BYO 2010 Programme

downloadable version

EuridiceLa bohème

Presented by british Youth operain association with southbank sinfonia

stephen oliverGiacomo Puccini

sadler’s wells Peacock Theatre 4-11 September 2010


British Youth OperaLSBU, 103 Borough Road London SE1 0AA

Tel: 020 7815 6090Fax: 020 7815 6094Email: [email protected]: www.byo.org.uk

Registered Charity No.327927Company Limited by Guarantee,registered in England No.2322037VAT No.499317494

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Contents

Why was my programme free?

British Youth Opera’s mission is to discover, develop and display the next generation of opera professionals.

So why would we choose to have less than half our audience – the ones that buy a programme – knowing exactly what and who is on ‘display’?

Our young singers, artistic and production trainees are the heart of BYO, and that’s why you’ll find photographs and biographies of every single one of them on pages 19-37, whether they are on the stage or behind it. Past BYO alumni have gone on to sing on the greatest stages and work in the most prestigious opera houses around the world; look out for the names you see in tonight’s programme and remember that you saw them here first!

As our mission suggests, this week’s performances are just part of BYO’s activities. The core of what we do has already taken place: reproducing the production process of a full-scale professional opera company to ‘develop’ the skills and talents of our participants.

The biographies of the highly experienced team of professionals who have been providing coaching, training, mentoring and direction for the last eight

weeks are found later on pages 41-45, along with a list of ‘Link Sessions’ in which participants spend time working on their roles with distinguished singers who have performed those roles, this year including Dame Kiri te Kanawa and BYO alumnus Grant Doyle.

To return to the question, there is another reason your programme was free.

BYO is made possible not by ticket and programme sales – which together provide less than 10% of our income – but by the financial support of a large number of individuals and organisations, listed on pages 50-60. It is only through their support that we are able to provide our annual programme of coaching and training, including workshops, masterclasses and the production you’re seeing this evening.

So please, if you enjoy the show and want to contribute toward the costs of BYO’s annual programme, turn to page 50 to see the ways that you can support us and help ‘discover’ the next generation of opera professionals.

Ivan Rockey, Executive Director

La bohème 5Euridice 13Biographies 19Artistic and production staff 41British Youth Opera 46


Welcome to the Peacock Theatre for British Youth Opera’s 2010 Summer Season. This year has seen BYO’s usual programme of workshops, masterclasses and performance opportunities for young singers culminating in the eight weeks of coaching, rehearsals and performances that is our Summer Season. On behalf of the trustees of British Youth Opera I would like to thank the many people who make it all possible, from the professional artistic, production and management teams who work with our young singers and trainees to the Friends and donors who provide the funding so vital to maintaining our activities. BYO is by its nature a transitional experience for its participants, and one which we hope nurtures the talents and provides them with the skills they need to succeed in this most challenging of artforms. It is therefore always gratifying to see the future successes of our participants and we are delighted that several of our singers from 2009 have already been offered major roles in the country’s professional opera houses and festivals; Nicky Spence (Tom Rakewell, The Rake’s Progress, 2009) sang Jaquino (Fidelio) at Opera Holland Park this year and Gary Griffiths (Germano, La scala di seta, 2009), will be singing Guglielmo (Così fan tutte) and Masetto (Don Giovanni) for Welsh National Opera in 2011. In our ever-expanding list of distinguished alumni it is also particularly satisfying that two – Christopher Moulds (repetiteur, The Marriage of Figaro, 1988) and Stuart Barker (Assistant Director, Eugene Onegin, 1994) – return to BYO this season as Conductor and Director of Euridice respectively. I wish every success to this year’s participants and hope that you, and I, will be able to enjoy their performances for many years to come. Hugh Merrill, Chairman

Welcome

Patron HRH The Prince of Wales

FounderDenis Coe

PresidentSir Thomas Allen cbe

Vice PresidentsDame Janet Baker ch dbe

Richard Baker obe rd

Noelle Barker obe

Chevalier José CuraTimothy DeanDr Jane Glover cbe

Sir John HannamDame Felicity Lott cbe

Valerie Masterson cbe

Rt Hon Baroness Perry of SouthwarkBryn Terfel cbe

ChairmanHugh Merrill mvo

TrusteesHazel EllisRichard GreenhalghRichard JacksonDonald MaxwellJane McCulloch (Finance)Rodney MilnesSimon Moore cb

Martin Saville (Deputy Chairman)Dipesh Shah obe frsa

Michael Simmons

Artistic DirectorPeter Robinson

Executive DirectorIvan Rockey

General ManagerMarcella Santese

Artistic AdministratorStuart Barker


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La bohèmeOpera in four actsby Giacomo PucciniLibretto by Giuseppe Giacosa & Luigi IllicaFirst performed at the Teatro Regio, Turin, 1 February 1896New production for British Youth Opera 2010Orchestral reduction © Pocket PublicationsSung in Italian with English surtitles

Peter RobinsonStephen BarlowYannis ThavorisDavid HoweMandy DemetriouIsobel FlinnIsabella RadcliffeRay BingleAlison RitchieBernard DaviesSian Harris

ConductorDirectorDesignerLighting DesignerMovement DirectorVocal CoachItalian CoachStage ManagerProduction ManagerCompany ManagerCostume Supervisor

In association with Southbank Sinfonia

There will be an interval of 25 minutes after Act One and an interval of 15 minutes after Act ThreeThe performances will finish at approximately 9.15pm (4 September) and 9.45pm (7 and 10 September)Photography and the use of audio or visual recording equipment are prohibited in the theatre

The performance on 7 September is sponsored by London South Bank UniversityThe performance on 10 September is sponsored by David and Mary Bowerman

Performances4, 7 and 10 September 2010

Photo right: anna Patalong and barnaby rea, by nick Gurney


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Cast

Chorus of childrenSouthend Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs: Paige Aggunini, Dominique Bradford, Charlotte Cleminson, Dominic Copestick, Oliver Dean, Rachel Hughes, Aisling Norcup, James Penry, Maddie Rigby, Hannah Wallen, Joshua Wallen, Niall Windass

Students, working girls, townsfolk, shopkeepers, street-vendors, soldiers and waitersSopranos

Mezzo-sopranos

Tenors

Basses

Anna Anandarajah, Lianne Birkett, Eleanor Dennis, Caroline Kennedy, Claudia Myles, Raphaela Papadakis, Natalie PerezMarta Fontanals-Simmons, Anna Jeffers, Bohae Kim, Stephanie McLean, Alice Nelson, Helen Stanley, Ting WangIan Beadle, Oliver Clarke, Adam Crockatt, Richard Newman, Steven Phillips, Luke Sinclair, Samuel Smith Matthew Cooper, Nicholas Crawley, James Davies, Steffan Jones, Joseph Padfield, Jamie Rock, Alistair Grant Sutherland

Mimì, a seamstressMusetta, a singerRodolfo, a poetMarcello, a painter Schaunard, a musician Colline, a philosopher Benoit, their landlordAlcindoro, a state councillor Parpignol, a toy vendor Customs Officer [Maître d’] Sergeant [Chef]

Susana GasparAnna PatalongJohn PierceKoji TeradaMatthew SprangeBenjamin CahnThomas KennedyBarnaby ReaSamuel SmithJamie RockNicholas Crawley

Artistic and Production traineesAssistant Conductor Assistant DirectorAssistant DesignerAssistant Lighting DesignerRepetiteursDeputy Stage ManagerAssistant Stage ManagersWardrobe Assistants

UnderstudiesMimìMusetta Rodolfo Marcello Schaunard Colline Benoit Alcindoro Parpignol

Tom HammondDeborah CohenJessie GiraudDaniel HillMichalis Angelakis, Ayako Kanazawa, Alice TurnerJessica StantonShara Hazel, Matthew Lambart Claire Bamford, Esther Himer

Camila Ribero-SouzaSamantha CrawfordLeonel PinheiroAshley RichesJamie RockNicholas CrawleyBarnaby ReaThomas KennedyRichard Newman

Characters


Students, working girls, townsfolk, shopkeepers, street-vendors, soldiers and waiters

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Synopsis

Christmas Eve. A garret in Paris. Rodolfo and Marcello, aspiring poet and painter, complain that they are cold. They try to warm themselves by burning one of Rodolfo’s unpublished manuscripts. Colline, a bohemian philosopher, enters frustrated at not having been able to pawn some books. Christmas looks bleak until Schaunard, a musician and last member of the group, bursts in with firewood, food, wine and money. He recounts how he earned this bounty giving music lessons to an eccentric English aristocrat. The others ignore him as they begin their feast. Schaunard stops them and suggests they celebrate by dining out at Café Momus, their favourite haunt.

Just as the friends are about to leave, Benoit, the landlord, interrupts them demanding the rent. Marcello outwits him and with the help of the others manages to get rid of him without paying. The friends divide the rent money amongst themselves for their evening out in the Latin quarter. They set off leaving Rodolfo behind, who promises to join them as soon as he finishes writing an article.

Rodolfo is surprised by a knock at the door. Mimì, a neighbour, enters asking for a light. She appears exhausted after climbing the stairs. Once recovered, she realises she has dropped her key. During the search

for the key Rodolfo finds it and pockets it quickly in order to delay her. Rodolfo seizes this opportunity to tell Mimì about himself and enquire about her. Mimì responds, sharing her innermost thoughts and feelings. They are interrupted by Rodolfo’s friends who demand to know what is keeping him. Rodolfo tells them to go on ahead and save two more seats. As moonlight engulfs the garret, Mimì and Rodolfo declare their love for each other.

The same evening in the Latin Quarter. The streets are crowded with market sellers and Parisians buying presents and provisions. Rodolfo buys Mimì a hat near the Cafe Momus before introducing her to his friends. Parpignol the toy seller is besieged by children wanting presents.

A sudden loud laugh signals the arrival of Musetta, Marcello’s former lover. She is accompanied by her latest conquest/escort, the wealthy but priggish Alcindoro. Seeing Marcello, she tries to regain his attention by singing a song about her popularity and conquests much to the embarrassment of Alcindoro, whom she promptly gets rid of with a ruse to fetch a new pair of shoes. The moment he has gone Marcello falls into her arms.

Act One

Act Two

La bohème in rehearsal, 2010


The Bohemians’ bill arrives and they are embarrassed to find their money is spent. Musetta tells the waiter to charge everything to Alcindoro. The friends make their escape amongst the crowds as Alcindoro returns to be presented with the bill.

Two months later. Mimì and Rodolfo’s relationship has foundered and Mimì is searching for Marcello, who has moved out of the garret and is lodging with Musetta.

Marcello arrives and Mimì confides in him and asks for Marcello’s advice. He suggests a separation, advice which Mimì reluctantly accepts and starts to return home. Rodolfo comes looking for his friend. They speak freely, unaware of being overheard by Mimì. Rodolfo explains that he has left Mimì for good because of her constant flirting, but Marcello doesn’t believe that this is the real reason. Eventually Rodolfo confesses that Mimì is dying and he can’t bear the guilt at being unable to provide for her.

A violent coughing fit from Mimì reveals her presence and Rodolfo rushes to her and apologises to her. Mimì makes plans to separate from him amicably. Marcello withdraws to troubles of his own with Musetta, who he suspects of flirting with other men. Mimì and Rodolfo reminisce and as a compromise agree to remain together until the spring whilst Marcello and Musetta quarrel fiercely.

Spring. Back in the garret Rodolfo and Marcello are dejected having both parted from their lovers. Schaunard and Colline bring a meagre supper and manage to cheer them up, and they all fool around in a spontaneous dance ending in a mock fight.

Musetta bursts in, supporting a frail Mimì. Rodolfo rushes over to help her and Musetta explains that Mimì is dying and wishes to be with Rodolfo at the end. While Rodolfo makes Mimì comfortable, Musetta leaves with Marcello to sell her jewellery for medicine and Colline decides to pawn his coat to raise extra funds.

Joyfully reunited, the couple reminisce about their good times together and how they met, until Mimì is

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overcome by another bout of coughing. Musetta arrives with Marcello and gives Mimì gloves to warm her hands. In desperation, Muestta says a prayer for her. Schaunard is the first to realise that Mimì has died and conveys this to Marcello and Musetta. Colline returns with some money and asks how Mimì is. Rodolfo, who has deluded himself into believing Mimì will get better, becomes aware that his friends are behaving suspiciously. Rodolfo rushes to Mimì’s bedside and is wracked with grief.

Deborah Cohen, Assistant Director

Act Three

Act Four



Let’s examine just a couple of examples that could, to be frank, completely escape the notice of anyone listening to this music for the first time. In Act One, after he has finished telling the bizarre tale of the English ‘signor’ and the demise of his parrot, Schaunard’s little arioso evokes to his fellow Bohemians the temptations of the Latin Quarter. Not only delicious food awaits them, but plenty of young women too. The music that plays as background is gently orchestrated for winds, harp and a small body of strings.

As Act Two begins we hear exactly the same musical material but now much faster, louder and scored for a very full orchestra. In Act Three, a very brief fragment of this same music makes an unexpected, brief and at first glance rather odd reappearance. As their relationship appears to be breaking apart, Mimì suggests to Rodolfo that he send the little personal items she has left around his garret back to her – a prayer book, a gold ring... all except the pink bonnet (la cuffietta rosa) that they bought on their first night together in the Latin Quarter on Christmas Eve. As Mimì tells Rodolfo that she will part from him ‘senza rancor’, two flutes are instructed to play as lightly as possible exactly the same music that suggestively accompanied Schaunard in Act One and opened Act Two in a blaze of colour and volume. Almost like a film composer, Puccini recalls the memory of an earlier scene that may easily pass us by, but is clearly to signify that Rodolfo is recalling the joy of the young lovers’ first night together, just as it seems they are to part. Perhaps it is this very recall of happier times that persuades the couple to stay together until the warmer weather of spring, which will prove to be a desperately tragic irony.

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NotesA startling amount of information populates the score of Puccini’s masterpiece.

As well as intricate instructions for the orchestra and singers, there are detailed stage directions above the stave on almost every page. Like Mahler (and later Stravinsky), Puccini was a man who had such a distinct vision that he worked to the point of obsession to ensure that the performers could interpret his exact intentions.

Each time one opens the score it seems that a new detail emerges: a stylistic instruction, a carefully graded dynamic marking, an unusual use of a percussion instrument – and these are only the markings that made their way into the final Ricordi edition. There are almost certainly more details missing and we know that Puccini made several amendments not to be found in the current edition. Thankfully one of his assistants, Luigi Ricci, documented the composer’s extra instructions.

Fascinating and surprising in equal measure for those who don’t really know Puccini’s music is the original and highly colourful orchestration. In Bohème there are so many examples to draw upon, but in Act Two alone we hear xylophone, carillon (tubular bells), triangle, tambourine, harp and muted trumpets. To depict a bustling Christmas Eve street scene in the Latin Quarter, perhaps an exotic array of instruments seems an obvious need – but this music was written in the 1890’s and there are very few precedents amongst the composers Puccini would have heard and known. Certainly nowhere in Verdi would we find this array of colour, nor in Wagner. Both composers were hugely influential and musical gods for Puccini – still only in his mid-thirties when Bohème was composed – but the voice he found was a genuinely original one.

Remarkable too is his use of musical motifs for the characters that populate the drama. We should be careful to not call it ‘Leitmotif ’ in the Wagnerian sense as there are important differences, but it cannot be pure coincidence that a version of this technique – still quite a radical concept in the late nineteenth century – had found its way into the musical weaponry of someone who had saved up his student pennies to purchase a score of Parsifal.



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The comedy inherent in the text is also superbly served by Puccini. Musetta’s uncanny ability to make an entrance at the least appropriate moment is made all the more amusing by the use of key – in Act Two she bursts into Cafè Momus in a blaze of A-flat major, which is about as far from the preceding A major as we can be. Similarly in Act Three when she not only rudely deflates Marcello’s dream of their fidelity to each other but also interrupts the sweetest of moments when Rodolfo discovers Mimì has been listening to his confession. This time she interrupts the tragedy being played out in C minor with a rather drunken sounding G major. The listener needn’t know anything technical about the use of key in music to get the joke. The effect is like an abrupt change of camera angle in a film.

Puccini is then able to paint a marked contrast to our perception of Musetta in Act Four when she bursts in yet again. This time all the fun is being had by the boys, and her role is to bring tragedy to the scene (‘C’è Mimì, c’è Mimì mi segue a che sta male’). This time her key is E minor, a stark contrast to the dance/fight music that precedes in A-flat major. In addition we do not hear her jaunty little ‘hornpipe’ theme, suggesting she is capable of much more than her previous irresponsibility.

Indeed such is the masterly way in which Puccini evokes character, sense of physical place, time of day, weather and human emotion, it would have been surprising had he not become a prolific film composer had he been born fifty years later.

Clearly Puccini had extremely strong ideas about the libretti on which he worked judging by the wrangles with his creative collaborators. In the case of Bohème there were huge disagreements with Illica and Giocosa (librettist and dramatist respectively) that can be traced through the correspondence with the publisher Giulio Ricordi. In pursuit of his next great hit (Manon Lescaut having already secured his fame and fortune) Puccini demonstrated enormous determination, else we may not have had his version of La bohème at all.

In March 1892, the composer met with Ruggero Leoncavallo (of Pagliacci fame) in a Milanese café. Although seemingly a purely social occasion, the conversation quickly turned to forthcoming projects.

The two men were appalled when they discovered that they were each embarking on an operatic version of Scènes de la vie de bohème, a collection of short stories by Henri Murger published in 1851. Murger had died intestate so there was no easy way of securing exclusive copyright of the material.

Neither Puccini nor Leoncavallo was the sort of man to politely agree to any sort of compromise and what followed was a very public spat through the pages of rival Milanese newspapers, with Leoncavallo claiming to have witnesses who would testify that his work on La bohème had begun first. Puccini refused to give in, nevertheless without actually disputing that he may have started work later:

‘Let him compose, and I will compose, and the public will judge for themselves. Precedence in art does not imply that one must interpret the same subject with the same intentions…’

Murger’s Bohemians were inspired by real inhabitants of Paris’s Latin Quarter: highly colourful characters who did all they could to separate themselves from the prevailing Bourgeois society of the mid-nineteenth century. They envisaged a life devoid of serious responsibility and the need for much money, thus



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Why La bohème?La bohème is an ideal opera for BYO. The opera is about young people, and gains credibility by being performed by relatively young singers; there is a substantial contribution by the chorus, and it is an opera that is guaranteed to crop up again in the career of many professional singers. It is also, of course, one of the undisputed masterpieces of the repertoire.

It is for these reasons that apart from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte and The Magic Flute it has had more productions than any other opera in our 23-year history.

BYO’s first La bohème was in 1991, and its second just two years later, when Schaunard was sung by Christopher Maltman (who sang Marcello at the Royal Opera House in 2009-10) and Marcello by Gwyn Hughes Jones (then a baritone, but now a tenor and appearing in the role of Rodolfo for English National Opera next month!).

Our most recent La bohème was in 1998, when its cast included Peter Auty as Rodolfo (a role which he

too later sang for English National Opera) and Grant Doyle as Schaunard (which he sang at the Royal Opera House in 2005).

That was twelve years ago, so it is high time that we produced a new La bohème. We hope that it provides our current generation of singers with valuable experience and that there will be many more Bohèmes in their future careers.

Peter Robinson, Artistic Director

allowing themselves the freedom to pursue the loftier goals of their artistic passions.

For those who are troubled by the way in which we are led to believe that the central characters of this unashamedly romantic opera have fallen in love within about three minutes of meeting, it is worth pointing out that the characters and events portrayed by Murger and later Puccini were based in fact. Names have been changed and stories slightly merged, but the Bohemians and their tragic loss are not a romantic invention. Disease ravaged the overcrowded cities of the nineteenth century and lives were consequently foreshortened.

The director of BYO’s 2010 production of La bohème, Stephen Barlow, has spoken in rehearsals about the opera being predominantly Rodolfo’s story

rather than Mimì’s. When Rodolfo asks the other Bohemians ‘Vi pare che sia grave?’ (‘is it serious?’) moments before she dies, it seems to be with a childish ignorance of what the others in the room have clearly realised (Schaunard’s harsh comment ‘Fra mezz’ora è morta!’’ (‘within half an hour she’ll be dead’) when Musetta asks for coffee or wine, demonstrates that he, at least, has grasped what is about to take place). Rodolfo is probably too young to have witnessed death before, or known what profound consequence it has for those who have to live on afterwards. Only the hardest of hearts can fail to be moved in the final, searing moments as Mimì’s life ends, and Rodolfo’s carefree life as a Bohemian is also over.

Tom Hammond, Assistant Conductor

La bohème, 1998

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EuridiceOpera in three acts, the text by Ottavio Rinuccini, the music by Jacopo Peritranslated into English and with new accompaniments by Stephen OliverFirst performed at the Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, 4 March 1981New production for British Youth Opera 2010Performed by arrangement with Novello & Company Limited

Conductor Director Lighting Designer Movement DirectorCostume SupervisorVocal CoachProduction ManagerStage Manager / Company Manager

Christopher MouldsStuart BarkerDavid HoweMandy DemetriouAlanna BeatonMurray HipkinAlison RitchieBernard Davies

In association with Southbank Sinfonia

The performance on 8 September is sponsored by Vernon and Hazel EllisThe performance on 11 September is sponsored by Geoffrey Collens

There will be an interval of 25 minutes after Act 1The performances will finish at approximately 9.10pmPhotography and the use of audio or visual recording equipment are prohibited in the theatre

Performances8 and 11 September 2010

Photo right: ellie laugharne, by nick Gurney

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Cast

Eva GanizateEllie LaugharneNina LejdermanNathalie ChalkleyLucy HallSusanna HurrellCátia MoresoMáire FlavinMichal CzerniawskiBen WilliamsonPaul CurieviciJorge Navarro-ColoradoClement HetheringtonBo WangMatthew WrightMatthew StiffThomas FaulknerJake Arditti

Christopher BucknallAntonia AlonzoDaniel HillGenevieve Ellis, Alice TurnerRuth PerrinClaire Bamford, Esther Himer

Eleanor DennisLouise AlderNatalie PerezCaroline KennedyRaphaela PapadakisAnna AnandarajahMarta Fontanals-SimmonsBohae KimJake ArdittiAlex DulibaIan BeadleSteven PhillipsSamuel SmithJoseph PadfieldNicholas Boyd-VaughanSteffan Jones

DaphneEuridice First Nymph Second Nymph Third Nymph Fourth Nymph ProserpinaVenusArcetro TragedyOrpheusAminta ShepherdThyrsisPlutoCharon RhadamantusEnsemble

Artistic and Production traineesAssistant Conductor Assistant Director Assistant Lighting Designer RepetiteursDeputy Stage ManagerWardrobe Assistants

UnderstudiesDaphneEuridiceFirst Nymph Second NymphThird NymphFourth Nymph ProserpinaVenus Arcetro and TragedyOrpheusAmintaShepherd Thyrsis PlutoCharon Rhadamantus

Characters

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Synopsis The Prologue is spoken by Tragedy, explaining that while the story should end miserably in death, he has altered the course of events so as to have a happy conclusion.

The Shepherd invites everyone to celebrate the marriage of Orpheus and Euridice, and for the gods to bless the couple. A Nymph asks Apollo for the sun to shine brightly on this joyful day. Euridice arrives with her companions of nymphs and asks them to sing with her, and celebrate her love. Euridice sees her joy reflected in all of those around her and in her blissful state, dances with her companions to the stream. The chorus sing joyfully, celebrating love.

Orpheus arrives and addresses the forest and the mountains, telling them that they will no longer hear his lamenting lyre as he has found joy through love. Arcetro comments that Orpheus is lucky to have found love after all his sadness when Arcetro used to console him. Thyrsis sings in praise of love, and Arcetro observes how everyone is sharing in the happiness of Orpheus’s marriage.

Daphne enters in distress and Orpheus begs her to tell him her news: while Euridice was dancing she was bitten by a snake and has died. Orpheus is too distraught to weep as he and Arcetro lament her death, and then they leave. The nymphs and shepherds also mourn Euridice. Arcetro returns and tells how he followed Orpheus running grief-stricken through the forest, until he found the place where Euridice died and there he lay weeping. As Arcetro went to approach him, a bright light appeared with Venus in a chariot, she comforted Orpheus until he was calm. As Orpheus’s grief has prompted immortal pity, the Shepherd suggests they worship Apollo and sing his praises.

Venus has taken Orpheus to Hades, where no living soul has been before, and she tells him to use his singing and lyre to persuade Pluto, King of the Underworld, to release Euridice. Orpheus sings a lament, asking shadows and darkness to weep with him. Pluto has heard him and asks him how he dares to be there. Orpheus asks for his pity, but Pluto has no merciful tears. Orpheus asks for him to

return Euridice to him, or to take his life too. Pluto maintains that the law is unyielding, but Orpheus tries to persuade him via his wife, Proserpina, while all of the spirits of the underworld appear, having been moved by his grief. Proserpina entreats her husband to listen to Orpheus, who says there is no harm in releasing Euridice to the land of the living. Orpheus and Charon persuade Pluto that as he is King, the laws are his to break, and finally he yields to pity, and lets Orpheus find Euridice. The chorus sing in celebration of Orpheus’s achievement.

It is nearly night, and the Arcadians are waiting for news of Orpheus, presuming him to be lost too. Aminta arrives with joyful news; Orpheus has returned with Euridice. Arcetro can hardly believe this, and thanks the kindness of the gods. Aminta relates how he went to comfort Euridice’s grieving family, when the lovers re-appeared in a blinding flash. Orpheus and Euridice enter rejoicing for love, and ending all lamenting, as Orpheus explains how he drew Euridice from the shadows with his music. Aminta praises Orpheus’s triumph as a mortal over heaven and hell. They all sing a chorus praising Apollo for his music and celebrating Orpheus.

Antonia Alonzo, Assistant Director

Act 1

Act 2

Act 3

Euridice in rehearsal, 2010

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of their wedding celebrations. Although composed by Peri, his musical rivals Giulio Caccini and Emilio de’ Cavalieri were involved in the opera’s production – Caccini rewriting parts of the opera for his own entourage of musicians that had come to take part (including several of the choral movements and parts of Euridice’s role) and Cavalieri directing the production. Peri himself sang the role of Orfeo and it is in this role of performer that contemporary observers lavished him with the greatest plaudits, particularly when he accompanied himself exquisitely upon the chitarrone. Peri suggested himself in the preface to Euridice that the success of this famed expressive singing lay not only in his written embellishments of the vocal line, but more in the nuances and graces that can never be written in notation. It is a credit to Stephen Oliver’s sensitivity as a composer, translator and arranger that this flexibility and vitality of vocal line is still at the core of this work.

Oliver was introduced to Peri’s Euridice by his friend Adam Pollock, the artistic director of the Musica nel Chiostro festival in Batignano, Tuscany. In the forthcoming book on Oliver’s life and music, Friendships in Constant Repair, Adam Pollock describes this first encounter between Peri and Oliver:

Over breakfast one day I showed him an ancient score, in facsimile. It was that of the first extant opera, Peri’s Euridice, a tight little drama and, I thought, powerful. Stephen flicked through the score… “a bit boring harmonically, but I tell you what: I’ll re-orchestrate it... `squeaky gate’ music to contrast with Peri’s `conventional’ vocal line.”

Stephen Oliver devoted a huge amount of his short life to writing opera and indeed believed that his true vocation in life was to be an opera composer. In all, his catalogue extends to over forty works, ranging from chamber miniatures and small scale works often with young or amateur performers in mind, through to large-scale works including Tom Jones (English Music Theatre, 1975) and Timon of Athens (English National Opera, 1991). He was passionate about fresh and original operatic projects including arranging, translating or completing other composer’s works, as with Euridice and Mozart’s L’oca del Cairo (Batignano, 1990). He was also

“From it springs all that beauty and power, all that nonsense and affectation, which have delighted us for four hundred years.”

Stephen Oliver’s own words on the enduring influence of Jacopo Peri’s Euridice only begin to justify his reasons for re-working the first extant opera ever written. However, they touch on the reason that we revere but don’t often perform this work – that Periand this opera all too frequently sit in dictionaries of music as a convenient starter flag to begin the development of one of Western Art’s greatest forms. In translating and arranging Euridice, Stephen Oliver removes the dust that has formed on this work and sees in it both the vibrant beauty of librettist Ottavio Rinuccini’s drama and Peri’s expressivity and directness in setting language. It is these merits that saw the work’s success at the dawn of the seventeenth century, and the same merits that blaze through in Oliver’s adaptation of 1981.

Euridice was the most fruitful collaboration between the celebrated renaissance poet and librettist Ottavio Rinuccini, (who also collaborated with Claudio Monteverdi on L’Arianna), and Jacopo Peri. The result of discussions held at their patron Jacopo Corsi’s residence in Florence, and of their regular work at the Medici Court, Euridice is a work that has its roots in the pastoral intermedii of the Florentine court, and the aesthetic ideals of the Florentine Camerata – the group of Florentine intellectuals who had met in the 1580s to discuss a new form of musical language that had its roots in Greek drama. The opera was commissioned by Jacopo Corsi as a wedding gift to Henri IV of France and Maria de’ Medici and was duly first performed on the 6th October, 1600 at the Palazzo Pitti as part

Notes

Euridice in rehearsal, 2010

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He retains these vocal lines in their complete state without alteration and takes a freer approach to his accompaniment. In Peri’s performances, there would have been a very small team of continuo players realising the implied harmony and allowing the often extraordinary dissonances and the resulting cadences between the bass and the vocal line to colour the sense of the words. In Oliver’s adaptation, we have a small chamber ensemble (very similar to the one that Stravinsky uses in The Soldier’s Tale) that freely interprets Peri’s bass line by creating a variety of differing instrumental textures. The texture varies from purely rhythmic patterns to melodic counterpoint, polyphony and quite often nothing. This free accompaniment serves in Oliver’s words to ‘expose the structure of the piece – building up some moments, passing over others’. It also at times aids characterisation with various instrumental colours representing certain key characters: the magically static vibraphone and piano figure representing Euridice, the trumpet fanfare heralding Orpheus, and Pluto with a sonorous pulsating figure played by timpani and double bass supported by low-voiced chords from the trombone and bass clarinet. This extraordinary score, although deliberately not always easy to listen to, is surely designed to keep the audience immersed in the thrust of the narrative that is played out on stage, and to aid the pungency of the sung word. In this sense it is in keeping with the view of Peri and his contemporaries that the music should only aid the emotional content of the text and not overpower it.

Throughout the piece there is a strong sense that had they met, Stephen Oliver and Jacopo Peri would have thrived in each other’s company, united by their passion for the sung voice as speech, their love of quirky and unpredictable harmony and a clear belief in the power of through-composed musical drama. I believe that the description below of Oliver’s voice from Graham Vick, a friend of Stephen Oliver’s and the director of the 1981 production of Euridice could have applied to both men:

“he liked to sing, and what he really liked to do was not to sing for pure sound, but sing the meaning of the words, with extraordinary intensity.”

Christopher Bucknall, Assistant Conductor

successful in writing music for the theatre, including his musical Blondel (with lyrics by Tim Rice) and over twenty scores for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s productions.

This prolific outpouring of dramatic music was in a large part due to Oliver’s passion for both the theatre and the voice. Born in Liverpool to parents who were interested in both theatre and music, he showed flair for both composing and theatre from a very young age, whilst as a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral, a student at Ardingly College and then at Worcester College, Oxford. Not only did he write and compose, but he also relished time on stage including performances of Julius Caesar at school and as the Count in Le nozze di Figaro. His incredible dexterity with words both in spoken and written form led him not only to be able to write sensitive and eloquent translations of operas, but also came through in his regular appearances on BBC Radio 4’s Stop the Week and in his concert reviews.

Stephen Oliver wrote about his adaptation of Euridice in an article in Opera Magazine of March 1981. In this article, he explained clearly how he found contemporary relevance and power in the piece’s Renaissance dramatic structures, within the ‘coherent’ world that Rinuccini creates and in its understanding that all good things must come to an end. He also finds an analogous (and specifically not allegorical) parallel between Rinuccini’s altered ending to the Greek myth of Orpheus, that of allowing Euridice’s full, unconditional return to the Arcadian world of nymph and shepherd friends with Orpheus, and Christ’s Resurrection. This Christian parallel, Oliver believes, displays the care and depth

of thought that the original librettist and composer went to in creating depth within an otherwise lightweight story.

Musically, Oliver finds inspiration from the beauty of the sung text rather than, in his view, the perfunctory harmony and endless cadences. Euridice in rehearsal, 2010

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Why Euridice?

BYO’s Euridice is a result of the fortunate alignment of many factors.

Firstly, after our production of Jonathan Dove’s Flight two years ago it was clear that contemporary operas provide excellent opportunities for young singers, and present them with challenges and experiences that will help them throughout their careers.

Secondly, this year would have been Stephen Oliver’s 60th birthday, had he not died tragically young in 1992. He was one of the most prolific composers for the stage of the last half century, and the opportunity to mark this year was the perfect reason to produce one of his 44 operas.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, each year we aim to provide as wide a range of potential opportunities as possible for our participants. We had been considering several Handel operas that could go with La bohème but financial necessity meant that we needed an opera that could be performed semi-staged yet still provide a rich experience for our singers.

Euridice is just such a piece. It comes from the ‘music theatre’ tradition of the mid- to late-twentieth century, and was written for the Batignano Opera Festival in Tuscany where it was performed after the composer’s death with ‘the white-costumed cast performing on a vast pile of rocks against the ultramarine apse of the ruined church’ (Adam Pollock, Friendships in Constant Repair).

Finally, Euridice came with two unique benefits. Despite its modernity, it requires a command of the vocal style and techniques of Peri’s original opera of 1600, making it a viable substitute for Handel, and it has a large cast of principals, allowing us to give more singers the chance to participate in our Summer Season and offering opportunities for some of the chorus members of La bohème to cover principal roles in Euridice.

It is always tremendously exciting to discover something new and unfamiliar. I hope Euridice provides an invaluable experience for its participants and a revelatory one for its audience.

Peter Robinson, Artistic Director

Stephen Oliver would have been 60 this year and this new book celebrates his extraordinary 42 years of life including wonderful reminiscences and quotes from many eminent people in the Arts world. There are transcripts of two interviews with Stephen, examples of his own brilliant writing, photographs plus a CD of him talking and singing.

Stephen Oliver’s enormous talent in music and literature, generosity to others, keen wit and wonderful sense of humour, make this a must-read

book for anyone interested in music, theatre and the arts—or anyone interested in simply exploring the concept of friendship or an approach to dealing with a terminal illness in the prime of life.

Order this hardback book online at www.stephenoliver.org at discounted price of £15 (r.r.p. £20) plus £3 p&p per book All proceeds go to the Stephen Oliver Award Fund within the Countess of Munster Musical Trust

“FRIENDSHIPS IN CONSTANT REPAIR”Perspectives on the life and work of the composer, Stephen Oliver

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Cover Fourth Nymph Euridice and Chorus La bohèmehas recently graduated with a Bachelor of Music First Class Honours Degree from the GSMD studying under the tutelage of Professor Rudolf Piernay. Most

recently she took part in Professor Piernay’s masterclasses at Mozarteum International Academy in Salzburg. In opera scenes at the GSMD, Anna has performed Gilda Rigoletto, Donna Anna Don Giovanni, Arabella and First Lady Die Zauberflöte and she was the soprano soloist in Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms in GSMD’s tour of France under Leonardo Gaspini. In November 2009, Anna was chosen and participated in a masterclass with Grace Bumbry in association with Voice of Black Opera. In September 2010 Anna will take up a scholarship to begin her postgraduate training at the RCM. With BYO: Easter workshop 2010.

Biographies

AbbreviationsBYO British Youth OperaETO English Touring OperaENO English National OperaGFO Glyndebourne Festival OperaGOT Glyndebourne on TourGSMD Guildhall School of Music and DramaLFO Longborough Festival OperaNOS National Opera StudioOHP Opera Holland ParkOTC Opera Theatre CompanyRAM Royal Academy of MusicRAO Royal Academy OperaRCM Royal College of MusicRCMIOS RCM International Opera SchoolRNCM Royal Northern College of MusicROH Royal Opera HouseRSAMD Royal Scottish Academy of Music and DramaRWCMD Royal Welsh College of Music and DramaTCM Trinity College of MusicWNO Welsh National OperaWNYO Welsh National Youth Opera

Cover Euridice Euridicewas born in London and graduated with First Class Honours this summer from Edinburgh University where she studied with Patricia MacMahon. Winner of the Margaret Fletcher

Lieder Prize 2010, roles include Musetta La bohème (OperaUpClose), Vixen Sharp Ears The Cunning Little Vixen, Venus Venus and Adonis (Edinburgh Studio Opera), Poppea Agrippina (Barber Opera), Zerlina Don Giovanni (Cambridge Touring Opera), Susanna Le nozze di Figaro, Despina Così fan tutte – opera scenes (Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme). Concert performances include Carmina Burana (Usher Hall, Edinburgh), Creation (St Magnus Festival, Orkney). In September she joins the RCM (Masters Programme) with a full scholarship, studying with Janis Kelly supported by the Musicians Benevolent Fund and a Dewar Arts Award. With BYO: Easter workshop 2010.

Assistant Director Euridiceread History and Classics at Edinburgh University. She has produced and directed productions at the Bedlam Theatre, Edinburgh including The House of Bernarda Alba, and

Attempts on Her Life (Shortlisted for NSDF09). At Garsington Opera 2007 she worked on David Alden’s La donna del lago. For Edinburgh Studio Opera she staged Carmina Burana (Fringe 09), directed Opera Scenes and assisted on La clemenza di Tito. Recently she assisted Emma Rivlin on Agrippina (Barber Opera), Pia Furtado on The Telemachy (Theory of Everthing) and Elijah Moshinky on Simon Boccanegra (Covent Garden). She is staff director on OperaUpClose’s La bohème, directed by Robin Norton-Hale, at the Soho Theatre, where it has just transferred after a six month run at the Cock Tavern Theatre.

Louise Alder

Antonia Alonzo

Anna Anandarajah

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Repetiteur La bohèmewas born in Greece and is a graduate of the Conservatoire of Athens and TCM London (PGDip, MMus). While studying at Trinity he focused on song repertoire for voice and

piano duo and was a winner of the 2006 Lilian Ash French Song Competition. Past engagements with opera productions include Carmen (Meantime Opera) and Così fan tutte (Situation Opera) as well as the 2010 final student showcase at the National Opera Studio which Michalis attended as trainee repetiteur. Other professional activities include teaching at Morley College (Keyboard Skills and Score Reading, Piano, Improve Your Singing Performance) and accompanying auditions, rehearsals and performances of the Morley Opera School and the Access to Higher Education Course.

Ensemble, Cover Arcetro and Cover Tragedy Euridicestudied at the GSMD with Andrew Watts and is currently at the RCM with Russell Smythe. He gratefully acknowledges the support of the Douglas &

Hilda Simmonds Award. Operatic experience includes Gherardino Gianni Schicchi (ENO), Yniold Pelléas et Mélisande (GFO), and chorus in Tosca, Hansel and Gretel and The Cunning Little Vixen (ENO). Other works include Carmina Burana (Snape Maltings and Fairfield Halls), Hilda Paredes’ Papalote/Canciones Lunaticas and Respighi’s Il Tramonto (Heidelberg International Quartet Festival). Jake performed in The Revenger’s Tragedy and Dido Queen of Carthage (National Theatre). His recent roles are Arcane Teseo (ETO), Apollo Terpsicore/Il Pastor Fido (London Handel Festival) and Caverna L’Opera Seria (New European Opera). Engagements for 2011 feature Canciones Lunaticas (Wigmore Hall and Festival d’Automne a Paris).

Wardrobe Assistantwas born in Sheffield and is about to enter her final year on Stage Management and Technical Theatre course at GSMD. At Guildhall she has worked as a dresser on Damn

Yankees, Assistant Stage Manager on Albert Herring and Curtains and was the student Costume Supervisor on last year’s Autumn Opera Scenes. She was also the Costume Supervisor on a student-led production of The Last 5 Years which was later revived in the Barbican Pit Theatre. Next year at Guildhall she will be the Costume Supervisor on Festen and Badenheim 1939 (drama productions), Stage Manager for the Spring Opera Scenes and is the Deputy Stage Manager on Donizetti’s Rita in the Summer term.

Cover Aminta Euridice and Chorus La bohème is 22 and was born in Hertfordshire. He is a graduate from the GSMD, where he obtained a BMus (Hons) degree in July 2010. He will be

continuing his studies on the MMus Performance degree in September under the tutelage of John Evans. While at Guildhall he has represented the school in several concerts performing in the Barbican Hall. Ian’s stage experience includes Idamante Idomeneo, Spärlich The Merry Wives of Windsor, Snout A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Male Chorus The Rape of Lucretia (all GSMD scenes). He has also performed as part of the tenor chorus in L’assedio di Calais by Donizetti and Chérubin by Massenet in the GMSD theatre. In May this year Ian was involved with a dramatised song project, Lads in their Hundreds at the Theatro Technis, under the direction of Iain Burnside.

Michalis Angelakis

Jake Arditti

Claire Bamford

Ian Beadle

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Assistant Conductor Euridicewas brought-up in Somerset and studied at Oxford University and the RAM, studying harpsichord and fortepiano with Carole Cerasi and conducting with Paul Brough. Opera credits include

conducting Pergolesi’s La serva padrona (Vestfolds International Festival, Norway), assisting on Handel’s Alessandro and Il pastor fido (London Handel Festival), Cavalli’s Eliogabalo (Grange Park Opera) and The Turn of the Screw (Aldeburgh Music). Future projects include working on L’incoronazione di Poppea (Glyndebourne on Tour). Conducting credits include Handel’s Messiah, Apollo e Dafne and Acis and Galatea, Bach’s Johannes-Passion, Alessandro Scarlatti’s opera Marco Attelio Regolo, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and projects with the International Baroque Players. Christopher also works extensively as a keyboard continuo player. In 2010, Christopher has recorded the Bach Violin Concertos with Rachel Podger, will make his concerto debut at the Wigmore Hall, and will broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.

Colline La bohèmewas born in Washington, DC and studied at Oberlin Conservatory of Music USA, completing his postgraduate studies at the GSMD in 2010. This season at Glyndebourne

Festival Opera he sang the role of A Sailor and the chorus in Billy Budd. Other notable engagements include Don Alfonso Così fan tutte, Dr Miracle Les contes d’Hoffmann, Seneca L’incoronazione di Poppea, Dr Grenville La traviata (Chautauqua Music Festival, New York), Leporello Don Giovanni, Frank Die Fledermaus (Oberlin Opera Theatre), Angelotti Tosca, Der Sprecher Die Zauberflöte (Magdala Opera). Upcoming engagements include covering Masetto Don Giovanni (ENO). He is kindly supported by the Jonathan Levene Music Scholarship and the Leverhulme Trust. With BYO: Easter Workshop and cover Dulcamara L’elisir d’amore at the Anghiari Festival 2008, Filiberto Il Signor Bruschino 2009.

Chorus La bohèmewas born in Southampton and has just completed a four year degree at Birmingham Conservatoire training with soprano Rita Cullis and achieving a First Class Honours in Vocal

and Opera Studies. In May 2010 Lianne was awarded second prize in the Mario Lanza Opera Prize held at Birmingham Conservatoire. Opera roles include Fortuna L’incoronazione di Poppea, Second Lady The Magic Flute, Mimì and Musetta La bohème in Opera Scenes (all Birmingham Conservatoire) and Cousin Madama Butterfly (Longborough Festival Opera). Lianne’s concert experience includes the soprano soloist in Elijah (Ross-On-Wye Choral Society), and a performance of Messiaen’s Poèmes Pour Mi (Birmingham Conservatoire).

Cover Charon Euridicewas born in Northamptonshire where he was an active participant in local festivals and county groups. In 2004 Nicholas was accepted into the RCM Junior Department, to gain professional

training in voice, alto saxophone, piano and musicianship. Following this, he was awarded a major scholarship to the vocal department of the RWCMD where he studied under Marilyn Rees, with whom he is continuing lessons privately. Recent roles have included L’Arbre L’enfant et les sortilèges (RWCMD), God Noye’s Fludde (RWCMD), Sarastro Die Zauberflöte (Opera’r Ddraig) and created the role of The Holm-Oak Tree in Thomas Floyd’s The Nightingale and the Rose (RWCMD).

Lianne Birkett

Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

Christopher Bucknall

Benjamin Cahn

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Second Nymph Euridicecurrently studies on the opera course at the RAM with Lillian Watson. Recent competition successes include the G Embley Memorial Prize, RAM Friends Award, finalist in the Richard

Lewis and second place in the Elena Gerhardt Lieder Prize, Isabel Jay and Blyth Buesst Operatic Prizes. Nathalie’s recent operatic performances include Vixen The Cunning Little Vixen (Royal Academy Scenes), Susanna Le nozze di Figaro (Opera Gold) and chorus and cover in Armida and Figaro (Garsington). Concert appearances include Judas Maccabaeus for Paul Spicer at St John’s Smith Square and Bach and Handel arias with the English Concert for Harry Bicket and Laurence Cummings. She is generously supported by the John Thaw Trust, Josephine Baker Trust, Musicians Benevolent Fund and the Academy Development Scheme. With BYO: Easter workshop 2009.

Chorus La bohèmewas born and educated in Sussex and is currently in his first year as a Postgraduate Scholar at the RCM. In July 2010 Oliver received his Bachelor Degree with honours from the RCM.

He studies with Janis Kelly. His operatic engagements have included Albert Albert Herring, Priest Idomeneo, Frederic The Pirates of Penzance, Defendant Trial by Jury and the Indian The Bartered Bride. Oliver has also performed the roles of Prologue/Peter Quint The Turn of the Screw, Tamino Die Zauberflöte and Lysander A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Opera Scenes at the RCM. Oliver’s concert experience includes performances of Mozart’s Requiem, Solemn Vespers and Mass in C Minor, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Britten’s St Nicholas, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Nelson Mass, Bach’s Easter Oratorio, Purcell’s Fairy Queen, Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music and Messiaen’s Cinq Rechants. Future engagements include Morpheus Orpheus in the Underworld for the RCMIOS, as well as Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle.

Nathalie Chalkley

Oliver Clarke

Deborah CohenAssistant Director La bohèmestudied for her BMus in piano performance at the University of Leeds where she produced and directed The Marriage of Figaro. Deborah spent her third year in America where she studied vocal

accompanying at the University of North Texas. She worked as Assistant Director and Stage Manager for UNT Opera’s production of L’Egisto. Returning to Leeds she organised and directed an Opera Gala Night. After gaining a First at Leeds she returned to UNT to work as a Stage Manager for their production of La bohème. Deborah recently completed the Postgraduate Course in Stage Management at the RWCMD, during which time she worked as an ASM on WNO’s production of Madama Butterfly and toured as an ASM with WNO MAX on a new opera for schools. In February Deborah directed The Magic Flute with the newly formed ‘Opera Ddraig’ and will be directing them in two other productions next year. In May she directed a new opera The Nightingale and the Rose with students from RWCMD. With BYO: Deputy Stage Manager La rondine 2008.

Chorus La bohèmewas born in Leicester and has a BA Honours in Classical Studies from Bristol University. He has just completed a postgraduate course in Specialist Performance at Birmingham Conservatoire,

under the tuition of Henry Herford. Opera experience includes Dr Chillingworth All the Kings Men (Buxton Festival) and the leading role of Ernest Jedermann in the world premiere of Scoring a Century by David Blake, directed by Keith Warner and conducted by Lionel Friend. Opera scenes include Guglielmo Così fan tutte, Chorus The Merry Widow (Birmingham Conservatoire). Courses include Abingdon Summer School for Solo Singers and Guildhall Summer School in Shakespeare and Contemporary Theatre, RADA Musical Theatre, LAMDA Diploma in Audition Technique. With BYO: Chorus The Rake’s Progress 2009.

Matthew Cooper

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Chorus La bohèmehails from Hampshire, England. Adam has recently completed his studies at GSMD, under the tutelage of Adrian Thompson. He has recently returned from Banff, Canada, where he played Laurie

in Mark Adamo’s Little Women (Banff Opera). Previous work has seen him appear in the chorus of two highly acclaimed productions by Dorset Opera, Massenet’s Hérodiade and the British premiere of the Berio ending of Puccini’s Turandot. This autumn Adam will be performing in the Wexford Fesival Opera’s productions of Saverio Mercadante’s Virginia and Peter Ash’s The Golden Ticket. In his spare time he writes pop music, singing and playing guitar in his band, Everybody Be Cool. With BYO: Chorus La rondine 2008.

Orpheus Euridicestudies on the Opera Course at the GSMD under John Evans. Recent performances include Henze’s song cycle Voices at the Barbican, Mayor Upfold Albert Herring (Guildhall

Opera), Evandro Alceste and Giuseppe La traviata (Chelsea Opera Group) and Flavio Norma (Grange Park Opera). Future plans at the Guildhall include Ippolito La Spinalba and Chevalier de la Force Dialogues des Carmélites. He is extremely grateful for the support he receives from Serena Fenwick, Christopher Ball, and from the Sybil Tutton Awards administrated by the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund. With BYO: Easter Workshop, Chorus L’elisir d’amore at the Anghiari Festival and Ensemble La rondine 2008, Sellem The Rake’s Progress and Masterclass with Jonathan Miller 2009.

Cover Musetta La bohèmewas born in Sheffield and is currently studying for her MMus at the GSMD under the tutelage of Yvonne Kenny. She is a graduate from the GSMD, where she obtained her BMus (Hons) in

July 2009. Samantha is supported in her studies by The Musicians Benevolent Fund Postgraduate Performance Award, The Ann Driver Trust, The Countess of Munster Musical Trust and City of London Corporation. Within the operatic repertoire roles for Samantha include Donna Anna Don Giovanni, Fiordiligi Così fan tutte, and Female Chorus The Rape of Lucretia (GSMD scenes) and in the ensemble of Orpheus in the Underworld (Opera Holland Park) and Rossini’s Armida (Garsington Opera). Future plans include a recital at St Martin-in-the-Fields and a concert of Sibelius songs at the Barbican Hall. With BYO: Easter workshop, Chorus The Rake’s Progress 2009.

Sergeant [Chef], Cover Colline and Chorus La bohèmewas born in High Wycombe and started his musical career as a chorister in St Albans Cathedral Choir where he was Head Chorister. He was a soloist

with the choir in the UK and abroad and appeared regularly as a guest soloist for other organisations including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Nicholas is currently studying with Alex Ashworth at the RAM on the Masters programme. In addition to numerous performances at the Academy this year, he has appeared in Il Giasone (Royal Academy Opera) and Carmen (Raymond Gubbay) as well as the premieres of Alban (St Albans Chamber Opera) and The Raven (Grimeborn). Amongst other recitals, he has performed at Lauderdale House and is part of the Concordia Foundation Ensemble 2010. With BYO: Easter workshop 2010.

Samantha Crawford

Nicholas Crawley

Adam Crockatt

Paul Curievici

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Cover Daphne Euridice and Chorus La bohèmeis a 23 year old soprano from Aberdeenshire. She is currently a scholar in the RCMIOS, under the tutelage of Eiddwen Harrhy. She is generously supported by

the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, and has been awarded a Sybil Tutton Award, administered by the Musician’s Benevolent Fund. She is also supported by the Josephine Baker Trust. Roles include Amarilli Il pastor fido (RCMIOS), Lisaura Alessandro (RCMIOS) and Diane Orpheus in the Underworld (RCMIOS). Operatic excerpts at the RCM include Donna Elvira Don Giovanni, Governess The Turn of the Screw, Fiordiligi Così fan tutte, Pamina Die Zauberflöte and The Countess Le nozze di Figaro. She has appeared extensively as an oratorio soloist in venues including King’s Place, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St John’s, Smith Square and the Royal Opera House. In November, she is to make her recital debut at the Wigmore Hall, in collaboration with the Countess of Munster Musical Trust. With BYO: Easter workshop 2009.

Cover Orpheus Euridicewas born in the Peak District. He is currently studying with Robert Dean and is coached by William Robert Allenby. He studied at the GSMD on the undergraduate course and completed his PgDip

at the RCM under Russell Smythe. During his time at college Alex was a recipient of many scholarships and awards and was generously supported by the Douglas and Hilda Simmons scholarship during his time at the RCM, and is generously supported by the Athenaeum Club. Opera credits include Papageno, Second Armed Man Die Zauberflöte, title role Owen Wingrave and Starveling A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the RCM. He has been a chorus member in The Rake’s Progress at Snape Maltings and in Cavalleria rusticana at the Barbican and in Northern Italy. He worked with Graham Johnson for 1880s concert series performing Brahms Lieder, with Petra Lang on Mahler Lieder and in a concert devised by Roger Vignoles on Duparc songs. Recently he has been

Arcetro Euridiceis from Poland where he studied singing at the Academy of Music in Gdansk with Piotr Kusiewicz. Since September 2008 he has studied Historical Performance at GSMD. Operas include

Cyprien in Zygmunt Krauze’s Yvonne Princesse of Burgunde, Arsamene Serse, Timagene in Hasse’s Cleofide, Orfeo Orfeo ed Euridice, Acis and Galatea, The Fairy Queen, and Bragherona in Gassmann’s L’opera seria (New European Opera). In 2007 he was one of the prizewinners of Le Jardin des Voix and was invited by William Christie and Les Arts Florissants to take a part in academy and international tour, making his debuts in Paris, London, Madrid, Lisbon, Brussels, Frankfurt and New York. With The Solomon Choir and Orchestra he has sung in Messiah and the main role in Solomon and with Britten-Pears Young Artists Programme St Matthew Passion. Recently he sang a recital of Purcell’s songs at the Tudeley Festival and Scarlatti’s oratorio Il primo omicidio at the Wratislavia Cantans Festival.

Chorus La bohèmehas just graduated from Birmingham Conservatoire, where he studied with Gordon Sandison. Originally from Wales, he has appeared in several operas with Birmingham Conservatoire,

most recently the world premiere of David Blake’s Scoring a Century in which he played Lloyd George and sang in the chorus. Roles in scenes include Schaunard La bohème and Danilo The Merry Widow. He has also appeared in The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute. As a soloist James has performed Carmina Burana and Stainer’s Crucifixion as well as singing many concerts in and around where he grew up. Recent and forthcoming engagements appearing as Hob in Birmingham University’s production of Vaughan Williams’ The Poisoned Kiss and King Balthazar Amahl and the Night Visitors with Operamus. James also won the Birmingham Conservatoire John Ireland Singing Prize 2009 and was a finalist in the Mario Lanza Society Opera Prize in 2010.

Michal Czerniawski

James Davies

Eleanor Dennis

Alex Duliba

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Venus Euridiceis an Irish mezzo-soprano who has recently completed the GSMD opera course with distinction studying with Janice Chapman and studied with Colette McGahon-Tosh at

the Royal Academy of Music, Dublin. Máire won the 2010 Thelma King Award and the 2010 Harry Rosenthal Prize from GSMD. Opera roles in the UK include title role in Massenet’s Chérubin, Nancy Albert Herring, Aurelio in Donizetti’s L’assedio di Calais, Clarina in Rossini’s La cambiale di matrimonio, The Queen of England in Sallinen’s The King Goes Forth to France (GSMD), Tisbe La Cenerentola (Clonter Opera) as well as chorus for GFO and Young Artist for Opera Theatre Company. Future plans include further study at the NOS, 2010-2011 where she is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland.

Cover Proserpina Euridice and Chorus La bohèmewas born in Somerset and having completed a BMus degree from Birmingham University, will commence Postgraduate vocal training at GSMD in September

2010 under the tuition of Marilyn Rees. Marta was awarded entrance scholarships to RAM and GSMD. In 2009 she reached the final of the Jackdaws Great Elm Vocal Award, performing at the Wigmore Hall. Operatic experience includes Ellie The Calling of Maisy Day by Brian Irvine (WNYO), Marcellina The Marriage of Figaro, First Lady The Magic Flute, Public Opinion Orpheus in the Underworld (Birmingham University). With BYO: Chorus The Rake’s Progress 2009, Easter Workshop and Masterclass with Robert Tear 2010.

Repetiteur Euridicewas born in London. She read music at Selwyn College, Cambridge, and studied piano accompaniment with Andrew West at the RAM. She moved to Belgium in 2007 to specialise

as a repetiteur at Flanders Opera Studio in Ghent. Genevieve did freelance work for the Flemish Opera, Opéra Royal de Wallonie and Scoppio di Vesuvio (director Gidon Saks). She accompanied auditions for Collegium Vocale Ghent and master classes for Christoph Pregardien and Zeger Vandersteene. She performed widely as a song recitalist, including concerts at the Orpheus Institute and Handelsbeurs Concertzaal. In January 2010, she returned to London to begin a six-month trainee repetiteur position at ENO, where she worked on Satyagraha, Elegy for Young Lovers,Tosca, Idomeneo and The Duchess of Malfi.

Rhadamantus Euridiceis studying at the RAM with Mark Wildman and Ian Ledingham. He is supported by the Countess of Munster Trust, the Josephine Baker Trust, and a Musicians Benevolent Fund Postgraduate

Performance Award. Roles include Superintendent Budd Albert Herring (RAO), Elviro Xerxes, Traveller Curlew River, Plutone Orfeo, Don Alfonso Così fan tutte, Gremin Eugene Onegin, Sarastro The Magic Flute and leads in several works by young English composers. He is busy as a concert soloist in a wide repertoire, from early baroque German motets to Puccini and Britten. Highlights have included Nelson Mass with David Hill and the Bach Choir in St John’s Smith Square, Messiah in Worcester cathedral with Adrian Lucas, appearances in the RAM / Kohn foundation Bach Cantata series, and Pilate in the St Matthew Passion for Ivan Fischer and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. He has been invited to participate in the Countess of Munster Recital Scheme for its next season. With BYO: Easter Workshop 2010.

Genevieve Ellis

Thomas Faulkner

Máire Flavin

Marta Fontanals-Simmons

performing the role of Orderly in La forza del destino (OHP). With BYO: Cover Sid Albert Herring 2007.

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Daphne Euridiceis 24 and was born in France. She recently finished her opera course at the GSMD studying under Janice Chapman and Susan McCulloch. Her recent awards include Miriam Licette Scholarship

2010 and John Warner Award 2010, Second Prize in the Clonter Opera Prize 2009, Third Prize at the Opera Competition of Béziers 2009. Operatic experience includes Clorinda La Cenerentola (Clonter Opera), Jemmy Guillaume Tell (Chelsea Opera Group), Micaela Carmen, Adina L’elisir d’amore and Countess Le nozze di Figaro (all in Paris), Nina Chérubin, Miss Wordsworth Albert Herring (all for GSMD) and Pamina The Magic Flute (Jackdaws). On the recital platform, Eva has performed at the Barbican Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields, City of London Festival, La Salle Cortot in Paris and the Wigmore Hall. With BYO: Easter Workshop, Second Spirit and Cover Second Lady The Magic Flute 2007.

Mimì La bohèmewas born in Lisbon. She graduated from the Conservatório Nacional de Música de Lisboa in 2004 and has just completed her MMus at the GSMD under the tuition of Susan Waters. This month she

will start the NOS. Susana won the 1st Prize, Melodie/Lied Prize, Portuguese Song Prize and the Algarve’s Musical Award at the Portuguese Rotary Singing Competition (2010) and the Vasconcellos award at the GSMD. Roles include Papagena Die Zauberflöte (Conservatório Nacional de Lisboa), Serpina La serva padrona (Conservatório Nacional de Lisboa), Euridice Orfeo ed Euridice (Câmara Municipal de Setúbal and Câmara Municipal de Mafra), Dircea and Mochila in José de Nebra’s Para obsequio a la deidad nunca es culto la crueldad e Iphigenia en Tracia (Ensemble Turicum), title role in the premiere of Daniel Schvetz’s The Little Prince (Teatro da Trindade) and Josephine Comedy on the Bridge (Teatro Nacional de São Carlos). During her studies at GSMD Susana was kindly supported by the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the Derek Butler Trust.

Assistant Designer La bohèmegraduated from NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art) in Australia in 2008 with a Bachelor of dramatic Art (Design). Whilst at NIDA she designed Out of the Blue (2007), Leftovers (2007),

Othello (2008), Unidentified Human Remains (2008) and Summerfolk (2008) and was awarded the William Fletcher Award. In Australia, she also designed for CineDream’s film, The Distance Between, Cherry Smoke (Glass Umbrella), DNA (Red Spiky Things), Radio Hysteria (NIDA Open Program), How To Act Around Cops (Tamarama Rock Surf Company) and Whore (Arts Radar). In London, she assisted at the National Opera Studio and designed for The Servant of Two Masters. She has just finished assisting Leslie Travers for his design at the Malmö Opera House in Sweden.

Third Nymph Euridicehails from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. This year Lucy gained a First Class Honours Degree from the GSMD, where she studied and will continue to study on the Masters Programme,

under the tutelage of Susan McCulloch. This year Lucy was awarded the Peggy Oldham Award, the Southwell Choral Society Music Bursary and an Ian Fleming Charitable Trust Award administered by the Musicians Benevolent Fund. Operatic experience includes chorus L’assedio di Calais (GSMD) chorus Chérubin (GSMD), chorus Macbeth (English Opera Singers), Cis Albert Herring (GSMD) and Lucia The Rape of Lucretia (Grimeborn Opera Festival). Concert experience includes soprano soloist in Haydn’s Creation, Fauré’s Requiem, Rutter’s Gloria and Magnificat, and chorus in Verdi’s Requiem under Paolo Uomi at the Barbican Centre and in Cervia, Italy and chorus in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony under Sir Colin Davis at the Barbican Centre and at the Anvil Theatre, Basingstoke. With BYO: Chorus The Rake’s Progress 2009, Masterclass with Robert Tear 2010.

Eva Ganizate

Susana Gaspar

Jessie Giraud

Lucy Hall

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(The King’s Opera) and at Guildhall he has worked on roles including Duca Rigoletto, Lensky Eugene Onegin and Almaviva Il barbiere di Siviglia.

Wardrobe Assistantis currently a student at Central School Of Speech and Drama. Although this is her first opera, previous theatre work includes The Mystery of Edwin Drood (CSSD), Oliver Twist (Giant Olive),

Supernatural (Supernatural), The House of Bernada Alba (CSSD) and A Little Neck (Goat and Monkey).

Fourth Nymph Euridicewas born in London and studies with Patricia Rozario at the RCMIOS where she is the recipient of an HR Taylor Trust scholarship. During her time at college she has won the

RCM English Song Competition and second prize in the Lieder Competition. Her operatic roles include Serpetta La finta giardiniera (Opéra de Baugé), Rossane Alessandro (London Handel Festival), Amarilli Il pastor fido (London Handel Festival), and Papagena Die Zauberflöte (RCMIOS). On the oratorio scene she has worked with leading orchestras such as the English Chamber Orchestra, and has sung in venues such as St John’s, Smith Square, the Cadogan Hall and recently performed the Fauré Requiem in the Royal Albert Hall.

Assistant Conductor La bohèmestudied at the RAM, graduating in 1997. He was selected by Sir Charles Mackerras as the first Junior Fellow in Conducting at TCM (2006-08), where he conducted performances

of Dialogues des Carmélites, The Rake’s Progress and Zaïde. In 2009 Tom was a semi-finalist at the Leeds Conductors Competition, and in September 2010 takes up the post of Principal Conductor and teacher of conducting at the RAM Junior Department. Tom is Artistic Director of the professional chamber orchestra Sound Collective, and Music Director of several non-professional orchestras including Sinfonia Tamesa and the Essex Symphony Orchestra. He has conducted World, UK and London premieres of music by composers such as Carl Nielsen, Vagn Holmboe, Matthew Taylor, Bernard Hughes and James Francis Brown.

Assistant Stage Manager La bohèmegraduated at the Guildford School of Acting. She has been involved in several GSA shows such as The Boyfriend, Baby and Red Hot & Cole. She has worked with

companies such as Birmingham Rep and the Lincoln University as Assistant Stage Manager and Stage Manager.

Shepherd Euridicewas born in London in 1985. He began his musical training at Junior Guildhall, and in 2009 he returned to the GSMD to begin postgraduate vocal studies with Adrian Thompson. Having

been a chorister at Salisbury Cathedral and then a music scholar at Charterhouse, Clement read Music at King’s College London. He has sung Chorus for Opera Holland Park (2006-2010) and in 2010 he covered the role of First Prisoner Fidelio (Opera Holland Park). Other experience includes First Sailor Dido and Aeneas

Tom Hammond

Shara Hazel

Clement Hetherington

Esther Himer

Susanna Hurrell

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Repetiteur La bohèmeis from Japan and is a DipRAM graduate of the RAM. Ayako currently has Fellowship in Postgraduate Diploma repetiteur at RSAMD. As a repetiteur, Ayako played for

Le nozze di Figaro (RSAMD) and The Magic Flute (Bloomsbury Opera). As an accompanist, Ayako won many prizes including The Richard Carpenter Piano Accompaniment Prize and The Alex Menzie Memorial Fund Award for Accompanist. She was the member of Solti Te Kanawa Academia 2010 and RAM Song Circle organised by Richard Stokes. She played for BBC Radio 3 In Tune and BBC Radio Scotland. This year, Ayako is nominated for The Gerald Moore Award 2010. She will be a Scottish Opera/RSAMD repetiteur fellowship holder in 2010/11. She studied with Michael Dussek, Audley Hyland, John Thwaites and Duncan Williams.

Chorus La bohèmewas born in North Wales. She recently graduated from the Birmingham Conservatoire with a BMus Hons under the tutelage of Catherine Benson and Andrew King. During her time at the

Conservatoire Anna won the Reginald Vincent Lieder Prize and the Gordon Clinton English Song Prize. She was also a finalist in the Mario Lanza Opera Prize and the Birmingham Conservatoire Singing Prize. Anna has played operatic roles in various productions and scenes including Ino Semele (Operamus) Dorabella Così fan tutte, Bradamante Alcina, Mercédès Carmen, Arnalta L’incoronazione di Poppea, Bianca The Rape of Lucretia, Third Boy The Magic Flute, Nurse in the world premiere of Scoring a Century composed by David Blake (Birmingham Conservatoire) Mother Madama Butterfly (Opera Project). With BYO: Easter Workshop 2010.

Cover Rhadamantus Euridice and Chorus La bohèmewas born in Cardiff in 1987. He was a choral scholar at Oxford University before moving to London to study at the RCM with Nick Sears. His studies at

the RCM were generously supported by the Ryan Davies Memorial Fund. Roles include Eliab David and Goliath, William The Fall of the House of Usher (New Chamber Opera Studio), Lord Dunmow A Dinner Engagement (Worcester College Opera Society), Toby The Calling of Maisy Day, Judge Turpin Sweeney Todd (Welsh National Youth Opera), Figaro Le nozze di Figaro, Guglielmo Così fan tutte, Papageno Die Zauberflöte, Don Giovanni, Tarquinius The Rape of Lucretia, Alidoro La Cenerentola (RCM Opera Scenes), Dewi The Journey (WNO MAX). With BYO:Easter Workshop 2010.

Anna Jeffers

Steffan Jones Caroline Kennedy

Ayako Kanazawa

Cover Second Nymph Euridice and Chorus La bohèmewas born in London and graduated from The University of Kent with a BA Hons in French and Drama. Having obtained a Masters in Concert Singing

at the RSAMD she is now in her final year of Opera School, studying with Pat Hay. Caroline has been awarded an RSAMD Scholarship and was recently highly commended in the Norma Greig French Song Competition. Caroline sung as one of the Ladies in the The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Edinburgh International Festival). Roles this year have included Atalanta Serse, Emmie Albert Herring, Norina Don Pasquale, Despina Così fan tutte and Susanna Le nozze di Figaro (RSAMD Opera Scenes). In 2009 Caroline sang the role of Young Vixen and Frantik The Cunning Little Vixen and chorus in Cavalli’s Eliogabalo and The Flying Dutchman (Grange Park Opera). More recently she sang in Riders to the Sea (The Minotaur Music Theatre), Barbarina Le nozze di Figaro (RSAMD) and Cecchina in Marcus Portugal’s The Marriage of Figaro (Bampton Classical Opera).

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Benoit and Cover Alcindoro La bohèmewas born and raised in London. Following a choral scholarship at New College Oxford he taught maths before returning to musical study on the post-graduate

course at the GSMD studying with John Evans. Since graduating with distinction last year he has sung Lesbo Agrippina (Barber Opera), Frank Die Fledermaus (Bloomsbury Opera), Marcello and Schaunard La bohème (OperaUpClose), Morales Carmen (Kentish Opera), Erimante in Cavalli’s Erismena (New Chamber Opera) and has covered the Jailer Tosca and Cook The Love for Three Oranges (Grange Park Opera). Other roles include Onegin, Almaviva, Mozart’s Figaro and Belcore. Concert highlights include Messiah with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, and Iain Burnside’s The lads in their hundreds at Kings Place. With BYO: Easter Workshop, Chorus La rondine 2008, Easter Workshop and title role Il Signor Bruschino 2009.

Assistant Stage Manager La bohèmewas born in Cambridge. Now studying Stage Management BA (hons) at the RWCMD, he is due to graduate in July 2011. He has worked on a number of operas

both in and out of college, most recently working on a new work with WNYO.

Cover Venus Euridice and Chorus La bohème was born in South Korea and studied music at Sang-Myung University in Seoul before working in the Korean National Opera Choir (2002-2006),

Master of Music (Opera) at the RSAMD with Patricia Hay. She was highly commended in the Ye Cronies Opera Competition 2008. In the RSAMD’s opera scenes, she sang Dorabella Così fan tutte, Mercedes Carmen, Octavian Der Rosenkavalier and Second Norn Götterdämmerung. Roles include Mère Marie Dialogues des Carmélites (RSAMD), Smeraldina The Love for Three Oranges (Theatre Royal, Glasgow and Edinburgh Festival Theatre), The Composer Ariadne auf Naxos (RSAMD). Her concert engagements include Clonter Opera Gala, Opera Gala with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, an opera aria recital, Mozart Coronation Mass, Vivaldi Gloria, Opera Gala Concert (2010) and a recital of Korean songs (2010). In October 2009, she completed Master of Opera at RSAMD with a full scholarship.

Thomas Kennedy

Bohae Kim

Ellie Laugharne

Matthew Lambart

Euridice Euridicecompleted her degree at Birmingham University and then studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire with Catherine Benson. During her year at the Conservatoire, Ellie was awarded

the Singing Prize and the overall interdepartmental prize. She has recently finished her Masters at GSMD under the tutelage of John Evans and is continuing on to their Opera Course. As well as learning a number of roles for operatic scenes, Ellie has just completed her first season in the Chorus at Glyndebourne and also performed the role of Gretel Hänsel und Gretel for their educational workshops both at GFO and at Somerset House, London. Concert experiences include recitals at Birmingham Symphony Hall and Barbican Hall and most recently with Christopher Glynn at the Ryedale Music Festival. Ellie also recently became a Samling Scholar. With BYO: Easter Workshop, Cover First Spirit and Chorus The Magic Flute 2007, Mozart opera scenes at the Anghiari Festival and Masterclass with Yvonne Kenny 2009.

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Proserpina Euridicewas born in Lisbon, Portugal. She won the second and public prize in Primeiro Concurso de Canto Lírico da Fundação Rotária Portuguesa, revelation prize in Concurso de Canto

Luisa Todi, the first prize in Segundo Concurso de Canto Lírico da Fundação Rotária Portuguesa and the first prize in Prémio José Augusto Alegria in Portugal. Opera roles include Eva Comedy on the Bridge, Second Witch and Spirit Dido and Aeneas, Page Salome (Teatro Nacional de São Carlos), Giovanna Rigoletto (Óbidos) and La Baronne Cherubin (GSMD). In 2009 she concluded her BMus (Hons) with distinction and currently she is on the second year of the Opera Course at the GSMD studying with Susan Waters, supported by Gulbenkian Foundation.

Chorus La bohèmeis originally from the Lake District and about to start her fourth year at Birmingham Conservatoire studying with Louise Crane. During her time there she has been a finalist in

many prizes including the Reginald Vincent Lieder Prize and the Gordon Clinton English Song Prize. On stage Stephanie has appeared as Siebel Faust (Birmingham Conservatoire) and in March 2010 was also in the world premiere of David Blake’s opera Scoring a Century (Birmingham Conservatoire) directed by Keith Warner. Stephanie has taken part in masterclasses with Isobel Buchanan, Caroline Crawshaw, Patricia Macmahon and Malcolm Martineau. Her solo engagements include Mozart’s Requiem, Purcell’s Come Ye Sons of Art, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and Vivaldi’s Gloria. She has also sung as a member of Birmingham Conservatoire’s Chamber Choir, The National Youth Choir of Great Britain and Amabile Girls Choir.

Chorus La bohèmewas born in London and is graduating from the GSMD with a place to study on their MMus Vocal Studies Programme this September, under the instruction of John Evans. Awards include

1st Prize of The Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors Ensemble Prize. Opera roles include Barbarina The Marriage of Figaro (KCS Company), Donna Anna Don Giovanni (GSMD Opera Ensemble Scenes) and Leonora Fidelio (GSMD Opera Ensemble Scenes). Solo recital concerts include Darwin College, Cambridge, St Peter’s Church, Eaton Square and a residency at British Organ Society, Saltaire. Claudia is a scholar sponsored this year by the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers and the City of London Corporation.

Cátia Moreso

Claudia Myles

First Nymph Euridicewas born in Sweden and studied at the RAM, most recently on the Opera Course. She is currently taught by Jennifer Dakin and Jonathan Papp. In 2009 Nina worked with Grange Park Opera

covering the role of Eritea Eliogabalo. She has also sung Nelly Box Martha for Opéra de Baugé. Her opera scene performances include Zerlina Don Giovanni, Susanna Le nozze di Figaro, Echo Ariadne auf Naxos, Fortuna L’incoronazione di Poppea and Gretel Hänsel und Gretel, Pamina Die Zauberflöte. Recent engagements include the title role in Semele under the baton of Sir Charles Mackerras and Laurence Cummings, a gala concert at the Bridgewater Hall, Isifile Il Giasone at RAO. Plans include a Samling Foundation Masterclass.

Nina Lejderman

Stephanie McLean

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Cover Parpignol and Chorus La bohèmeis a scholarship student at TCM, about to start his final year of an MMus in vocal performance under Sophie Grimmer. He recently took the cover title

role in Albert Herring with the Trinity College Opera Company, and has performed as a regular soloist with the Trinity College Chamber choir, notably as the tenor soloist for a recent performance of Carl Rutti’s Missa Angelorum at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Other recent performances include Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle and Beethoven’s Mass in C major, and Richard has a number of projects in the pipeline for 2011. In the past he has taken various roles at Ardingly International Music school, and he sang with the chorus for the 2009 young person’s performance of La bohème with Longborough Festival Opera. He has recently returned from the Atlantic Music Festival, where he was awarded a scholarship place this summer.

Cover Pluto Euridice and Chorus La bohèmewas born and grew up in London. He began his voice training at the Junior Royal Academy of Music under the tuition of Sara Reynolds,

before moving on to the GSMD where he has just completed his third year of BMus (Hons), studying with John Evans. He recently performed the role of Bartley in Riders to the Sea at the Rosemary Branch Theatre (The Minotaur Music Theatre) in London. In 2009 he performed as a member of the Opera Holland Park chorus in Un ballo in maschera and Káťa Kabanová. With BYO: Easter Workshop 2010.

Aminta Euridiceis a Spanish tenor who is about to start his studies on the GSMD Opera Course under David Pollard, supported by the IVM and other awards. Opera roles include Eustazio (cover)

in Rossini’s Armida (Garsington), Alberto L’occasione fa il ladro (The Minotaur Music Theatre), Teapot/Arithmetic/Frog L’enfant et les sortilèges and Tapiocca L’etoile (RWCMD), and scenes from operas by Handel, Mozart, Rossini, Massenet and others at Birkbeck, RWCMD and GSMD. Jorge has sung many oratorios including Mozart’s Requiem (CBSO), and recitals (Barbican Hall and LSO St Luke’s amongst others). He is grateful for the generous support of Christopher Ball. With BYO: Easter Workshop, Chorus and Cover First Priest The Magic Flute 2007, Easter Workshop and cover Florville Il Signor Bruschino 2009.

Chorus La bohèmewas born in Cheltenham. She is currently in her third year at the RNCM, under the tutelage of Ann Taylor. Alice is twice the winner of the Gertrude Mace Cup at the International

Cheltenham Music Festival. Operatic experience includes Orfeo Orfeo ed Euridice (LFO Scenes), Third Spirit The Magic Flute (LFO), China Tea Cup L’enfant et les sortilèges (RNCM), Hermia A Midsummer Night’s Dream (RNCM Scenes), Maddalena Rigoletto (RNCM Scenes), Auntie Peter Grimes (RNCM Scenes), title role La Cenerentola (LFO Scenes), Third Lady The Magic Flute (LFO Scenes) and Orestes La Belle Hélène (RNCM). Musical roles include Eponine Les Misérables (MJUK and LFO), Anita West Side Story (MJUK), Martha The Secret Garden (MJUK), Mary Magdalene Jesus Christ Superstar (MJUK) and Florence Chess (MJUK). Alice is classically trained in Modern Ballet and Jazz. With BYO: Easter Workshop 2010.

Jorge Navarro-Colorado

Alice Nelson

Richard Newman

Joseph Padfield

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Cover First Nymph Euridice and Chorus La bohèmewas born in France and began taking singing lessons at the age of eight with Judy Swierczewski, with whom she studied for twelve years. She sang in several stage productions during

that time. Natalie is now studying with John Evans at the GSMD in London. Prizewinner of the Internationaler Gesangswettbewerb of the Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg consecutively in 2008 and 2009, she sang in performances on stage, in recitals and Operngalas. She also obtained the Joyce Budd Prize in the Kathleen Ferrier Bursary for Young Singers competition 2009. With BYO: Easter Workshop and cover Sofia Il Signor Bruschino 2009.

Deputy Stage Manager Euridicewas born in Eastbourne and is currently studying Stage Management and Technical Theatre at the GSMD. Previous work includes Albert Herring and Chérubin (GSMD), La bohème

(OperaUpClose), Riders to the Sea, The Bear, A Man of Feeling and Love’s Luggage Lost (The Minotaur Music Theatre).

Rodolfo La bohèmetrained at the RNCM with Jeffrey Lawton. Currently a student at the NOS he was awarded an Independent Opera Scholarship to continue his studies with Ryland Davies. Operatic roles at the RNCM

included Alfred Die Fledermaus and Boris Káťa Kabanová. He was a winner of the Joyce and Michael Kennedy Strauss Prize, Elizabeth Harwood Memorial Prize and more recently, first prize in the 2010 Welsh Singers Competition. Sponsored by Welsh National Opera at the NOS John also receives support from the Lionel Anthony Scholarship and the Susan Chilcott Scholarship. Future engagements and commitments include covering the role of Rodolfo La bohème for ENO in the Autumn and representing Wales in Cardiff Singer of the World 2011.

Natalie Perez

Ruth Perrin

John Pierce

Cover Third Nymph Euridice and Chorus La bohèmewas born in London and is a postgraduate student at the GSMD. She studies with John Evans on a full scholarship provided by JM Finn & Co.

Earlier this year she won first prize in the Guildhall’s English Song Competition. Operatic roles include Dido Dido and Aeneas, Lauretta Gianni Schicchi, the title role in Holst’s Savitri (Cambridge University), and Branghien in Frank Martin’s Le vin herbé (Ardente Opera). Future plans include Pamina The Magic Flute with Hampstead Garden Opera, and Britten’s Les Illuminations with the Arion Orchestra. She has been awarded a Musician’s Benevolent Fund Postgraduate Performance Award in order to continue her studies at the Guildhall. With BYO: Easter Workshop 2010.

Musetta La bohèmeis currently studying on the opera course at the GSMD, under the guidance of John Evans. Anna was awarded the 2010 Maggie Teyte Prize together with a Miriam Licette Scholarship

administered by the Musician’s Benevolent Fund. She was also a finalist at this year’s Kathleen Ferrier Awards. In recital, Anna has recently performed at the Crush Room, Royal Opera House; with Iain Burnside at the Bishopsgate Institute; and has explored contemporary repertoire with George Crumb’s Ancient Voices of Children at the Barbican. Roles include Susanna Le nozze di Figaro, Dido Dido and Aeneas, Papagena The Magic Flute, together with Manon, Ilia Idomeneo, Nedda Pagliacci, Asteria Tamerlano for GSMD Opera Scenes. Anna’s studies have kindly been supported by Serena Fenwick, a Susan Chilcott Scholarship from the RPS and The Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation. With BYO: Emmie Albert Herring, Cover Papagena The Magic Flute 2007, Easter Workshop, Gabriella and Cover Bianca La rondine 2008.

Raphaela Papadakis

Anna Patalong

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Alcindoro and Cover Benoit La bohèmegraduated from Plymouth University with a BA (Hons) in Geography and has just finished the MMus course at the GSMD under the guidance of John

Evans. His operatic roles include Il Commendatore and Masetto Don Giovanni (Westminster Opera), Superintendent Budd Albert Herring, Pietro L’assedio di Calais, Froissart The King Goes Forth to France and 2nd Armed Man Die Zauberflöte as well as excerpts of Don Magnifico La Cenerentola, Le Diable Griselidis, Mustafa L’Italiana in Algeri, Leporello Don Giovanni and Snug A Midsummer’s Night Dream (GSMD). Last summer Barnaby appeared with Garsington Festival Opera, most recently he has performed in Iain Burnside’s Lads in Their Hundreds at the Ludlow Festival of English Song as well as undertaking excerpts on ‘In Tune’, BBC Radio 3. In September he will commence the Guildhall opera course. With BYO: Chorus in L’elisir d’amore at the Anghiari Festival 2008, Easter Workshop Madhouse Keeper and Cover Trulove The Rake’s Progress 2009.

Cover Marcello La bohèmestudies on the Opera Course at the GSMD. He holds a scholarship from the Guildhall, a Sybil Tutton Award administrated by the Musicians Benevolent Fund and an award from the

Countess of Munster Musical Trust. In 2009 he received an Ian Fleming award from the Musicians Benevolent Fund and was the winner of the Guildhall School Aria Competition. Previously, he studied English at Cambridge University, where he was a member of the King’s College Chapel Choir under Stephen Cleobury. Roles include the title role in Don Giovanni (Cambridge University Opera Society), Cover Sid Albert Herring (GSMD), Aeneas Dido and Aeneas (Hampstead Garden Opera), Father Hansel and Gretel (Cambridge University Opera Society) and King Mark in Frank Martin’s Le Vin Herbé (Ardente Opera). Plans include Mozart’s Requiem with David Hill and the Bach Choir in the Royal Festival Hall, Beethoven’s

Cover Shepherd Euridice and Chorus La bohèmewas born in Devon and graduated with a journalism degree from Cardiff University in 2001. He now studies singing at the RSAMD with Iain Paton and,

over the last five years, has successfully auditioned for masterclasses with Emma Kirkby and Philip Langridge and most recently with Malcolm Martineau. Roles include Acis Acis and Galatea (Winterbourne Opera), Don Curzio Le nozze di Figaro (RSAMD) and Jupiter Semele (Duchy Opera). In scenes, roles include Albert Albert Herring (Ardingly International Music School), Don Ottavio Don Giovanni (AbOp), Tom Rakewell The Rake’s Progress, Nemorino L’elisir d’amore, Count Il barbiere di Siviglia and Jaquino Fidelio (RSAMD). Steven has been involved in all the major RSAMD operas over the last two years, including two collaborations with Scottish Opera and singing Gerard in Prokofiev’s War and Peace at Glasgow’s Theatre Royal and Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre. In June Steven also sang with the Scottish Opera chorus in their production of La bohème in Belfast and Dublin.

Cover Rodolfo La bohèmewas born in Braga, Portugal. He completed a Degree in Music at the University of Aveiro, under the tuition of António Salgado and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Concert Singing at the RSAMD with Peter

Wilson. Leonel recently concluded the Opera Course at the GSMD with Susan McCulloch where he was awarded the Patrick Libby Prize for Acting. His operatic roles include Monostatos Die Zauberflöte, Pluton Orphée aux enfers (University of Aveiro), Son II Die sieben Todsünden (University of Sheffield), 1st Commissary Dialogues des carmélites (RSAMD), Clem/Alfred The Little Sweep (AIYF/Haddo House), Borsa Rigoletto (Clonter Opera), Anuchkin The Marriage, Giovanni D’Aire L’assedio di Calais, Le Duc Chérubin, Mr Upfold Albert Herring (GSMD) and Don José Carmen (Kentish Opera). Leonel has been granted a Guildhall Artist Fellowship for the year 2010/11. With BYO: Easter Workshop 2010.

Steven Phillips

Leonel Pinheiro

Barnaby Rea

Ashley Riches

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Chorus La bohèmewas born in Oxfordshire and, this summer, graduated with a 2:1 in Classics and Ancient History from Bristol University. For the last two years he has studied singing with Angela

Hickey and is now preparing for postgraduate study at a UK conservatoire. Luke joined the National Youth Choir of Great Britain in 2003 and went on to sing at a number of venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, York Minster and the Millennium Stadium. Over the last two years Luke has been engaged as a soloist in a number of oratorio works including Schumann’s Requiem and Haydn’s Heiligmesse at St George’s Bristol. Operatic roles include Damon Acis and Galatea and Don Basilio/Don Curzio The Marriage of Figaro (Winterbourne Opera), Don Ottavio Don Giovanni and Don Basilio/Don Curzio The Marriage of Figaro (Bristol Operatic Society). Luke has successfully auditioned for a masterclass with Mary King to take place in October and will perform Mozart’s Requiem in Salisbury in November.

Luke Sinclair

Customs Officer [Maître d’], Cover Schaunard and Chorus La bohèmewas born in Dublin. Following studies at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and the RAM, Jamie is now studying

opera at the RSAMD with Stephen Robertson. He has participated in masterclasses with Sir Thomas Allen, Ann Murray, Marie McLaughlin, Elly Ameling, Dennis O’Neill and Graham Johnson. Roles include title role Le nozze di Figaro (RSAMD), Schaunard La bohéme (North West Opera), Father Hänsel und Gretel (Red Sea Opera), Bartley Riders to the Sea (Anna Livia Dublin International Opera, Fringe Opera), Aeneas Dido and Aeneas (RIAM), Prince Yamadori Madama Butterfly (Lyric Opera Dublin), Masetto Don Giovanni (Les Amis de George Bizet Paris), Count Ceprano Rigoletto (ALDIO) and Giuseppe The Gondoliers (Festival Opera Dublin). Concert highlights include performances at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Festival Theatre (Edinburgh),

Jamie Rock

Cover Mimì La bohèmewas born in São Paulo, Brazil. She is an MMus student at the RNCM thanks to the generous support of the Leverhulme Trust, and also a special guest member of the Nederland Opera

Studio. She is currently taught by Ian Storey. Roles include Elena Il cappello di paglia di Firenze by Nino Rota (Teatro Municipal São Paulo), Marguerite Faust (OSESP), Schleppträgerin and the Fifth Lady Elektra (OSESP) and title role Kát’a Kabanová (RNCM). Concerts include Ravel’s Shéhérazade, Poulenc’s Gloria, Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5, Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder and Alexander Goehr’s Sing, Ariel (Wigmore Hall). Camila has taken part in masterclasses with Virginia Zeani, Ian Storey, Heidi Grant Murphy, Nathalie Stutzmann, Rita Contino, Mara Zampieri, Sir Thomas Allen and Dennis O’Neill.

Camila Ribero-Souza

Theatre Royal (Glasgow) National Concert Hall (Dublin), Ulster Hall (Belfast), and Salzburg Cathedral. Performed works include St John Passion, B minor Mass, Messiah, Fauré’s and Brahms’ Requiems. Jamie is extremely grateful for the support of Bloxham Stockbrokers, Derek Hill Foundation, Sir James Caird Scholarship and Arts Council of Ireland.

Ninth Symphony with Hertfordshire Chorus and Bach’s St John Passion with Stephen Cleobury and Choir of King’s College, Cambridge at Cadogan Hall

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Parpignol and Chorus La bohème and Cover Thyrsis Euridicewas awarded a place on the GSMD’s masters programme where he now learns with John Evans. He has recently performed as a soloist with the GSMD’s New

Music Ensemble in a BBC concert at the Barbican, where the programme included a cycle of 22 poems set to music by the contemporary composer Hans Werner Henze, to be broadcast on Radio 3. In his first year at Guildhall Samuel has performed scenes as Nemorino L’elisir d’amore and Basilio The Marriage of Figaro, and has recently been engaged as a chorus member in Opera Holland Park’s productions of Carmen and Pelléas et Mélisande. He has recently performed the role of Count Belfiore in Mozart’s La finta giardinera for Opera@Home, also to be performed at Greenwich Playhouse later this month. With BYO: Easter Workshop 2010.

Schaunard La bohèmehas just completed the Opera Course at GSMD, studying with John Evans, where he played Sid Albert Herring, Eustachio in Donizetti’s L’assedio di Calais, Le Baron in Massenet’s Chérubin

and Mill in Rossini’s Le cambiale di matrimonio as well as various scenes and other smaller roles. He has recently performed in oratorio at King’s College Chapel, Cambridge and St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle and in recital at the Barbican Centre (Barber’s Dover Beach), Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen at the City of London Festival and two concerts at the Henley Festival. His studies were supported by the Worshipful Company of Girdlers, the Kathleen and Tillett Trusts and he held a Susan Chilcott Scholarship in 2008/2009. With BYO: Cover Mr Gedge Albert Herring 2007, Cover Minksman Flight 2008, Masterclass with Robert Tear 2010.

Chorus La bohèmewas born in Edinburgh and studied at TCM with Teresa Cahill. Roles include Dido Dido and Aeneas (Opera in the Garden), title role Savitri (Freezeframe Opera), Mrs

Herring Albert Herring (TCM Opera), Leocasta Giustino (TCM Opera), Sally A Hand of Bridge (Puzzlepiece Opera), Counsel Trial by Jury (Meridian Opera) and First Lizard The Wonderful Thing About Lizards (Grimeborn Opera Festival). She has sung chorus in Carmen (Meantime Opera), The Rake’s Progress (TCM Opera) and Dido and Aeneas (Opera at Bury Court). Her solo concert experience includes Vivaldi’s Gloria, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, Schmitt’s La Tragédie de Salomé with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Daniel-Lesur’s Le Cantique des Cantiques with the BBC Symphony Chorus.

Deputy Stage Manager La bohèmewas born in Wantage, South Oxfordshire. After many years playing the cello, piano, acting and singing, Jessica found her niche in Stage Management. She is currently a student at the

GSMD, about to begin her third year on the Stage Management and Technical Theatre course. Here, she has had opportunities to work on a large variety of operas and dramas. She also worked for the award winning show La Clique, at the London Hippodrome and The Roundhouse, Camden.

Samuel Smith

Matthew Sprange

Helen Stanley

Jessica Stanton

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Charon Euridicewas born in Grimsby and studied at the University of Huddersfield for both his BMus (Hons) and MA (Perf ). He now studies at the GSMD with Rudolf Piernay with support from the Wingate

Foundation, a Maidment Scholarship administered by the Musicians Benevolent Fund and the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. His roles include Antonio Le nozze di Figaro (Vignette Productions), Sergeant of Police The Pirates of Penzance (Grimsby Operatic Society), Pietro d’Visantis L’assedio di Calais (GSMD) Marchese d’Obigny La traviata (Chelsea Opera Group), Superintendent Budd Albert Herring (GSMD) and Don Magnifico La Cenerentola (Clonter Opera). His concert repertoire includes Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem and Beethoven 9th Symphony. Future plans include Tongo La Spinalba and King René Iolanta (GSMD).

Repetiteur La bohème and Euridicestudied at Chetham’s School of Music, the RNCM and GSMD, where she now works as a staff accompanist. She is a senior piano tutor at The King’s

School, Canterbury, where she founded and directs the school’s Piano Accompaniment course. Her principal teachers were Renna Kellaway, Eugene Asti, Helmut Deutsch and Rudolf Jansen. She has twice won the MBF’s Sir Henry Richardson Award for accompanists and has recently been awarded a Samling Foundation Scholarship. Recent performances included a recital with Guildhall Gold Medal winner Gary Griffiths and Nina Lejderman at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, and with Norbert Meyn for the ‘Inside Lieder’ series at Wigmore Hall.

Alice Turner

Marcello La bohèmewas born in Japan and is currently second year Opera Course at the GSMD studying with Rudolf Piernay. He has also studied with Onbe Kazuko, Kenji Mizuno, Pierre Vallet and Yasuo Horiuchi.

Koji has won many prizes including First Prize in All Japan Student Music Competition, Second Prize in the 6th Tokyo Music Concours , Third Prize in the 7th Elena Obraztsova International Competition. He has also received scholarships and support, including from Mr Haruo Miki, Rome Music Foundation 2007/8/9/10 and Mr David Hamilton 2009/10. His opera appearances include Schaunard La bohème, Dancaïre Carmen, Figaro Le nozze di Figaro (Saito Kin Festival), Fiorello and Ufficiale Il barbiere di Siviglia with Conductor Seiji Ozawa. Le Baron Chérubin, Vicar Albert Herring and Count Gi Susanna’s Secret in concert. Future engagements include Fauré’s Requiem and Arsenio Spinalba (both at the GSMD), and Robert Iolanta in Japan.

Koji Terada

Chorus La bohèmewas born in London in 1987. His singing career began with the Winchester College Choir where he was Head Quirester in 1999. His training continued with Glynn Davenport before

studying Music at King’s College London where he was taught by Glenville Hargreves and Alexander Ashworth. Alistair now looks forward to continuing his studies with Alexander Ashworth at the RAM. His recent performances include Colline La bohème (OperaUpClose at the Cock Tavern Theatre and the Soho Theatre), Aeneas Dido and Aeneas (King’s Opera), Chorus Pelléas et Mélisande and Fidelio (OHP) and a charity gala of Beethoven folk songs in aid of Core and the CF Trust.

Matthew Stiff

Alistair Grant Sutherland

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Tragedy Euridicewas born in London, and is currently on the Opera Course at the RCM. Ben was formerly a Choral Scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, where he read Philosophy. Currently studying with Eiddwen Harrhy, Ben was the

winner of the 2009 RCM English Song Competition, a finalist in the 2010 RCM Singing Competition, and is a Retrospect Ensemble Young Artist. Operatic engagements include Mirtillo in Handel’s Il pastor fido (1734) and Tassile in Handel’s Alessandro (RCM Opera School), Arsamenes Xerxes (Fitzwilliam Chamber Opera), Hamor Jephtha and Raymond Cocteau in the Underworld by Ed Hughes (Grimeborn), Cover Alessandro Tolomeo (ETO), George Saintsbury (covering Michael Chance) The Lovely Ladies by Peter Cowdrey (Opera Unlimited), Kaspar Kaspar Hauser by Alexis Pope (Tête à Tête). Concert performances include Ben’s Wigmore Hall debut in The Fairy Queen (Retrospect Ensemble) and Purcell’s Hail, Bright Cecilia in the State Hermitage, St Petersburg. Ben is supported by a Gladys Hay Award and the Josephine Baker Trust. With BYO: Easter Workshop 2010.

Thyrsis Euridiceis a lyric tenor who graduated in Musicology at Beijing Normal University in 2005 studying with Xiao Yan and obtained a Masters in 2008 with Tong Jun, having achieved the highest

marks. During his time there he won numerous scholarships and was the winner of many national and international competitions, the most notable being the Fifth Singapore International Music and Dance Competition at which he won a gold medal (2007). Opera experience includes Eisenstein Die Fledermaus (German Embassy in Beijing), Nencio L’infedeltà delusa (RNCM), Achilles La Belle Hélène (RNCM) and solosit in Opera Spectacular (Chiswick Choir) as well as RNCM scenes as Nemorino, Tamino and Fenton. Bo’s other experience includes Schumann’s Dichterliebe (RNCM), Mr Bumble Oliver (International Festival Choir, Beijing) and as a soloist in Carmina Burana (organised by German Embassy, Beijing), The Armed Man (International Festival Choir, Beijing and Shanghai) and a Bach Cantata (German Embassy Beijing and RNCM). In May 2009 he gained a full scholarship from the ABRSM to study for his second Masters degree at the RNCM where he is currently working with Peter Wilson.

Pluto Euridicewas born in Doncaster where he started his musical career as an organ scholar at St George’s Parish Church. In 2002 Matthew gained a place at the Birmingham Conservatoire and graduated in 2006 with

Honours. He is currently entering his second year of the GSMD Opera Course, under the tuition of John Evans. Matthew is kindly supported by the Leverhulme Trust, William Gibbs Educational Trust, John Wates Trust, The Worshipful Company of Drapers and Christopher Ball. Roles include Armando L’assedio di Calais, L’aubergiste Chérubin, Cover Ivan The Marriage, Cover Prime Minister The King Goes Forth to France (all GSMD), David Brent The Office, the Opera (BBC Comic Relief 2009), Tobit Tobias and the Angel (Buxton Festival) and title role Le nozze di Figaro (Birmingham Conservatoire). Forthcoming roles include Togno La Spinalba (GSMD). With BYO: Cover Benoit, Cover Alcindoro and Chorus La bohème at the Anghiari Festival, Cover Zaretsky and Chorus Eugene Onegin 2006, Easter Workshop 2007.

Chorus La bohèmewas born in Dalian in China and studied at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Ting is now on the Postgraduate Diploma of Vocal Studies course at the RWCMD, studying

under Janet Price and Angela Livingstone. Roles at the RWCMD include Principessa Suor Angelica and Lucretia Britten’s Women. She has also taken part in a masterclass with Barbara Bonney. Ting’s studies are sponsored by the Geraint Evans scholarship. With BYO: Easter Workshop 2010.

Bo Wang

Ting Wang

Ben Williamson

Matthew Wright

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Southbank Sinfonia

Founded in 2002, Southbank Sinfonia (SbS) is Britain’s orchestra of young professional players and the country’s leading orchestral academy.

Based in St John’s Waterloo, London, the orchestra’s work encompasses an unrivalled range of activity and music: working with leading orchestras ranging from the Royal Opera House and Academy of St Martin in the Fields to the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment; playing alongside and being coached by world-renowned artists including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Thomas Allen, Tasmin Little and Michael Collins; performing a broad repertoire from Baroque, contemporary, symphony, chamber orchestra and light music to opera and ballet.

What makes SbS unique is the intensity of the programme combined with the professional

development that lies at the heart of every project. Each year, SbS selects 32 players for an 8-month programme which comprises concerts for promoters and festivals across the UK; workshops and performances alongside leading UK orchestras; chamber music; education workshops and management training; and sessions spanning subjects from improvisation to public speaking.

The 2010 season includes over 60 performances across the UK, working with artists such as Sir Charles Mackerras and Marin Alsop (conductors), Emma Johnson (clarinet) and the Brodsky Quartet; the annual 10-day festival in Anghiari, Italy; education projects in London, Bradford, Coventry and Wiltshire; as well as family concerts and the free informal ‘Rush Hour’ series in London.

In November SbS’s Music Director and co-founder, Simon Over, conducts two performances of Britten’s War Requiem – in Coventry Cathedral and in London’s Westminster Cathedral – to mark the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Coventry Cathedral.

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Violin IOlga MuszyńskaElspeth MacLeodLucía Siwy CapillaGail Hernández RosaAlexandra HjortswangSophie Alscher

Violin II Jem MuharremJulia LunguMaria RyanClare Wheeler

ViolaPatricia Ramirez ReinosoRebecca HopkinKatie-Bethan HolmesAlexandra-Martha Ursache

CelloDaniel BullJo KeithleyLeonardo Sesenna

Double BassSamuel RiceLachlan Radford

HarpStephanie Beck

Flute & PiccoloSarah BenningtonKate Walter

OboeAnna TurmeauChristopher Braime

ClarinetJonathan ParkinJames Burke

BassoonKatie WaltonLorna Tyack

HornAbbey EdlinKathryn Allnutt

TrumpetAlan BlairElizabeth Jones

TromboneBilly Yates

Timpani & PercussionRosemary TollMichael Allen

Violin, Cowbells & HandbellMaria Ryan

Double Bass & HandbellLachlan Radford

Banjo, Guitar & HandbellDavid Massey

PianoGenevieve Ellis

Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Recorder, Triangle & HandbellJames Burke

Trumpet, Recorder & Antique CymbalElizabeth Jones

Trombone, Recorder, Tabor & HandbellBilly Yates

Timpani & PercussionRosemary Toll

La Bohème

Euridice

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Southend Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs

The Southend Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs have been in existence for over 50 years between them. The Choirs attract singers aged 8-18 from across the South East region. The diversity of their work shows in the singers performing in the Crypt of the House of Commons, singing at the launch of a liner at Southampton Docks, performing in the world famous BBC Proms Concerts, and giving recitals and concerts in major venues across the country and abroad.

The Choirs have impressive broadcasts and recordings to their names, including BBC TV and Radio, World Service, Australian Broadcasting Company and Radio France. They have recorded with many of the UK’s major orchestras. The Choirs’ tours have taken them across the world, to Australia, the US, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, the Seychelles, Holland, Poland and Greece amongst other major international venues. They have performed in such prestigious venues as Sydney Opera House, St Mark’s Venice, Florence Duomo, St Bartholomew’s Church New York, major Cathedrals in the USA, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Spain, Germany and the Seychelles.

The Choirs regularly appear throughout the UK at major festivals and concerts in major London venues. They have taken part in many performances in the BBC Proms Series. In 2006 the Choirs were invited to take part in the Queen’s 80th Birthday Prom at

the Royal Albert Hall, and in 2007 they gave two performances of the popular BBC Blue Peter Prom. In 2008 they toured parts of Australia and Singapore, where their performances included singing in the Sydney Opera House, cathedrals and major churches in Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns and in Singapore. In August that year they were invited to perform at the annual conference of the Association of British Choral Directors in Lincoln Cathedral, where they were featured alongside the BBC Choir of the Year and two other award-winning groups. The choirs have been filmed for BBC, in addition to giving concerts and performances with orchestras, choral societies and in festivals across London and the South East.

Concerts this year included singing at the Royal Albert Hall, and concerts in St Martin in the Fields, St James Church Piccadilly and other London venues. Last year the Boys’ Choir performed in Paris, while the Girls’ Choir sang at St Mark’s Venice, and in other major churches in Venice and Padua. This summer the joint choirs toured California, where they performed in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

www.southendchoirs.org.ukPresidents Sir David Willcocks cbe, Bob ChilcottPatron Raymond Gubbay, cbe

Conductor Roger HumphreyAccompanist Rosemary Pennington

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Artistic and Production Staff

Director Euridicegrew up in Ongar and studied Physics with Astrophysics at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is Artistic Director of The Minotaur Music Theatre for whom he has previously directed Stephen Oliver’s A Man of Feeling as well as L’occasione fa il ladro, Riders to the Sea, The Bear, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Così fan tutte, Don Giovanni, Dido and Aeneas, Cox and Box, La bohème, The Wandering Scholar, La Cenerentola and Rita. Productions for other companies include La voix humaine (Kypria International Festival, Cyprus), Suor Angelica and L’enfant et les sortilèges (RWCMD), Les contes d’Hoffmann, The Rake’s Progress, Samson, Aida, Eugene Onegin, Cavalleria rusticana, Pagliacci, Die Zauberflöte, Trouble in Tahiti, The Beggar’s Opera, The Pirates of Penzance, Iolanthe, HMS Pinafore, Merrie England, To the Edge and Scenes from the Savoy as well as revivals of Carmen (English Touring Opera) and Don Pasquale (European Chamber Opera). Musicals include Alice in Wonderland and Hermes. He has directed opera scenes for the RCM, RWCMD, Birmingham Conservatoire and Birkbeck’s Opera Diploma Course. With BYO: Assistant Director Eugene Onegin 1994, Assistant Director The Magic Flute 1996, Assistant Director The Rake’s Progress 1997, Director L’elisir d’amore Anghiari Festival 2008, Director of Mozart Opera Scenes Anghiari Festival 2009. Stuart has a long and continuing association with the work of BYO, and is a member of the audition panel.www.stuartbarker.com

Director La bohèmewas born in Melbourne, Australia and studied Music and Drama at Melbourne University before moving permanently to London. He made his directing debut with Trial by Jury staging it in the Bow Street Magistrates Court for the Covent Garden Festival. Subsequently, his productions have included Tosca, Hänsel und Gretel and Don Giovanni (all Opera Holland Park), La traviata (Singapore Lyric Opera), Dovetales - a collection of Jonathan Dove operas (Glyndebourne Jerwood Studio), the London premiere of Schubert’s Alfonso und Estrella (UCOpera), Idomeneo with Peter Sellars (Glyndebourne Touring Opera), Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens (Chelsea

Stuart Barker Theatre) and most recently the European premiere of Tobias Picker’s opera Fantastic Mr Fox. Stephen has staged revivals of Madama Butterfly and Tosca (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden), Otello (San Francisco Opera and Glyndebourne Festival Opera) and La rondine (Metropolitan Opera, Opéra Monte Carlo and San Francisco Opera). As an apprentice director Stephen worked on over twenty productions at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden including the world premiere of Lorin Maazel’s 1984 . He has also worked at the Royal National Theatre, the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg and was Associate Director on the West End musical Marguerite at the Haymarket Theatre and the last UK tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar. His future work includes directing new productions of Dialogues des Carmélites for GSMD, Carmen and Tosca in America in 2012 and revivals of Roméo et Juliette for Covent Garden and La rondine for the Metropolitan Opera. www.stephenbarlow.net

Costume Supervisor Euridicestudied Performance Costume at Edinburgh College of Art, graduating in 2006 with First Class Honours and two awards. She then completed a one year Costume Design traineeship with the BBC, BBC Vision 2007, working on period productions including Little Dorrit. She has had four years experience within the film/television/theatre industries, working in many different fields of costume including making, buying, and supervising.

Stage Manager La bohèmetrained at LAMDA (Stage Management and Technical Theatre) and Roehampton Institute (Arts Management). Opera experience includes Opera 80, Henze Festival BBC, English Touring Opera (1992 to 1995), Broomhill Opera, Castleward Opera, National Theatre Birtwistle Double Bill, West End International South Pacific Radio 2 and Sweeney Todd Gottenburg, Royal College of Music, Royal Academy of Music, Opera Ireland A Streetcar Named Desire, Orfeo ed Euridice and Wiesbaden Festival, Opera Zuid Don Giovanni, Buxton Festival English Triple Bill, Lucretia Borgia, Noyes Fludde, The Green Children, Garsington Opera Così fan tutte, Fidelio,

Alanna Beaton

Ray BingleStephen Barlow

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Aldeburgh Festival Death in Venice and Bregenz Festival, National Opera Studio, Garden Venture at Covent Garden, Opera North Manon, Tosca, The Barber of Seville, Julietta and The Eight Little Greats, Wexford Festival Sapho, Eva, Maria de Rohan, Maria Padilla, Tutti in maschera, English Bach Festival Dido and Aeneas at Covent Garden, Sadlers Wells, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, The Banqueting House, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Paris, Versaille, Madrid, Seville, Mucia, Hannover, Athens. Riccardo Primo Cyprus, Platée Athens, Oreste and Alceste Linbury Theatre, Orfeo Lugano. In 2010 Garsington Opera Le nozze di Figaro, Buxton Festival All the Kings Men, Wexford Festival The Kiss. Other theatre includes National Theatre Studio, Plymouth Theatre Royal, Greenwich Theatre, Benefactors Vaudeville Theatre, Noel and Gertie Donmar Warehouse, The Living Room, The Browning Version at The Royalty Theatre, Peter Pan the Musical, The Tempest A&BC Theatre Edinburgh, Prague, Bucherest, Gdansk, London, and venues in Russia. In 2007 Ray was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship. With BYO: Così fan tutte, Eugene Onegin, The Magic Flute, Flight and the Rossini Double Bill.

Company Manager and Stage Manager Euridicewas born in Sydney, Australia, and began his career as Junior Office Assistant for the Australian Opera and within seven years had been promoted to the position of Company Manager. In 1991, Bernard was appointed as Company Manager and Head of Planning for Glyndebourne Festival and Touring Operas, and settled in Sussex. Bernard is co founder the charity Sarvashubhamkara (SARVA) www.sarva.org.uk – “He who does good to all” – running medical, social and education projects on the Indian Subcontinent, with ostracised individuals and communities, most of whom are affected by the stigma of leprosy. Since leaving Glyndebourne in 2009, Bernard has held the position as London Company Manager for Grange Park Opera.

Movement Directoris originally from Zimbabwe and has worked as a dancer, choreographer, movement director and teacher in a wide variety of styles and methods. Some of her recent opera work includes Snegurochka (Wexford

Bernard Davies

Mandy Demetriou

Festival), Cocteau in the Underworld (Brighton Festival), La fille du régiment and Il trovatore (OHP), A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Gentle Giant (Linbury Studio ROH), The Marriage of Figaro (ENO) and Cherevishki (Garsington Opera). Plays include Glorious (Duchess Theatre), Marriage à la Mode, Lady Windermere’s Fan (Salisbury Playhouse), The Madras House (Lyric Hammersmith), Emma and Pride and Prejudice (Good Company National Tour). Television includes House of Elliott (BBC), Goodnight Sweetheart (Alamo Productions), Message for Posterity, Plotlands and Out of the Dolls House (BBC), Poldark (HTV). Musicals include Maria de Buenos Aires (Bath and Buxton Festivals), La Belle Epoque (Stourhead National Trust Festival), Kiss Me Kate (Polsden Lacy National Trust), Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Ascroft Theatre), and Johann Strauss Gala (Raymond Gubbay Productions). With BYO: The Rake’s Progress, La rondine, Albert Herring, The Magic Flute and Roméo et Juliette. Mandy is a memeber of the Artistic Committee and works regularly on the Easter Workshop programme.

Vocal Coach La bohèmestudied at the RNCM where she graduated in both piano and singing. She joined the staff there as an accompanist and later worked in the opera department. After working on the music staff at Glyndebourne she returned to the college and became Head of Opera Music Staff. In 1979 she was invited to join the NOS during its opening year as assistant to Martin Isepp, Head of Music. Later she became Head of Studies, a post she held until July 2004. She now works at the Studio as a vocal coach, and is a visiting coach at the RNCM. She has worked as a coach at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, at the University of Auckland, the Conservatory in Brisbane and at the Foundation de Voix, Royaumont in France. With BYO: Isobel is a member of BYO’s Artistic Committee and coaches regularly for summer productions.

Costume Supervisor La bohèmetrained in fashion but has worked in the theatre for over twenty years. Recent work includes costume supervisor for Pelléas et Mélisande and Don Giovanni

Isobel Flinn

Sian Harris

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(OHP), Dunsinane (Royal Shakespeare Company), Bingo and Wallenstein (Chichester Festival Theatre), Dallas Sweetman (Plaines Plough/Canterbury Cathedral), The Magic Flute, A Night at the Chinese Opera, The Marriage of Figaro, Albert Herring (RAM), Hurts Given and Received and Slowly (The Wrestling School), Wozzeck (Philharmonia Orchestra) and The History of Dr Johann Faustus (London Philharmonic Orchestra). Sian was head of costume for the National Youth Theatre for three years and also has a long standing annual engagement with the NOS.

Vocal Coach, Euridicestudied at York University, the GSMD and the NOS before joining the Music Staff of ENO (1983–8) and then working for Opéra de Lyon, Opera Factory, Scottish Opera and Opera Brava (as Musical Director). Since returning to ENO in 1995, he has appeared in several productions (including The Silver Tassie and The Rake’s Progress) and worked extensively as Senior Repetiteur (including the complete Ring) and Assistant Conductor (including, most recently The Pearl Fishers and Lucia di Lammermoor). He has conducted La bohème (Surrey Opera, Opera Box), the UK première of Salieri’s Falstaff, Haydn’s La vera costanza, Mozart’s Apollo and Hyacinth and Gluck’s Le cinesi for Bampton Classical Opera, Sweeney Todd (Shawford Mill), and for ENO, The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, The Gondoliers and Kismet. This July Murray was Associate Conductor of the recent ENO/Punchdrunk immersive world premiere production of Torsten Rasch’s The Duchess of Malfi. In February 2009 he completed a 8-month sabbatical as Music Director of The Sound of Music at the London Palladium, conducting over 170 performances. He worked on the world and UK premieres of John Adams’s The Death of Klinghoffer (Brussels and Edinburgh), and assisted the composer and conducted on location for Penny Woolcock’s award-winning Channel 4 film of the same opera. In 2002 he was appointed Music Director of the North London Chorus, where his most recent concerts include Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis. He is currently working on Radamisto at ENO and conducting plans include Carmina Burana and Verdi’s Requiem (NLC). His opera translations include La vera costanza (with Gilly French) and Le

Murray Hipkin

cinesi. With BYO: Vocal Coach on several summer season productions and Easter Workshops.

Lighting DesignerWest End lighting design credits include Sweet Charity (Haymarket Theatre), Mrs Warren’s Profession (Comedy Theatre), Private Lives (Vaudeville Theatre), Christmas Carol (Arts Theatre), The Norman Conquests (Old Vic Theatre), The Last Five Years and Tick Tick Boom, (Duchess Theatre), Maria Friedman Re-Arranged (Trafalgar Studios), Rent (Duke of York’s), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Haymarket Theatre), Pageant (Vaudeville Theatre), Forbidden Broadway (Menier Chocolate Factory and Albery Theatre), The Vivian Ellis Awards (London Palladium), Sweet Charity, Maria Friedman, La Cage aux Folles, Take Flight, The Last Five Years (Menier Chocolate Factory) and Rags (Bridewell Theatre). Broadway credits: The Norman Conquests (Circle in the Square) and Primo (Music Box Theatre). UK National tours: Oklahoma, Little Shop of Horrors, Singing in the Rain, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Our House, Fiddler on the Roof, South Pacific, 42nd Street, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Me and My Girl, Carousel and The Demon Headmaster. Also, many regional theatre productions across the UK. International design work: Fame (Monaco),The Full Monty, Cabaret (English Speaking Theatre, Frankfurt) Rocky Horror Picture Show (European Tour), Chicago (Kula Lumpur, Malaysia), Woyzeck (New York), Stars of the Musicals (Malaysia), Sunset Boulevard (Cork Opera House), Who Shot the Sheriff and Dracula (Tivoli, Copenhagen) and Jesus Christ Superstar (Tour of Sweden) as well as many other productions in Europe. As Associate Lighting Designer: Hair (Gielgud Theatre), Lord of the Rings (London and Toronto), The Woman In White (West End and Broadway), Hamlet (Old Vic), Humble Boy (West End and UK Tour), Into the Woods (Donmar Warehouse), Alarms and Excursions (UK Tour and West End), Nine (Donmar Warehouse and Argentina), Electra (UK Tour & Donmar Warehouse), The Royal National Theatre’s Carousel (West End, Japanese and USA Tours). Opera includes La serva padrona (Royal Opera House), Eugene Onegin (Scottish Opera and RSAMD). With BYO: Rossini Double Bill, The Rake’s Progress, The Magic Flute and Albert Herring.

David Howe

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Conductor Euridicewas born in Halifax, UK and studied piano with Fanny Waterman. He discovered his love for opera over the course of three seasons as a trainee repetiteur with BYO. He has since been a member of the music staff at English National Opera, and Chorus Master at Glyndebourne, conducting Le nozze di Figaro, La clemenza di Tito, Birtwistle’s The Last Supper and Carmen. At the Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich, he has conducted Il ritorno d’Ulisse, La Calisto, Alcina, Orlando, Tamerlano and Ariodante. At the 2006 Salzburger Festspiele Christopher conducted performances of La clemenza di Tito with the Wiener Philharmoniker. In 2003 he conducted a new production of Handel’s Samson at the Netherlands Opera with Concerto Köln, and returned to conduct Hercules with St James’s Baroque in 2007. His recording of Gluck’s L’innocenza giustificata with Cappella Coloniensis for Deutsche Harmonia Mundi was released in 2004. He has conducted Die Zauberflöte (Grand Théâtre Luxembourg with Camerata Salzburg), Ariodante and The Magic Flute (English National Opera), L’Orfeo and Radamisto (Opera North), Madam Butterfly, Tosca, Aida and Carmen (Royal Albert Hall), and concerts with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. Other engagements include L’incoronazione di Poppea (Theater an der Wien), Giulio Cesare and Così fan tutte (Oper Köln), Oreste (Komische Oper Berlin), Solomon (Bregenzer Festspiele), Dido and Aeneas (Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin), Floridante (Halle), Don Giovanni (Lyon) and Die Zauberflöte (Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow). Future plans include Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin), Die Jahreszeiten (Rotterdam), Die Schöpfung (Bregenz) and Ariodante (Moscow). With BYO: Repetiteur Le nozze di Figaro 1988, Assistant Conductor Così fan tutte 1989, Assistant Conductor Eugene Onegin 1990 and a longstanding member of the Artistic Committee.

Italian Coach La bohèmewas born in London of Anglo-Italian parents and studied Music and Modern Languages at Durham

Christopher Moulds University and later as Italian Language Coach at the NOS with Maria Cleva. Isabella coaches regularly at the major UK music colleges and opera companies including the RCM, NOS, Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at Covent Garden, Cardiff International Academy of Voice, the RAM, RSAMD, WNO, Scottish Opera, Garsington Opera and Opera North. With BYO: Italian coaching on a number of summer productions.

Production Managerleft the Royal Court Theatre 20 years ago and set up a company to provide production management services to a wide range of clients. Besides doing the last two seasons for British Youth Opera, she also works for Grange Park Opera, Shared Experience Theatre Company and fits in various one off productions. Alison is a Trustee of Chicken Shed Theatre Company and on the board of Artsadmin.

Conductor La bohème was born in the North-East of England and studied music at Oxford‚ where he was Organ Scholar of St John’s College. He began his operatic career as Chorus Master at Glyndebourne‚ followed by several years as Resident Conductor and Head of Music Staff for the Australian Opera at the Sydney Opera House. He then joined ENO as Assistant Music Director‚ where his repertoire included The Mastersingers of Nuremburg‚ Otello‚ Rigoletto‚ Carmen‚ Orfeo‚ Hansel and Gretel‚ The Turn of the Screw and all the major Mozart operas. He is invited back to Australia regularly as guest conductor for all the major opera companies and symphony orchestras. He has also appeared in Canada‚ Denmark, Mexico‚ Hong Kong and Italy and conducted for Scottish Opera‚ Kent Opera and Opera Factory London. For television he has conducted Jonathan Miller’s productions of The Mikado and Così fan tutte and‚ for Channel 4‚ The Marriage of Figaro. In the concert hall‚ he has conducted most of the major British orchestras‚ including the LSO‚ LPO‚ RPO‚ Hallé, BBC Philharmonic and BBC Concert Orchestras. He has conducted Madam Butterfly‚ Tosca‚ Aida and Carmen at the Royal Albert Hall; other recent engagements include Falstaff at Scottish Opera,

Isabella Radcliffe

Alison Ritchie

Peter Robinson


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The Marriage of Figaro and Lucia di Lammemoor for West Australian Opera‚ Turandot, La traviata, Madam Butterfly‚ Roméo et Juliette‚ Andrea Chénier and La bohème with Opera Queensland‚ Die Zauberflöte with Opera Zuid in Holland and Un ballo in maschera, La gioconda‚ L’amore dei tre re‚ Rigoletto‚ Fidelio‚ Luisa Miller and Andrea Chénier with OHP. Future projects include Aida at Opera Queensland, The Mikado for ENO and La Wally at OHP. He teaches and coaches singers regularly at the NOS, the GSMD, the RAM and the RCM. With BYO: Peter is the Artistic Director of British Youth Opera and for the company he has conducted productions of The Rake’s Progress, La rondine, Albert Herring‚ Eugene Onegin‚ Roméo et Juliette‚ The Rape of Lucretia and The Magic Flute.

Designer La bohèmegraduated with a diploma in Architecture from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece in 1995. He then studied European Scenography at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, obtaining a Master of Arts in 1997. He was the overall winner of the 1997 Linbury Prize for Stage Design. His designs include Don Giovanni, Pelléas et Mélisande, Káťa Kabanová, Tosca, Jenůfa and Nabucco (OHP), Petrushka (Scottish Ballet), The Rake’s Progress (ENO), The Rape of Lucretia (Aldeburgh Festival, ENO and BBC TV), La clemenza di Tito (Copenhagen and ENO), Madama Butterfly (Scottish Opera), Tchaikovsky’s Oprichnik (Cagliari, Sardinia), Candide (Birmingham Opera), Carmen and The Daughter of the Regiment (ETO), The King Goes Forth to France (GSMD) and A Night at the Chinese Opera (RAM). Also sets for Aida (WNO), Così fan tutte (Opéra National du Rhin Strasbourg, Scottish Opera and Oviedo), The Marriage of Figaro (ENO); Les contes d’Hoffmann and Opera Seria (Nationale Reisopera, Netherlands). Theatre and musicals include Two Women,The Great Extension, The Battle of Green Lanes (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Gigi (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Annie Get Your Gun (UK tour), Antony and Cleopatra (English Shakespeare Company). Future Projects include Orlando (Scottish Opera), Rita and Iolanta (GSMD) and Tosca (Santa Fe Opera)www.yannisthavoris.com

Yannis Thavoris

BYO’s link scheme makes it possible for principals and understudies to have a coaching session with an experienced, distinguished professional who has performed their role. For 2010 we are extremely grateful to the following singers for undertaking link sessions with our Summer Season participants:

Robert DeanOrpheus Grant DoyleSchaunard Kate FlowersDaphne Julian GavinRodolfo Dame Kiri te KanawaMimì Jonathan Peter KennyTragedy / Arcetro Donald MaxwellAlcindoro / Benoit Alastair MilesColline Christopher MouldsRepetiteurs Jonathan SummersMarcello Janice WatsonMusetta

The Link Scheme

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British Youth Opera was founded in 1987 to provide professional rehearsal and performance opportunities for emerging singers, musicians and technical trainees on the threshold of their careers.

Now regarded as one of the country’s foremost opera training companies, it works to provide the very best professional development through an annual programme of workshops, masterclasses and operas.

Each year, in January and February, more than 400 singers audition for BYO, most of whom are in full-time study at one of the UK’s music colleges on graduate or postgraduate courses; those who aren’t are generally either about to start or have recently finished such studies.

Led by the Artistic Director, the audition panel is formed from BYO’s Artistic Committee and other experienced opera professionals who are particularly expert in the development of young singers. First round auditions are held in London, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow and Birmingham before a second round is held in London.

From this extensive audition process, singers are selected for BYO’s Easter Workshops and Summer Season.

British Youth Opera

Starting in July, BYO’s Summer Season recreates the production process of a major professional opera company and brings together professional artistic staff with a wealth of experience – and a particular gift for nurturing and developing emerging talent – to lead teams of trainee directors, conductors, repetiteurs, designers, stage and wardrobe staff in mounting productions.

Singers receive music, vocal, dialogue, language, movement and fight coaching during the rehearsal period, and principals and understudies also take part in a unique ‘Link’ session with a distinguished singer who has performed their role in major opera houses.

Trainee directors and conductors take rehearsals with the understudy casts, trainee repetiteurs accompany all music and production rehearsals, and stage management trainees are given opportunities to attend talks and visits to theatres and opera houses.

Once in the Peacock Theatre, a full series of rehearsals takes place on stage, first with piano, then with orchestra, before open dress rehearsals and a week of performances (including shortened and adapted versions of the productions given by the understudies, led by the trainee directors and conductors).

In addition to being the cornerstone of BYO’s training programme, Summer Season productions are also highly regarded by music critics, casting directors and agents, as valuable opportunities to view the very best young operatic talent.

Auditioning

The Summer Season

Il Signor Bruschino in rehearsal, 2009

The Rake’s Progress in rehearsal, 2009

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Extremely popular with participants, BYO’s Easter Workshops give an opportunity for singers to explore and develop aspects of their technique such as character, the relationship between text and music, creativity and interpretation in an intimate and closed setting.

Three workshops take place simultaneously in facilities provided by BYO’s Principal Sponsor, London South Bank University, each involving twelve participants and led by experienced directors and coaches with backgrounds in opera, theatre and vocal training.

A professional and nurturing environment is central to BYO’s workshops, and without the pressure of performance they provide a unique and highly valued opportunity for singers.

The BYO experience is not limited just to the Easter Workshops and Summer Season; throughout the year other events take place in which singers who have already worked with the company are invited to take part.

A series of masterclasses is held for recent BYO alumni. These sessions give participants an invaluable insight into character and interpretation and an opportunity to

concentrate on individual skills, under the guidance of a distinguished expert from the profession and in front of an audience of BYO supporters.

Recent masterclases have been led by Sir Thomas Allen, Dame Josephine Barstow, José Cura, Yvonne Kenny, Philip Langridge Joan Rodgers, Robert Tear and Sir John Tomlinson, as well as actor Timothy West and director Sir Jonathan Miller.

Over the last few years, BYO has regularly taken part in the Anghiari Festival, Tuscany, where recent alumni have been invited to perform in a range of settings,

Masterclasses and other events

Easter Workshops

easter workshops, 2008

Masterclass with José Cura, 2007

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from concert performances and semi-staged opera scenes to a fully-staged open-air production of L’elisir d’amore in 2008.

Small-scale concerts are held in London for Friends, supporters and guests of BYO, and occasional gala and concert performances featuring BYO alumni highlight the success enjoyed by many of our former participants.

In November 2009 a gala at the Goldsmiths’ Hall featured alumni Lucy Crowe, Katarina Karnéus, Peter Auty and Christopher Maltman, and in July 2010 a gala recital was given by BYO Vice President Dame Felicity Lott alongside more recent alumni Emma Carrington, Ben Johnson and James McOran-Campbell.

Bringing it all together

L’Elisir d’amore, anghiari Festival, 2008

Gala concert with lucy Crowe, Katarina Karnéus, Christopher Maltman and Peter auty, 2009

Apart from a small fee to audition there is no cost to BYO participants at any stage. For the duration of the Summer Season singers and trainees receive subsistence payments to contribute to their expenses, and a small welfare fund exists to support talented individuals who would otherwise be unable to take part.

Each year around 100 young people benefit from BYO’s training, at an annual cost of over £350,000. The following pages show some of the ways that you can contribute to maintaining British Youth Opera’s annual programme of activities and help to develop the next generation of opera professionals.

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Don Giovanni

Don Giovanni & The Marriage of Figaro

The Magic Flute & Così fan tutte

The Marriage of Figaro & Eugene Onegin

Don Giovanni & La bohème

Carmen & Così fan tutte

La bohème & The Marriage of Figaro

Eugene Onegin & The Thieving Magpie

Robinson Crusoe

The Magic Flute & Albert Herring

Don Giovanni & The Rake’s Progress

La bohème & Così fan tutte

Falstaff & The Barber of Seville

Xerxes & The Rape of Lucretia

The Yeomen of the Guard

The Marriage of Figaro & Orpheus in the Underworld

The Magic Flute & A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Semele & The Cunning Little Vixen

Roméo et Juliette & Così fan tutte

Don Giovanni & Eugene Onegin

The Magic Flute & Albert Herring

La Rondine & Flight

Il Signor Bruschino, La Scala di Seta & The Rake’s Progress

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995 1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Past Summer Seasons

Photographs from top to bottom: Don Giovanni (1987), The Marriage of Figaro (1988), Eugene Onegin (1994), Falstaff (1999), The Yeomen of the Guard (2001), Don Giovanni (2006), Il Signor Bruschino (2009)

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Annual Support

Principal Sponsor London South Bank University

Supported by the National Lotterythrough Arts Council England

Supported by Arts Council England

As a registered charity, British Youth Opera’s activities are made possible by the financial support and generosity of numerous organisations and individuals.

Grants from Arts Council England, more than a dozen trusts and foundations (right), and support from London South Bank University underpin all our activities, funding almost half the costs of our annual programme in grants ranging from £500 to over £40,000.

Performance supporters and Adopt a Singer supporters (right) make significant contributions to British Youth Opera’s Summer Season of between £1,000 and £5,000. Supporters receive invitations to meet the singers at rehearsals, complimentary tickets to performances and private receptions with the casts and creative teams.

For information about supporting a performance or adopting a singer in 2011 please contact Ivan Rockey, Executive Director on 020 7815 6092 or [email protected].

Friends (pages 52-53) form the core of BYO’s supporters. For an annual contribution of £35-£500 towards the company’s annual programme Friends receive a regular newsletter and a range of benefits reflecting their level of support.

For more information about Friends membership please visit www.byo.org.uk or contact Marcella Santese, General Manager on 020 7815 6090 or [email protected].

The annual Summer Season appeal (page 54) is a popular and light-hearted way for Friends to give additional support to BYO’s productions. Donors are acknowledged in the programme alongside their chosen trainee, set, costumes or props.

Practical assistance for the 2010 Summer Season and support-in-kind has been provided by the many friends and professionals acknowledged on page 60.

Since 2003 more than £165,000 has been bequeathed to British Youth Opera in the form of legacies, helping us to plan for the organisation’s future and supporting the development of young singers for generations to come.

Charitable bequests are currently exempt from inheritance tax; if you would like more information on leaving a legacy to British Youth Opera please contact Ivan Rockey, Executive Director on 020 7815 6092 or [email protected].

British Youth Opera would like to thankeveryone listed here and on the following pages for their support.

Supporting British Youth Opera

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Supporting British Youth Opera

Vernon and Hazel EllisEuridice8 September

London South Bank UniversityLa bohème7 September

Trusts and FoundationsAnson Charitable TrustBlair FoundationCatkin Pussywillow Charitable TrustDolly Knowles Charitable TrustFidelio Charitable TrustG C Gibson Charitable TrustHarold Hyam Wingate FoundationJohn Ellerman FoundationKobler TrustMusicians Benevolent FundN M Rothschild & SonsSybil Tutton Charitable Trust

David and Mary BowermanLa bohème10 September

Geoffrey CollensEuridice11 September

Anne and Jeremy AmosBohae Kim (cover Venus)

Christopher CampbellKoji Terada (Marcello)

Geraldine CrosslandSusana Gaspar (Mimì)Anna Patalong (Musetta)

Marianne FalkEva Ganizate (Daphne)

Serena FenwickMichal Czerniawski (Arcetro)Matthew Sprange (Schaunard)

Performance Supporters

Adopt a Singer Supporters

Singers’ subsistence is supported by theDerek Butler Trust

La bohème is supported by theHedley Foundation

Euridice is supported by theRVW Trust

The Basil A Turner prizes for young singers are awarded on behalf of the Toni V Fell Musical Charitable Trust

Richard JacksonPaul Curievici (Orpheus)

Jane McCullochBenjamin Cahn (Colline)

Rosemary O’MahonyMáire Flavin (Venus)Ellie Laugharne (Euridice)Leonel Pinheiro (cover Rodolfo)

Martin Saville and Barbara MacphersonBen Williamson (Tragedy)

John WatesJohn Pierce (Rodolfo)Matthew Wright (Pluto)

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Friends of British Youth Opera

Anthony and Clare Bruce Geraldine CrosslandStanley Lowy Hugh and Victoria Merrill Rosemary O’MahonyJohn and Carol Wates

Graham and Coco Brandon Heleen and Clive Butler Christopher Campbell Judy Carter Gino Chiappetta Nina Drucker Anne and Richard Greenhalgh Raymond Harsant Joe and Helen Herzberg Stephen and Leila Hodge P V Hughes Kate MacKeith Sir Bryan and Lady Nicholson Noelle and Chris Peake John Ransom Philip and Caroline Remnant Norman Saville Robin and Vyvienne Wade

Tim Abraham Jonathan and Sooty Asquith Chris J Bale David Bean Linda Beecham John BenjaminNicola Best Geoffrey Birch J Bisset Robert Brooks Sir Mervyn and Lady Brown J R Bryson Anne Burton Judith and Bill Butler K S Butler Renee Carlton Derek Councell

Principal level

Prima Donor level

Impresario level Christine Elliott Serena Fenwick Sir Anthony and Lady Figgis Richard Foulkes Anne Furneaux and William Morton Timothy George W J Gordon Richard Hamilton Sir John and Lady Hannam Christine Heys Mark Holford Justin and Valerie Kelly Linda Laurance Judy Lowe Roger and Gillian MacDonald Jo Marsden Sarah Mason Valerie Masterson and Andrew March Jock Mawson Simon and Catherine Moore Charlotte Morgan Jane Newell David and Win Normington Ciarán O’Meara F W PlowmanMartin and Marian Read Adrian Roberts and Mark Jones Barbara Roberts Pearce and Beaujolais Rood Ian Salter Sir Brian and Lady Shaw Sue Sheridan Michael and Julie Simmons Judy Skelton Bryan Suitters Stephen and Victoria Swift Jim Thomas Michael Upstone Gerry Wakelin and Ivor Samuels Diana Warwick Richard Webb John and Judy White Ivan and Maud Whitting Raymond Wilder Ann Wingerstrand Shirley Woodham

Philip and Jadwiga Adey Erna Angus William Ansell H M Barker Elizabeth Baxter Sarah Baxter Rosemary Bolingbroke Kenneth Bowen David Bramson Elisabeth Bristow John R Bruce Lesley Carlton Jones Cecil ChernsGillian Comins Robert Craig John Curtis Judith Dines Moya Duffy Gordon Edington Marianne Falk Michael Godbee Coral Gould Elizabeth Grimsey Arthur Hanby Peter Hildebrand Bryan Hodgson Barbara Holman Philip Hooker Graham Ives Alan Jackson Deborah Jackson Christopher Jennings Mark Jennings Valerie Kingman Branwen Lucas Peter Mahrer Stuart McGowan A M Munford Lady Murray Gerald Oury A L Phillips John Rolfe Irmgard Smith Keith Southwell Marilyn Stock

Sub-Principal level

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Jeremy and Claire Taylor Michael Todhunter David and Daphne Trimble John and Susan WatersNorman and Lavinia Webb Stephen and Juliet Whitten H B Wienand

Anonymous Donald AndersonLord and Lady Anglesey Joyce Aspland W S Barry and K Iwaki Celia Baynes Christopher Bellew Graham Benson Martin and Francelle BradfordLady Bramall Philip Broadway John D Brown John Cannon Margaret Chambers Des Clark Caroline Clegg E F Cole Leigh and Lena Collins Mary Connelly Rupert Considine Caroline Davis S F Demuth Basil Digby and Joan Ripley Catherine Dobson Margaret Edwards Sue England Maureen Fisher Peter Fleming Dorothy Frame Anthony Gasson Timothy Gee Donald Gulliver Lionel Halpern Edward Halsted Phyllis HardySara Heaton David Hinton

Chorus level

Colin Hunter M J Ilott Anthony Isaacs Albert James A W King Ann Lawrence G Lethbridge Jean MacGregor Rona Mackie Carole McFetridge Lee McGill Madeline McGill and Terry Morgan C McLaren W J McManamey Gary Miles J M Morgan Dan Morrish Lord Naseby James Noel Kirsten Offer Derek Oram John Owen-Ward Sarah Panizzo C Partridge Annette Piggott Richard Raffan Dr and Mrs W Redding Terence Richards Michael Robarts K Ryz D E Samuel M D Shankland Kathleen Sharkey John SheaVivienne Shreir Diane Spero William Stephenson Joëlle Stockley C P Sydenham Wayne and Margaret Thomas Lesley Veach Sue Waldman Robert Walker Iain and Gilly Webb-WilsonClare Wilson Henry Wood

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2010 Summer Season Appeal Donors

Assistant Conductor Tom Hammond Heleen and Clive ButlerAssistant Director Deborah Cohen Raymond WilderDeputy Stage Manager Jessica Stanton Gillian MacDonald Stephen and Juliet WhittenAssistant Stage Managers Matthew Lambart K S Butler Liz Grimsey Shara Hazel Ivan and Maud Whitting

La bohème EuridiceArtistic and Production trainees

Artistic and Production trainees

Artistic and Production trainees

Set, costumes and propsBoth operas

Assistant Lighting Designer Daniel Hill Roger MacDonaldRepetiteur Alice Turner Heleen and Clive Butler John RansomWardrobe Assistants Clare Bamford Robert Brooks Claire and Jeremy Taylor Esther Himer Robert Brooks

A tree in winter Anne BurtonThe Bohemians’ stove Bryan HodgsonMusetta’s dress Robert BrooksColline’s overcoat Celia BaynesSchaunard’s cello Anne Burton Jim ThomasMarcello’s easel and canvas Alan JacksonMimì’s pink silk flower Judith and Bill ButlerMimì’s pink hat Linda Beecham Irmgard SmithRodolfo’s typewriter Anne Furneaux and William Morton Judy SkeltonCheese, wine and baguettes Robert Brooks

Deputy Stage Manager Ruth Perrin Gillian MacDonald Gerry Wakelin & Ivor Samuels

Costumes and propsCostumes Serena FenwickProps Michael Hartnall

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Costumes and props

Acknowledgements

BYO would like to thank the following organisations and individuals for their invaluable help with our 2010 Summer Season productions:

Artistic Committee &Audition PanelStuart BarkerKenneth BowenMandy DemetriouIsobel FlinnGarry MageeChristopher MouldsPeter RobinsonRussell SmytheLillian WatsonFor this year’s auditions the panel was joined by:Bonaventura BottoneSally Burgess

VolunteersLinda BeechamAnne Burton (Friends’ Secretary)Margaret ChambersCaroline Davies Serena FenwickDavid HarmanCarol McFetridgeSabina ÖsterlingJill PhillipsJudit Plana JansanaIrmgard SmithCatherine Wilson

Supporters who have offered accommodation to our participants:Anne and Jeremy AmosSooty and Jonathan AsquithFiona ButcherHazel and Vernon EllisAnn FlettPatricia MorisonNoelle and Chris PeakeGiles RidleyMarcella SanteseTony Wingate

The staff of London South Bank Universityincluding:Mayvelene Achord-PayneColin GrantJon GrantAllison HuiDarren JefferyPaul WileyPortersPostroomSecurity

All the staff at the Peacock Theatre

Southend Boys’ and Girls’ ChoirsincludingMhoira BrewerRoger HumphreyRosemary PenningtonAndrew Walters

Summer Season Technical StaffDeclan CostelloScott DarkinsWarren Letton (Chief Electrician) Nigel WhiteJeremy Wingham

Special thanks to:Cottage Furniture and Jeni WilkieEnglish Touring TheatreGarsington OperaGrange Park OperaLambeth Mission and Cindy HysonOpera Holland ParkRoyal Academy of MusicThe Royal National TheatreUnusual RiggingBack wall built and painted by Visual SceneLights from WhitelightJake Wiltshire


www.byo.org.uk

Principal sponsor

Programme designed by Barnaby Thomas

Documents

BYO 2010 Programme