David Willcocks, Handel’s Belshazzar (Cyrus) in the Frauenkirche in Dresden, Bach’s St Matthew Passion in Worcester Cathedral, Vivaldi’s Gloria with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Handel’s Saul (David) in St John’s, Smith Square.
Upcoming engagements include the premier of Birtwistle’s The Minotaur (Innocent 4) at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and Medoro in Handel’s Orlando, with Independent Opera at the 2009 Prague Festival.
Christopher is the winner of the Michael Oliver Prize in the 2007 Handel Singing Competition, and recipient of the Hulbert Award through the London Handel Society.
While qualifying as a chartered accountant in Cape Town, Christopher studied singing part time and since moving to London has, apart from his regular teachers, studied with Ryland Davies and David Daniels, and has sung in masterclasses with Michael Chance, Peter Harvey, Ashley Stafford and Sarah Walker.
He is also an accomplished violist and has played and toured with the South African National Youth Orchestra.
Christopher is grateful for the support of Independent Opera at Sadler’s Wells and the Richard Carne Trust.
Adrian Butterfield Associate Director/violin
Adrian Butterfield is now established as one of the most versatile period-instrument musicians of his generation in the UK and abroad working as a conductor and violinist-director with both modern- and period-instrument orchestras, and as a concerto soloist, chamber musician and teacher. A former chorister of St. Paul’s Cathedral and a graduate of Trinity College Cambridge, he is Musical Director of the Tilford Bach Society and Associate Musical Director of the London Handel Festival and directs ensembles such as the London Handel Orchestra, the Hanover Band and the Theatre of Early Music, Montreal across Europe and North America.
He has appeared on numerous recordings and with most of the period-instrument orchestras in London. Recent solo recordings include CPE Bach sonatas with Laurence Cummings for ATMA, Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in E flat RV 254 for BIS and the Bach Concerto for oboe and violin with John Abberger for Analekta.
He leads two chamber ensembles in London. The London Handel Players perform regularly at festivals throughout Europe and have made several appearances at the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival. Their two recent recordings, the first of Handel’s Op.5 trio sonatas and the second entitled “Handel at Home”, both for Somm, have been highly acclaimed. The Revolutionary String Quartet specializes in classical and romantic music on period instruments, has recorded quartets by Boccherini and Donizetti for CPO, broadcast repertoire from Telemann to Mendelssohn for the BBC and has performed in North America and across Europe.
Recent highlights include rare performances on period instruments of the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Hanover Band at St. John’s, Smith Square in London, Bach Brandenburg Concertos in Ottawa, Thomas Linley’s Violin Concerto in the Dulwich Picture Gallery, Mozart and Haydn symphonies with the Hanover Band, a Handel programme with soprano Carolyn Sampson and appearances at festivals in Romania, Italy and Denmark. He has recently conducted Handel’s Fireworks Music, Rameau’s Pigmalion and an all-Bach programme in collaboration with the Thomanenchor, Leipzig, all at the Royal College of Music.
He works regularly with the Southbank Sinfonia, is Professor of Baroque Violin at the Royal College of Music in London and directs the RCM Baroque Orchestra.
Plans for 2007 include a “300 Years of Handel” programme in the London Handel Festival, several concerts with Emma Kirkby and the London Handel Players in the UK, further tours to Canada, Purcell’s The Fairy Queen in Romania, teaching on the Aestas Musica Baroque Course in Croatia and recordings of violin sonatas by Handel and Leclair.
“Adrian Butterfield was the outstanding soloist in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, his exquisite sense of musical line and phrasing matched by a lovely singing tone quality achieved through the minimal use of a gentle vibrato – reflecting contemporary records of the expressive singing quality of the original soloist, Franz Clement.”
Early Music Review, June 06
Allan Clayton tenor
Allan Clayton was a chorister at Worcester Cathedral before going up to St John’s College, Cambridge on a choral scholarship, and then postgraduate studies on the opera course at the Royal Academy of Music where he was awarded an inaugural Sir Elton John Scholarship and a John Lewis Award. He was also awarded a Maidment Scholarship, administered by the Musicians Benevolent Fund; a Star Award from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, and ‘The Queen's Commendation for Excellence 2007’. Allan continues to study with David Lowe and was recently selected for BBC Radio 3's New Generation Artists scheme.
On stage, Allan’s roles include the title role Peter Grimes, Tamino (The Magic Flute), Prologue/Quint (Turn of the Screw), Belfiore (La finta giardiniera), the Madwoman (Britten’s Curlew River), the title role Albert Herring at Snape Maltings, Tenor Actor in Weir’s A Night at the Chinese Opera, the title role in Rameau’s Dardanus, Count Vandemont in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta and the Male Chorus (The Rape of Lucretia) as well as appearances in Purcell’s King Arthur in France and Death in Venice at the Festival Hall.
Recent concert engagements include The Dream of Gerontius and the St Matthew Passion with The Bach Choir, the War Requiem at the Perth International Arts Festival and the Sydney Opera House, Handel’s Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall and Symphony Hall, Birmingham with the CBSO, Bruckner’s Te Deum with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, The Creation with Richard Egarr at Snape Maltings, Britten’s Serenade at the Nuremberg KammermusikFestival, Handel’s L’Allegro with William Christie at the Spitalfields Festival, Britten’s St Nicholas in Guernsey and Snape and an appearance at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. In recital, Allan has appeared at the Perth International Arts Festival in Australia performing Britten’s Canticles, at the Cheltenham Music Festival in songs by Judith Weir, and at St John’s Smith Square and the Wigmore Hall in recitals with Angelika Kirchschlager and Graham Johnson. Most recently he has also performed Winterreise with pianist Joseph Middleton, and a programme of Wolf songs with Roger Vignoles at the Wigmore Hall.
In the 2007-2008 season Allan will make his debuts for both Opera North, as Lampwick in Jonathan Dove’s new opera Pinocchio, and for Glyndebourne Festival Opera as Albert Herring as well as performances with the Classical Opera Company, The Britten Sinfonia, RLPO, the Orchestra of Opera North, and recitals in Aberdeen and at the Wigmore Hall.
Laurence Cummings Musical Director
Laurence Cummings is one of Britain's most exciting and versatile young exponents of historical performance both as harpsichord player and conductor. He was an organ scholar at Christ Church Oxford where he graduated with first class honours. In 1996 he was appointed Head of Historical Performance at the Royal Academy of Music which has led to both baroque and classical orchestras forming part of the established curriculum. He is also Musical Director of the Tilford Bach Society and a trustee of Handel House London. Since 1999 he has been Music Director of the London Handel Festival where performances have included productions of Deborah, Athalia, Esther, Agrippina, Sorsame, Alexander Balus, Hercules, Samson, Ezio, Riccardo Primo and Tolomeo.
Opera productions include Semele and Orfeo for English National Opera, Giulio Cesare for Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Ariodante and Tolomeo for English Touring Opera, Rodelinda for Opera Theatre Company in the UK, Ireland and New York, Alceste at the Linbury Theatre Covent Garden as part of the London Bach Festival, Time Flows (based on music by Handel and Hendrix) for Streetwise Opera, Caverlieri’s Rappresentatione di Anima e di Corpo, Eccle’s The Judgement of Paris and King Arthur in Croatia, Francisco António de Almeida’s La Spinalba and La Guiditta at the Casa da Musica in Porto and L’Incoronazione di Poppea and Dardanus at the Royal Academy of Music. He recently made his US debut conducting Orfeo with the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston.
As a continuo player he has worked regularly with Les Arts Florissants, The Sixteen, The Gabrieli Consort, and The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and conductors William Christie, Paul McCreesh and Harry Christophers. He has collaborated with Stage Directors Graham Vick, Peter Sellars, Annabelle Arden, James Conway and Robert Carsen.
His orchestral engagements include concerts with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Ulster Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra at the Bridgewater Hall, Irish Baroque Orchestra, Royal Academy of Music Baroque Orchestra (B minor Mass at the London Bach Festival) and Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers at the Spitalfields Festival.
His numerous recordings include the first recording of Handel’s newly discovered Gloria with Emma Kirkby and the Royal Academy of Music on BIS and recital discs of solo harpsichord music (including music by Louis and Francois Couperin) for Naxos. He has recently completed a solo disc of Handel arias with Angelika Kirschlager for BIS.
Future plans include performances of L’Incoronazione di Poppea for English National Opera and the Handel and Haydn Society Boston, Vivaldi L’Incoronazione di Dario for Garsington Opera and Giulio Cesare for Gothenburg Opera. He gives concerts at the Casa da Musica, with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at the Lincoln Center New York and with the English Concert.
Bridget Cunningham harpsichord
Following studies in the harpsichord, organ and conducting at Southampton University, Bridget Cunningham gained her postgraduate diplomas at the Royal College of Music. Bridget's performing experience includes working with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, English Touring Opera, the Ulster Orchestra, Sacrae Smphoniae, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the Schola Pieta Antonio Vivaldi and the Oxford Girls Choir. She plays regularly at the Handel House Museum and is assistant organist at St Patrick's Church, Soho. She has played as Deputy at Corpus Christi and the Brompton Oratory and also coaches singers regularly on baroque style and ornamentation.
Research and performances have been featured on BBC Radio 3 and 4 including Woman's Hour, Front Row, Night Watch, In Tune and Go 4 It. She has appeared in a video for Birmingham Arts Museum, depicting a girl in a 17th century portrait playing the virginals. Recent recordings include the keyboard music for a CD for the Edward De Vere Society. She is also working on recordings with her ensembles Emerald, Fleuri and the Iberian Archive. Emerald specialise in Celtic Baroque music on period instruments (www.bridgetcunningham.org.uk). She has recorded two BBC documentaries on Vivaldi with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the Schola Pieta Antonio Vivaldi in Venice. She has also recorded the virginal music for the BBC 1 series 'Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen'.
Anna Devin soprano
Anna Devin recently received first class honours for her B.A. in Music performance at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, under Colette Mc Gahon-Tosh and is now on the Opera Course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London under Janice Chapman. Anna is highly sought after on the concert platform in Ireland, some highlights of the last year include Handel’s Gloria with RIAM Chamber Orchestra the National Concert Hall, Coffee Concert for the Belfast Festival at Queens broadcasting on Radio Ulster Classical Sounds and soloist for the New Year Viennese Opera Gala concerts with the Ulster Orchestra at the Waterfront, Belfast.
Since October 2004 Anna has been a Young Associate Artist with Opera Theatre Company and in July 2006 she made her UK stage debut as Virtue and Damigella in Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea with OTC at Buxton Opera Festival and Aldeburgh Proms. Anna’s had recent success in the London Handel Singing Competition winning the Audience Prize. Last year she also won the Thelma King Award for Young Singers in Bath, UK, the Acton Travel Bursary at the RIAM and received third prize at the Great Elm Awards in Wigmore Hall. She is also multiple prizewinner at the Irish Feiseanna. Some of her solo work includes Monteverdi’s Vespers, Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate and Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Pergolesi Stabat Mater, Rosinni’s Petie Messe Sollonelle, Handel’s Messiah, Belinda in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Future engagements include Handel’s Israel in Egypt at the Brighton Early Music Festival, Handel’s Messiah Dublin, Saint-Saen’s Christmas Oratorio at the NCH, Dublin, Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Schubert’s Mass in G with the East Sussex Bach Choir, Lewes and Handel’s L’Allegro at the Gottingen Handel Festival, Germany. Anna will be continuing her studies with the generous support of the Guildhall Scholarship, Bank of Ireland Millennium Scholarship and the RDS Music Bursary 2007.
Alexandra Gibson mezzo-soprano
Alexandra, originally from Leicestershire, gained a B.A (Hons) in Music at the Birmingham Conservatoire before completing her studies as a Postgraduate student at the Royal College of Music ,London where she studied with Kathleen Livingstone. She now studies with Prof.Susan McCulloch.
Alexandra is in much demand as a baroque soloist throughout the British Isles and in Europe, and in the past has performed and recorded with many professional ensembles including : The Academy of Ancient Music, The Monteverdi Choir, The English Concert, The Sixteen and The Gabrielli Consort, working under conductors such as Trevor Pinnock, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Christopher Hogwood, Paul Goodwin, Richard Hickox, Sir Roger Norrington, Harry Christophers and Sir Simon Rattle.
As well as working on the concert platform she enjoys being involved in more theatrical projects.This has recently included Maxwell Davies: Missa Super L’homme arme (St Magnus Cathedral,Orkney-Radio 3) and the premiere of Gavin Bryars’ The Paper Nautilus (Theatre Cryptic/Paragon Ensemble)in Scotland and Huddersfield.She has also toured with the Birmingham Royal Ballet in their production of ‘Still life at the Penguin Café’.
Her operatic rolls have included ‘Diana’ Carissimi ~La Calisto,(Britten Theatre) , ‘Polinesso’ Handel ~Ariodante (Early Opera Company), Third Lady ‘Magic Flute~ Mozart, ‘ Cephise’ Rameau~Pigmalion.
George Humphreys bass-baritone
George Humphreys was born in Oxford, and was educated at Christ Church Cathedral School, Wellington College, and St. John's College, Cambridge, where he read music and studied with David Lowe. His Operatic work has included the roles of Collatinus ( Rape of Lucretia) and Balstrode (Peter Grimes) in Cambridge, Masetto (Don Giovanni) and Superintendent Budd (Albert Herring) for British Youth Opera, Papageno (The Magic Flute) in Palestine, and the title role in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro directed by John Copley at the Royal Academy of Music under Sir Colin Davis. He has performed widely as a Concert and Oratorio soloist, with highlights including Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Christmas Carols with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and John Rutter, Bach's Christmas Magnificat and Cantata 36 with the English Concert in Valencia, Bach’s B Minor Mass with Trevor Pinnock, and Handel's L'Allegro under William Christie at the Spitalfields Festival. George has also collaborated with the Ossian ensemble on a number of contemporary projects, including Peter Maxwell Davies' 8 Songs for a Mad King in the presence of the composer, and a new realisation of Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals. Future plans include Handel’s L’Allegro at the Gottingen Festival.
George is the Bursenhart Morgan-Evans Award Winner, is generously supported by the Josephine Baker Trust, the Countess of Munster Trust, and the Musician's Benevolent Fund, and is the winner of a BBC Fame Academy Bursary, the Sir Elton John Scholarship, and the Alfred Alexander Award. He currently studies on the Royal Academy of Music’s Opera Course with Mark Wildman and Audrey Hyland.
Lukas Jakobski bass
Lukas Jakobcski was born in Koszalin (Poland). Started music education as a bassoonist but later began his opera singing at the renowned I J Paderewski Academy of Music, in Poznan (Poland).
In 2004 Lukas was offered a place in Royal College of Music in London and now still at RCM he is having singing lessons in Royal Opera House Covent Garden with Graeme Broadbent.)
While studying in London, Lukas has developed a very broad repertoire, encompassing recital and concert works, as well as staged opera. Confident in the European languages, he has performed a number of solo roles, including Frère Laurent; Roméo et Juliette, with the British Youth Opera (role prepared with Richard Van Allan), Don Basilio; Il Barbiere di Siviglia for the Grange Park Opera Festival/Pimlico Opera Autumn Tour, Sarastro; Die Zauberflöte for the Dartington Opera Festival, Caronte; Orfeo for the English Bach Festiva, Priest (J. S. Bach St. Mathew Passion) Doctor (G. Verdi Macbeth - understudy) for the Glyndebourne Festival 2007. He also performed in the Polish Embassy.
Lukas already worked with conductors and directors such as Peter Robinson, Richard Balcombe, Olivia Fuchs, Katie Mitchell, Richard Jones, Laurence Cummings, Diego Masson, Richard Egarr or Vladimir Jurowski.
Among the outstanding achievements of his young career, Lukas was delighted to win 1st prize in the Junior Kathleen Ferrier Competition, in October 2005, and received the Concordia Serena Nevill Award for 2005.
This page was updated on 29 December 2007
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Biographies 2008
La Nuova Musica
La Nuova Musica is a chamber music ensemble that performs works of the Baroque period “one-to-a-part.” Musical Director David Bates has chosen some of Europe’s most talented Baroque music specialists to perform in this new company.
David Bates is a talented countertenor/director who has gained graduate and postgraduate qualifications with Distinction at the Royal Academy of Music in London. David is currently studying at Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland, where he works with Andreas Scholl and Andrea Marcon, and has joined the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir under the baton of Sir John Eliot Gardiner and will sing solos and consorts in Bach St John Passion and Schutz Musikalische Exequien.
Under David Bates’ direction, La Nuova Musica is constantly developing its repertoire with the principle aim of creating insightful, historically informed and entertaining programmes. These may include any number of performers from one singer and continuo ensemble to eight singers, wind, strings and continuo.
Katherine Manley soprano
Born and educated in Leicestershire, Katherine Manley gained a BMus hons at the RSAMD and graduated from the Benjamin Britten International Opera School, RCM, with a distinction.
Katherine has worked with the OAE, the London Mozart Players, and the Philharmonia Orchestra performing at venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, St John Smith Sq, and the Wigmore Hall. Recent performances include singing Mendelssohn’s Elijah at Westminster Cathedral with Sir Thomas Allen.
Operatic roles include Fortuna in The Coronation of Poppea for English National Opera, Sandman/ Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel with Opera North. Musica and Euridice with English Touring Opera, Seleuce in Tolomeo, (The London Handel Players- BBIOS and ETO.
Forthcoming projects include Arpago in L’Incoronzione di Dario with Garsington Opera, and the role of Tullia, with Maurizio Benini and the London Philharmonic Orchestra for Opera Rara’s recording of Mercadante’s Virginia.
Nicholas Mulroy tenor
Born in Liverpool, Nicholas Mulroy studied Modern Languages at Clare College, Cambridge and then at the RAM. He made his Glyndebourne Festival Opera debut in Prokofiev’s Betrothal in a Monastery under Jurowski, and other operatic roles have included Mozart’s Tamino, Ferrando, Ottavio and Belfiore, as well as Tenor Actor in Judith Weir’s A Night at the Chinese Opera, roles in Purcell’s Fairy Queen, the title role in Monteverdi L’Orfeo for BBC Radio, and le Chevalier in Poulenc’s Les Dialogues des Carmélites.
In increasing demand on the concert platform, Nicholas’ recent performances include Bach Cantatas with Sir John Eliot Gardiner at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Berlioz L’Enfance du Christ in King’s Chapel, Cambridge, Monteverdi Vespers at the BBC Proms, the UK premiere of Rautavaara’s Vigilia, Campra Requiem in Paris and at the BBC Proms (also with Gardiner), Mendelssohn Elijah in Snape Maltings, Patacha in L’Étoile at the Opéra Comique in Paris, Tamino at the Birdgewater Hall, Bach Cantata 60 throughout Europe with the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, Haydn Creation with the Northern Sinfonia, a concert performance of the zarzuela Briseida in Santiago de Compostela, Evangelist in Bach’s Matthäus-Passion in Birmingham Symphony Hall, Johannes-Passion with the OAE and the Hanover Band, and the world premiere of John Joubert’s oratorio The Wings of Faith with CBSO.
An acclaimed recitalist, recent highlights have included Vaughan Williams On Wenlock Edge with the Badke Quartet, Schubert Die Schöne Müllerin in London, Britten Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo in the Oxford Lieder Festival, and Britten Serenade with Royal Academy Strings. Recording include Monteverdi Vespers (TKC), a Gramophone Award-winning Handel Messiah, a series of Monteverdi secular music with I Fagiolini for Chandos, the premiere recording of works by Michael Finnissy, and the role of Evangelist in Matthäus-Passion (Dunedin Consort/Butt), due for release in 2008. Future plans include Evangelist in Bach’s Weihnachts-Oratorium with Gardiner and Tamino in The Magic Flute in Dublin.
Julian Perkins harpsichord
From performances for Trevor Pinnock at the Händel Halle Festival to a solo at the Paris Fashion Show for Alexander McQueen, Julian Perkins pursues a diverse and demanding career. Primarily a Baroque and early Classical music specialist, Julian Perkins performs with leading singers and ensembles in the UK and abroad, and directs The British Camerata and Morley Baroque Consort. As well as his busy schedule of performances as conductor and soloist, Julian Perkins writes on music, teaches at the Royal Academy of Music, and is research assistant to Trevor Pinnock.
Julian Perkins began his musical career as a choral scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, and completed his formal studies as a prizewinning scholar at the Royal Academy of Music, and with Trevor Pinnock. He has received numerous awards as soloist and chamber musician, including the prestigious Ian Fleming Award, Leverhulme Trust Award, Countess of Munster Trust Awards, Finzi Scholarship and Wingate Scholarship. Plans for 2007 include a debut solo harpsichord disc of English music for Avie Records.
Gillian Ramm soprano
After completing a Bachelor of Arts (Journalism) at Curtin University, Gillian pursued singing training at the Western Australian
Conservatorium of Music in Perth. She then went on to become a member of the Western Australian Opera (WAO) Young Artist Programme. In 2002 she was a national finalist and multiple prize-winner in the prestigious Australian Singing Competition "Mathy Awards", enabling her to pursue post-graduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music. She completed both the Post-Graduate Diploma and the Professional Performance Diploma with Distinction, generously supported by the Peter Moores Foundation, the Ian Potter Foundation of
Australia and the Tait Foundation.
Prizes at RNCM include the Ricordi
Prize for Opera and the John Cameron award for Lieder. At RNCM she performed the roles of Anne Truelove (The Rake's Progress ), Clorinda (La Cenerentola) and Serpina (La Serva Padrona).
In 2007 Gillian made her Glyndebourne Festival debut, taking over the role of
Fiordiligi in the acclaimed production of Cosi fan Tutte. Other roles to Gillian's credit include the title role in Gilbert and Sullivan's
Patience, the title role in Carlisle Floyd's Susannah, Valencienne in
The Merry Widow (WAO), Dido in Dido and Aeneas and Oberto in Alcina (Australian Opera Studio) Gillian was a member of the 2006
Glyndebourne chorus and made her debut for Glyndebourne Touring Opera when she performed the role of Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus. Gillian's concert repertoire includes Handel's Messiah, Mahler Symphony No.4, Mozart's C Minor Mass and Vaughan Williams' Sea Symphony. She was a finalist in the 2007 Handel Singing Competition.
Gillian is also a keen lieder singer and has recorded two song
recitals for Australia's ABC Classic FM network and performed numerous recitals for the Royal Over-Seas League, London.
Tom Raskin tenor
Tom Raskin was born in Bath and studied at the RNCM with Anthony Roden, and New College, Oxford. He studies with Justin Lavender.
Roles in 2006: Ralph Rackstraw HMS Pinafore for Opera della Luna, Fenton Falstaff at the Belle-Ile Festival, France, Conte Conte Ory for New Chamber Opera, Appolonia La Canterina for New Chamber Opera and Horatio Burglar’s Opera (Opera della Luna). 2005 ended with Northampton Festival Opera’s “A Night at the Opera,” and included Polidoro La finta semplice (Mozart) for New Chamber Opera, Peleus Peleus & Thetis and Wall / Moon Pyramus & Thisbe for Opera Restor’d, Tenor in Trouble in Tahiti (Bernstein) for Second Movement and Prince Don Ramiro in the RNCM production of Cenerentola.
Previously he has sung Rodolfo La bohème, Mozart Mozart & Salieri Tamino Magic Flute, covered Ferrando Così fan tutte for Garsington Opera, Centurion Ephesian Matron, performed the title role in the medieval mystery Play of Daniel, toured the Gulf States with Almaviva Barber of Seville, the world première staging of Britten’s “Winter Words” for Streetwise Opera, the cover of Messenger Theodora, Streetseller La Bohème and Trojan Man Idomeneo for Glyndebourne Festival, Orpheus Orpheus in the Underworld for Surrey Opera, Male Chorus Rape of Lucretia for Opera Europe (European Opera Centre) in the UK and Hungary, and Nemorino L'Elisir d'Amore for New Sussex Opera.
At home he has sung Evangelist in both the St John and St Matthew Passions, St Matthew Passion arias for the London Handel Festival at St George’s, Hanover Square, Mozart Requiem at St Martin’s-in-the-Field, arias in the St John in the 2005 Bath Bach Festival, Mozart Requiem in the West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge, and most recently Rossini’s Petite Mess Solenelle. Future Oratorios include Elijah for Monmouth Choral Society, Dvorak Stabat Mater for Mountain Ash Choral Society.
As a recitalist he has performed widely, and in 2007 will perform Britten Michelangelo Sonnets with pianist Nicolas Chalmers.
Tom was awarded the Anne Ziegler Prize in 2000, the Freckleton Prize for singing in 2001, and is a Britten-Pears Young Artist, having studied there with Andreas Scholl in 2005 and Richard Egarr in 2004, He has been the very grateful recipient of a major Scholarship from the Peter Moores Foundation since 2000, which has funded study in Italy and in London.
Ana-Maria Rincon soprano
After graduating from university as a flautist, Ana-Maria Rincon attended the Guildhall School of Music on a scholarship where she specialised in Early Music studying singing with Laura Sarti. In her final year she was awarded the Celia Mizony prize and joined Philip Pickett’s New London Consort.
Ana-Maria’s work in opera includes performances of The Fairy Queen and Medee with William Christie and Les Arts Florissants, Handel’s Tamerlano singing Irene with the European Union Baroque Orchestra, Asteria with the Opera Theatre Company of Ireland in Czechoslovakia and also Amore in Monteverdi’s Poppea with Teatro Verdi di Pisa.
Her extensive concert work includes a European tour and recording of Handel’s Rinaldo with Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music, concerts in Moscow with The Dufay Collective, solo cantatas with the ensemble Florilegium and a tour of Europe singing Handel’s solo motet “Silete Venti” with the E.U.B.O. Recently Ana-Maria performed the role of Dalia in Handel’s Samson at the Oslo International Church Music Festival and Haydn’s Nelson Mass with Laurence Cummings and London Baroque.
She has recorded four C.D.’s of 18th Century English Songs with the group Invocation for Hyperion after recitals at the Wigmore Hall and the Holywell Music Room at Oxford. She has also recorded a C.D. of solo songs of the Renaissance with the group Concordia.
Ana-Maria is a member of the Classical Trio ‘Musikfreunde’ (Soprano, Classical Clarinet and Fortepiano), after winning the Early Music Network Competition, they went on an extensive tour which finished with a recital at the Wigmore Hall and a concert at the Bruges Early Music Festival. They have also recorded a recital for the B.B.C.
Future concerts include Haydn’s Creation, Bach’s B Minor Mass and Handel’s Solomon with Laurence Cummings.
Joana Seara soprano
Born in Lisbon, Joana Seara completed her studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2006, supported by the Gulbenkian Foundation, the Wingate Foundation, E M Behrens Charitable Trust and the Worshipful Company of Barbers.
Awards include the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers Music Prize 2005 at the GSMD Gold Medal and a Sybil Tutton Award. She was a finalist at the Handel Singing Competition 2007.
Joana has participated in masterclasses with Thomas Hampson, Sir Thomas Allen, Dame Felicity Lott (Finzi Friends, Ludlow 2004), Christa Ludwig (Park Lane Group, Wigmore Hall 2004), Graham Clark, Paul Kiesgen, Jill Feldman and Emma Kirkby.
Her roles include Damigella in The Coronation of Poppea (ENO) Juliet in Benda’s Romeo and Juliet (Bampton Classical Opera and the Buxton Festival), Margery The Dragon of Wantley (Opera Restor’d and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin), Dorinda Orlando (Independent Opera at Sadlers Wells), Nannetta Falstaff (GSMD), the title role in Violet by Roger Scruton (GSMD), Ninetta Finta semplice (GSMD), Despina (BYO) and Zerlina (Netherlands), having worked under conductors such as Laurence Cummings, Gary Cooper, Paolo Olmi, Paul McGrath, Nicholas Kok and Mathew Halls. She also sang in the Glyndebourne Chorus for the 2006 Festival.
Concert appearances include performances for the Oxford Lieder Festival with pianist Sholto Kynoch and regular appearances as soloist with the Lisbon-based Baroque Ensemble of Chiado and the Divino Sospiro Baroque Orchestra, under Enrico Onofri, including performances for the Ile de France, Ambronay and Mafra baroque festivals.
Other concert appearances include Mahler’s Symphony no 2, Vaughan Williams’s Sea Symphony and Handel’s Messiah.
Future plans include Vespina in Almeida’s La Spinalba, at the Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisbon, a recording of 18th century arias once sung by Portuguese diva Luisa Todi, with the Músicos do Tejo, and Despina in Così fan tutte for Castleward Opera, Northern Ireland.
The Oboe Band
The Oboe Band brings together four young professional musicians who specialise in historical performance. The group was formed in 2004 to revive this once hugely popular ensemble of oboes and bassoons and to explore its rich and varied repertoire. Their music includes pieces for theatre by Purcell and his contemporaries, ceremonial music and chamber sonatas from composers throughout Europe.
In September 2006 The Band was appointed Ensemble in Residence at the Royal College of Music. From this prestigious position its members have aimed to promote Historical Performance and its many aspects through coaching for students, giving concerts and lecture recitals. The Residency has now been extended to the academic year 2007-8, when the current activities will expand to include further research into manuscripts held in the College's library culminating in a staged performance of a Restoration Play with its original incidental music.
Past performances have included recitals at the Tilford Bach Festival, The Pangbourne Festival and the York Early Music Festival, as finalists in the Young Artists Competition. Future plans include a performance at the London Handel Society's annual gala dinner, a lecture recital at Huddersfield University and series of recitals for both the Handel Society in the West and the Tilford Bach Society.
Derek Welton bass-baritone
Described as ‘a star in the making’ (The Age, 28 September 2004), Australian baritone Derek Welton is 25 years old and is a graduate of the University of Melbourne – Bachelor of Arts (German and Linguistics) and of Guildhall School of Music and Drama – Master of Music (Vocal Studies), whose opera course he is currently undertaking, having been awarded its Walther Gruner Scholarship.
A versatile and experienced performer, operatic roles Derek has performed include Mozart’s Count Almaviva, Masetto, Guglielmo, Papageno and Speaker/Priest (Die Zauberflöte), all in Melbourne, the title role of Salieri’s Falstaff (Dunedin, New Zealand), and Silvano in Cavalli La Calisto (Early Opera Company, UK). Derek’s concert repertoire includes performances as soloist in diverse repertoire ranging from Charpentier to Tavener and including Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, St John Passion and St Matthew Passion, Händel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Creation, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Vaughan Williams’s Songs of Travel.
Having won in April 2007 the prestigious Handel Singing Competition (UK), Derek’s numerous other competition successes include winning the Runner-up Award (2005) and the Encouragement Award (2004) of the Herald Sun Aria (Melbourne) and winning the 2004 Australian Youth Aria (Melbourne), the 2005 Boroondara Eisteddfod Vocal Championship (Melbourne) and the 2005 Geelong Aria.
Derek is the holder of a Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship (2007-2009), a Wingate Scholarship (2007-2010) and the Plaisterers’ Company Humber Bursary as well as scholarships and bursaries from the Guildhall School Trust and the Sheila White Award (2006/07), the Australian Music Foundation, the Tait Memorial Trust, the Colin Keer Trust and the Tillett Trust (2007/08). He gratefully acknowledges the support of all of these funds. |