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Nicholas Jenkins studied at Merton College, Oxford and the GSMD. Initially a professional singer, he established his reputation as a choral trainer; he was subsequently employed as the first full-time Chorus Master to Grange Park Opera (2006 season), and has been a guest shorus master to Choeur des Musiciens du Louvre, Musikfest Bremen, Sussex Chorus and Trinity College of Music Chorus. He is the Musical Director of NSO with whom he has conducted Jonathan Dove Tobias and the Angel, Idomeneo and The Poisoned Kiss (RVW). Opera conducting elsewhere includes Katori The Lily of the Valley (Linbury Studio), Così fan tutte (Oxford Playhouse, Opéra Théâtre de Besançon), Offenbach L’Ile de Tulipatan (Opéra National de Lyon - director Laurent Pelly), Dido and Aeneas (Greenwich), Nabucco (Blackheath Halls), Weill Seven Deadly Sins (Oxford, London) and Der Jasager/ Der Neinsager (Opéra National de Lyon).
Since 2005 Nicholas has worked extensively as assistant conductor to Marc Minkowski, at Opéra National de Lyon, Opéra National de Paris, Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris), Théâtre de la Monnaie (Brussels), Musikfest Bremen and Aix-en-Provence Festival (Carmen, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Offenbach Die Rheinnixen, Dido and Aeneas, Rameau Platée), alongside artists including Mireille Delunsch, Jennifer Larmore, Jessye Norman and Anne Sofie von Otter. He has also been assistant conductor to David Parry (Opera Rara - Offenbach Entre Nous), to Jean-Christophe Spinosi (Opéra National de Paris - Handel Alcina), and to Peter Stark (Manoel Theatre, Malta - Britten The Turn of the Screw and Handel Semele).
During 08-09 he is assistant conductor for La Cenerentola (La Monnaie), Messiah (Opéra National de Lorraine), and Idomeneo (Aix-en-Provence and Bremen Festivals). He is assistant conductor and chorus master for Wagner Die Feen (Paris Châtelet), and the Les Musiciens du Louvre “St Cecilia” concert tour (Barbican, Salle Pleyel, Brussels, Grenoble, Salzburg Festival) and recording (Naïve); also assistant conductor and chorus master to David Parry for the première recording of Offenbach Vert-Vert (Opera Rara). In 2010 he will be assistant conductor for the farewell production of José van Dam, Massenet Don Quichotte at the Théâtre de la Monnaie.
Since 2005 Nicholas has worked extensively as assistant conductor to Marc Minkowski, at Opéra National de Lyon, Opéra National de Paris, Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris), Théâtre de la Monnaie (Brussels), Musikfest Bremen and Aix-en-Provence Festival (Carmen, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Offenbach Die Rheinnixen, Dido and Aeneas, Rameau Platée), alongside artists including Mireille Delunsch, Jennifer Larmore, Jessye Norman and Anne Sofie von Otter. He has also been assistant conductor to David Parry (Opera Rara - Offenbach Entre Nous), to Jean-Christophe Spinosi (Opéra National de Paris - Handel Alcina), and to Peter Stark (Manoel Theatre, Malta - Britten The Turn of the Screw and Handel Semele).
During 08-09 he is assistant conductor for La Cenerentola (La Monnaie), Messiah (Opéra National de Lorraine), and Idomeneo (Aix-en-Provence and Bremen Festivals). He is assistant conductor and chorus master for Wagner Die Feen (Paris Châtelet), and the Les Musiciens du Louvre “St Cecilia” concert tour (Barbican, Salle Pleyel, Brussels, Grenoble, Salzburg Festival) and recording (Naïve); also assistant conductor and chorus master to David Parry for the première recording of Offenbach Vert-Vert (Opera Rara). In 2010 he will be assistant conductor for the farewell production of José van Dam, Massenet Don Quichotte at the Théâtre de la Monnaie.
Nicholas Jenkins music director/ conductor
Michael Moxham director
of productions
of productions
Neil Jenkins
translator
translator
Neil Jenkins was a Chorister at Westminster Abbey, and a Choral Scholar at King’s College Cambridge. Whilst there he was the first tenor in the renowned vocal group ‘The Kings Singers’, and sang in the first concerts given by the Monteverdi Choir and the London Sinfonietta. He subsequently studied in the Opera School at the RCM where he formed the Kensington Consort with, among others, Sir Thomas Allen and Brian Kay. He made his debut in October 1967 in a recital at the Purcell Room with Roger Vignoles, and sang and recorded with the Deller Consort for ten years, whilst establishing himself as an opera singer at Kent Opera. In the 1970s he was appointed as an RCM singing professor by Sir David Willcocks, for whom he became a regular soloist with the Bach Choir, especially in the Bach Passions.
He is equally at home in opera, oratorio and recitals, combining this with an important role as a musicologist. In 2003 he was appointed to a Cambridge Fellowship to enable him to write a book about Handel’s favourite English tenor, John Beard. Neil has translated and edited all of Bach’s major choral works for the New Novello Choral Edition, and Haydn’s ‘The Seasons’ and ‘The Creation’ for King’s Music. Die Rheinnixen is his first opera translation. He has produced several song albums for OUP and Kevin Mayhew Ltd. He has recorded under Bernstein, Britten, Marriner, Mackerras, Chailly, Nagano, Andrew Davis, Haitink, Norrington, Parrott, Gardiner and Hickox. In performances of contemporary music he has been directed by Rattle, Henze, Oramo, Atherton, Penderecki, Lutoslawski, Jac van Steen, Pierre Boulez and André Previn.
Neil has sung with all of Britain’s leading opera companies, particularly at Glyndebourne, Scottish Opera and WNO. Recent performances have taken him to New York, Chicago, Berlin, Paris, Lyon, Amsterdam, Geneva, Santiago, Dublin, Belfast and Tel Aviv. His performances in Kent Opera’s King Priam and Glyndebourne’s Lulu and Higglety Pigglety Pop are available on video. For NSO he has sung the title roles in Peter Grimes, Count Ory and Idomeneo. He joined WNO once again in 2008 for a production by Peter Stein of Falstaff, starring Bryn Terfel.
He is equally at home in opera, oratorio and recitals, combining this with an important role as a musicologist. In 2003 he was appointed to a Cambridge Fellowship to enable him to write a book about Handel’s favourite English tenor, John Beard. Neil has translated and edited all of Bach’s major choral works for the New Novello Choral Edition, and Haydn’s ‘The Seasons’ and ‘The Creation’ for King’s Music. Die Rheinnixen is his first opera translation. He has produced several song albums for OUP and Kevin Mayhew Ltd. He has recorded under Bernstein, Britten, Marriner, Mackerras, Chailly, Nagano, Andrew Davis, Haitink, Norrington, Parrott, Gardiner and Hickox. In performances of contemporary music he has been directed by Rattle, Henze, Oramo, Atherton, Penderecki, Lutoslawski, Jac van Steen, Pierre Boulez and André Previn.
Neil has sung with all of Britain’s leading opera companies, particularly at Glyndebourne, Scottish Opera and WNO. Recent performances have taken him to New York, Chicago, Berlin, Paris, Lyon, Amsterdam, Geneva, Santiago, Dublin, Belfast and Tel Aviv. His performances in Kent Opera’s King Priam and Glyndebourne’s Lulu and Higglety Pigglety Pop are available on video. For NSO he has sung the title roles in Peter Grimes, Count Ory and Idomeneo. He joined WNO once again in 2008 for a production by Peter Stein of Falstaff, starring Bryn Terfel.
Kate Valentine
Armgard
Armgard
Kate Valentine was born in Inverness and studied at the RSAMD and the NOS. A Samling Foundation Alumna, her numerous awards include the Glyndebourne Anne Wood/Joanna Peters Award, a Sybil Tutton Award, a Susan Chilcott Scholarship, and Scottish Opera’s John Scott Award.
Her performance of Donna Anna for Samling Opera at The Sage, Gateshead, was described by The Guardian as “an outstanding debut... one of the evening’s real discoveries…”. Other operatic roles include cover Konstanze and Alice Ford for Scottish Opera, Rosalinde for Scottish Opera on Tour and Scottish Opera Go Round, and Countess Almaviva with GTO.
She made her Edinburgh International Festival debut in 2006 in Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music under David Jones with the SCO, and appeared again last year as Second Woman Dido & Aeneas under Nicholas McGegan. Her concert repertory also includes Messiah at the RAH under Sir David Willcocks, Dixit Dominus and Solomon; Elijah; Nelson Mass; Poulenc’s Gloria; Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle; Rutter’s Magnificat and Requiem; Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate, Coronation Mass, Solemn Vespers and C Minor Mass.
Recent highlights include First Lady The Magic Flute and Cathleen in Vaughan Williams’ Riders to the Sea for ENO, Karolina in Smetana’s The Two Widows for Scottish Opera at the Edinburgh Festival, Grizel The King’s Conjecture and Maria Gesualdo for Scottish Opera’s Five:15 project, and Brahms Requiem in St Alban’s Abbey with Sir Thomas Allen. Engagements this season and beyond include Konstanze The Abduction from the Seraglio for Opera North, Ms Nordstrom in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music for the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, and Countess Almaviva for Scottish Opera.
Her performance of Donna Anna for Samling Opera at The Sage, Gateshead, was described by The Guardian as “an outstanding debut... one of the evening’s real discoveries…”. Other operatic roles include cover Konstanze and Alice Ford for Scottish Opera, Rosalinde for Scottish Opera on Tour and Scottish Opera Go Round, and Countess Almaviva with GTO.
She made her Edinburgh International Festival debut in 2006 in Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music under David Jones with the SCO, and appeared again last year as Second Woman Dido & Aeneas under Nicholas McGegan. Her concert repertory also includes Messiah at the RAH under Sir David Willcocks, Dixit Dominus and Solomon; Elijah; Nelson Mass; Poulenc’s Gloria; Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle; Rutter’s Magnificat and Requiem; Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate, Coronation Mass, Solemn Vespers and C Minor Mass.
Recent highlights include First Lady The Magic Flute and Cathleen in Vaughan Williams’ Riders to the Sea for ENO, Karolina in Smetana’s The Two Widows for Scottish Opera at the Edinburgh Festival, Grizel The King’s Conjecture and Maria Gesualdo for Scottish Opera’s Five:15 project, and Brahms Requiem in St Alban’s Abbey with Sir Thomas Allen. Engagements this season and beyond include Konstanze The Abduction from the Seraglio for Opera North, Ms Nordstrom in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music for the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, and Countess Almaviva for Scottish Opera.
Born in South Shields, Anne-Marie Owens studied at the GSMD with Laura Sarti and at the NOS. She made her professional debut as Mistress Quickly for GTO, sang Polina in 1982 in NSO’s Queen of Spades, directed by Nicholas Hytner, and joined ENO in 1985, where her more recent roles have included Anezka The Two Widows, High Priestess La Vestale, Marfa Khovanshchina, Jezibaba Rusalka, and Judith Weir’s Blond Eckbert (filmed for Channel 4).
As one of Britain’s leading mezzo-sopranos, Anne-Marie Owens has performed for many of the world’s great opera companies, including the ROH, Glyndebourne, Scottish Opera, WNO, Opera North, Opéra National de Paris, Théâtre Royale de La Monnaie, Opéra de Lausanne, New York City Opera, Santiago Opera, Arizona Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Opera di San Carlo, the Komische Oper, Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper, Opera Australia and at the Hong Kong and Saito Kinen Festivals. Her operatic repertoire has included Brangäne, Amneris, Azucena, Venus Tannhäuser, Herodias and Santuzza. While maintaining many of these roles in her repertoire, her recent engagements have included Morozova in Tchaikovsky’s Opricnick in Cagliari, Madelon Andrea Chenier for Scottish Opera, Ragonde Le Comte Ory for Garsington Opera, Witch Hänsel und Gretel and Jezibaba Rusalka for Opera Australia and Herodias for both Santa Fe Opera and Opera North and Marcellina and Mistress Quickly for Grange Park Opera.
Anne-Marie is also in much demand on the concert platform where she regularly performs the works of Mahler, Vaughan Williams, Elgar and the choral works of Verdi, Handel, Mozart and Beethoven with such orchestras as the LSO, OAE, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, BBCSO, CBSO, RSNO, Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, City of London Sinfonia and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
Recent engagements include Mrs Grose for GTO, Azucena and Mistress Quickly for WNO, Elijah at the Newbury Festival and Jezibaba for Grange Park Opera. Subsequent engagements include Auntie Peter Grimes in Naples and Mistress Quickly for GTO.
As one of Britain’s leading mezzo-sopranos, Anne-Marie Owens has performed for many of the world’s great opera companies, including the ROH, Glyndebourne, Scottish Opera, WNO, Opera North, Opéra National de Paris, Théâtre Royale de La Monnaie, Opéra de Lausanne, New York City Opera, Santiago Opera, Arizona Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Opera di San Carlo, the Komische Oper, Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper, Opera Australia and at the Hong Kong and Saito Kinen Festivals. Her operatic repertoire has included Brangäne, Amneris, Azucena, Venus Tannhäuser, Herodias and Santuzza. While maintaining many of these roles in her repertoire, her recent engagements have included Morozova in Tchaikovsky’s Opricnick in Cagliari, Madelon Andrea Chenier for Scottish Opera, Ragonde Le Comte Ory for Garsington Opera, Witch Hänsel und Gretel and Jezibaba Rusalka for Opera Australia and Herodias for both Santa Fe Opera and Opera North and Marcellina and Mistress Quickly for Grange Park Opera.
Anne-Marie is also in much demand on the concert platform where she regularly performs the works of Mahler, Vaughan Williams, Elgar and the choral works of Verdi, Handel, Mozart and Beethoven with such orchestras as the LSO, OAE, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, BBCSO, CBSO, RSNO, Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, City of London Sinfonia and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
Recent engagements include Mrs Grose for GTO, Azucena and Mistress Quickly for WNO, Elijah at the Newbury Festival and Jezibaba for Grange Park Opera. Subsequent engagements include Auntie Peter Grimes in Naples and Mistress Quickly for GTO.
Anne-Marie Owens
Hedwig
Hedwig
Quentin Hayes
Conrad
Conrad
Quentin Hayes studied at Dartington Arts College, at the GSMD and at the NOS on a Countess of Munster Scholarship. In 1992 he was winner of the VARA Dutch Radio Prize at the Belvedere Singing Competition in Vienna. He is currently a Principal Baritone at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, a post which he leaves at the end of this season.
Operatic roles include Papageno, Ford, Marcel Proust Life with an Idiot and Kuligin Katya Kabanova for English National and Scottish Opera. For the Royal Opera House he has sung Ping, Schaunard, Nachtigall Die Meistersinger, Fourth Master Palestrina, Agravain Gawain and the Green Knight, Angelotti, Novice's Friend Billy Budd and Marullo. He also sang Angelotti and Donald Billy Budd for Scottish Opera. With GTO he sang Figaro Barber of Seville, a role he has also performed with the Oper am Rhein, Garsington and Grange Park. For WNO he sang Small Convict From the House of the Dead, as well as for Frankfurt Oper. He sang Count Almaviva for Grange Park Opera, Allazim Zaïde and Masetto La Vera Costanza for Opera Theatre Company Dublin.
His concert experience is diverse, from Purcell's Ode for St Cecilia's Day in St Petersburg and Come, Ye Sons of Art with Philippe Herreweghe in Lyon to Finzi's In Terra Pax in Rio de Janeiro, Dvorak's Requiem in Valencia, Brahms' Requiem with the RSNO in Edinburgh and Messiah in Trondheim.
Operatic roles include Papageno, Ford, Marcel Proust Life with an Idiot and Kuligin Katya Kabanova for English National and Scottish Opera. For the Royal Opera House he has sung Ping, Schaunard, Nachtigall Die Meistersinger, Fourth Master Palestrina, Agravain Gawain and the Green Knight, Angelotti, Novice's Friend Billy Budd and Marullo. He also sang Angelotti and Donald Billy Budd for Scottish Opera. With GTO he sang Figaro Barber of Seville, a role he has also performed with the Oper am Rhein, Garsington and Grange Park. For WNO he sang Small Convict From the House of the Dead, as well as for Frankfurt Oper. He sang Count Almaviva for Grange Park Opera, Allazim Zaïde and Masetto La Vera Costanza for Opera Theatre Company Dublin.
His concert experience is diverse, from Purcell's Ode for St Cecilia's Day in St Petersburg and Come, Ye Sons of Art with Philippe Herreweghe in Lyon to Finzi's In Terra Pax in Rio de Janeiro, Dvorak's Requiem in Valencia, Brahms' Requiem with the RSNO in Edinburgh and Messiah in Trondheim.
Daniel Grice
Gottfried
Gottfried
Daniel Grice trained at the GSMD and is continuing his studies with Robert Lloyd.
Projects in 2008 included Flemish Deputy in Don Carlo at the ROH conducted by Antonio Papanno, Bogdanowitsch in The Merry Widow for Scottish Opera and song recitals of works by Poulenc and Ullmann at the Royal Opera House Crush Room. Daniel also sang the title role in The Marriage of Figaro and Papageno for the Armonico Consort and the roles of Medico, Sicario and Servo in Verdi’s Macbeth for Chelsea Opera Group at the QEH. He has performed Dulcamara for Opera Della Luna and Iford Arts and Nick Shadow for Opera East and Iford Arts.
Daniel’s other operatic roles have included Nick Shadow at the Aldeburgh Festival with the Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Martyn Brabbins and directed by Neil Bartlett, Aeolus/Grimbald in Purcell’s King Arthur at the Snape Proms, conducted by Lawrence Cummings, Frank (cover) in Die Fledermaus for Scottish Opera, Leporello and Papageno for Opera Loki and Luka in Walton’s The Bear at the King’s Head Theatre.
Oratorio includes Bach’s Lutheran Masses with the OAE conducted by Gustav Leonhardt, as well as The Priest and The Angel of the Agony in The Dream of Gerontius for The Cambridge Philharmonic Society conducted by Timothy Redmund and The Oxford Harmonic Society.
In 2009 sings Papageno for ETO, Flemish Deputy Don Carlo at the ROH, Yamadori (cover) for ENO and Prince de Bouillon Adriana Lecouvreur for Chelsea Opera Group. Future plans include Leone (cover) Tamerlano at the ROH.
Projects in 2008 included Flemish Deputy in Don Carlo at the ROH conducted by Antonio Papanno, Bogdanowitsch in The Merry Widow for Scottish Opera and song recitals of works by Poulenc and Ullmann at the Royal Opera House Crush Room. Daniel also sang the title role in The Marriage of Figaro and Papageno for the Armonico Consort and the roles of Medico, Sicario and Servo in Verdi’s Macbeth for Chelsea Opera Group at the QEH. He has performed Dulcamara for Opera Della Luna and Iford Arts and Nick Shadow for Opera East and Iford Arts.
Daniel’s other operatic roles have included Nick Shadow at the Aldeburgh Festival with the Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Martyn Brabbins and directed by Neil Bartlett, Aeolus/Grimbald in Purcell’s King Arthur at the Snape Proms, conducted by Lawrence Cummings, Frank (cover) in Die Fledermaus for Scottish Opera, Leporello and Papageno for Opera Loki and Luka in Walton’s The Bear at the King’s Head Theatre.
Oratorio includes Bach’s Lutheran Masses with the OAE conducted by Gustav Leonhardt, as well as The Priest and The Angel of the Agony in The Dream of Gerontius for The Cambridge Philharmonic Society conducted by Timothy Redmund and The Oxford Harmonic Society.
In 2009 sings Papageno for ETO, Flemish Deputy Don Carlo at the ROH, Yamadori (cover) for ENO and Prince de Bouillon Adriana Lecouvreur for Chelsea Opera Group. Future plans include Leone (cover) Tamerlano at the ROH.
Birgit Rohowska
The Fairy
The Fairy
Michael Moxham graduated with joint honours in Drama & English from Surrey University. This was followed by 6 months study of Italian theatre in Milan, funded by a scholarship from the Italian Institute of Culture, working at the Piccolo Teatro under Giorgio Strehler and in Florence with Jonathan Miller.
Michael is Director of Productions for NSO, for whom he has directed: Lucia di Lammermoor, Falstaff, Tobias and The Angel (also an educational project linked to local schools), followed by The Poisoned Kiss by Vaughan Williams.
Elsewhere Michael recently directed; Xerxes, Opera Theatre Company, Irish Tour and La Voix Humaine, Wexford. La Calisto, Birmingham Conservatoire; Il Capello Di Paglia, TCM (part of the college's centenary celebrations and a UK première); La Traviata, Guildford Opera Company and Dido and Aeneas, Opera Exclusive
In the field of Theatre & Musical Theatre Michael recently directed Dogs Barking, which was invited to the Toronto Fringe Festival and The Underbelly, Edinburgh; The Brick, Man in the Moon Theatre and Room, The White Bear Theatre and Edinburgh Assembly Rooms (both were UK premieres, both received Time Out Critics Choice, and the latter was awarded 5 stars by The Scotsman); Cabaret, TCM and The Shoemaker’s Wife & Don Perlimplin, GSA, Yvonne Arnaud.
In the 90's Michael founded a mixed-media theatre company Chamber Productions, using film, video and sound, with foreign trips funded by The British Council. He directed; I'm Dreaming...But am I ?, Pirandello, which he also translated, the production toured extensively and received Best Foreign Production Award in Budapest as-well as being short listed for The Independent Critic’s Award and The Scotsman Fringe First Award; A Place with the Pigs, Fugard, UK/Hungary Tour; A King Listens, an adaptation of Italo Calvino's short work and Thyestes, Seneca.
Michael has also worked closely with Keith Warner as Co-Director on: Whirlwind, Streetwise Opera; Don Giovanni, Teatre an Der Wien (which Michael will revive this summer) and Joan of Arc, Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Rome and as 1st Assistant Director on The Ring, ROH. As part of his work on The Ring, Michael directed a Proms performance of Walkure, which opened the 2005 season and was broadcast live on BBC4, with Placido Domingo, Bryn Terfel, Lisa Gasteen, conducted by Antonio Pappano. He has been Assistant Director to Keith Warner on Carmen, Reggio Teatro, Torino; La Finta Giardiniera, Opera Zuid, Maastricht; Turn of The Screw and Macbeth, La Monnaie, Brussels; Rosenkavalier, Spoleto Festival and Tristan and Isolde, Opera North and Bochum Symphonia; to Michael McCaffrey on Marriage of Figaro, Opera Ireland; to Graham Vick on Zaide, CBTO, UK Tour and to Nurea Espert on Madama Butterfly, Scottish Opera and UK Tour.
Michael has devised and directed many workshops including extensive work with NSO and South Coast Schools, Age Concern, Streetwise Homeless Opera as-well-as Opera Scenes for Birmingham Conservatoire, RCM and recently two projects for Birbeck College.
Michael is Director of Productions for NSO, for whom he has directed: Lucia di Lammermoor, Falstaff, Tobias and The Angel (also an educational project linked to local schools), followed by The Poisoned Kiss by Vaughan Williams.
Elsewhere Michael recently directed; Xerxes, Opera Theatre Company, Irish Tour and La Voix Humaine, Wexford. La Calisto, Birmingham Conservatoire; Il Capello Di Paglia, TCM (part of the college's centenary celebrations and a UK première); La Traviata, Guildford Opera Company and Dido and Aeneas, Opera Exclusive
In the field of Theatre & Musical Theatre Michael recently directed Dogs Barking, which was invited to the Toronto Fringe Festival and The Underbelly, Edinburgh; The Brick, Man in the Moon Theatre and Room, The White Bear Theatre and Edinburgh Assembly Rooms (both were UK premieres, both received Time Out Critics Choice, and the latter was awarded 5 stars by The Scotsman); Cabaret, TCM and The Shoemaker’s Wife & Don Perlimplin, GSA, Yvonne Arnaud.
In the 90's Michael founded a mixed-media theatre company Chamber Productions, using film, video and sound, with foreign trips funded by The British Council. He directed; I'm Dreaming...But am I ?, Pirandello, which he also translated, the production toured extensively and received Best Foreign Production Award in Budapest as-well as being short listed for The Independent Critic’s Award and The Scotsman Fringe First Award; A Place with the Pigs, Fugard, UK/Hungary Tour; A King Listens, an adaptation of Italo Calvino's short work and Thyestes, Seneca.
Michael has also worked closely with Keith Warner as Co-Director on: Whirlwind, Streetwise Opera; Don Giovanni, Teatre an Der Wien (which Michael will revive this summer) and Joan of Arc, Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Rome and as 1st Assistant Director on The Ring, ROH. As part of his work on The Ring, Michael directed a Proms performance of Walkure, which opened the 2005 season and was broadcast live on BBC4, with Placido Domingo, Bryn Terfel, Lisa Gasteen, conducted by Antonio Pappano. He has been Assistant Director to Keith Warner on Carmen, Reggio Teatro, Torino; La Finta Giardiniera, Opera Zuid, Maastricht; Turn of The Screw and Macbeth, La Monnaie, Brussels; Rosenkavalier, Spoleto Festival and Tristan and Isolde, Opera North and Bochum Symphonia; to Michael McCaffrey on Marriage of Figaro, Opera Ireland; to Graham Vick on Zaide, CBTO, UK Tour and to Nurea Espert on Madama Butterfly, Scottish Opera and UK Tour.
Michael has devised and directed many workshops including extensive work with NSO and South Coast Schools, Age Concern, Streetwise Homeless Opera as-well-as Opera Scenes for Birmingham Conservatoire, RCM and recently two projects for Birbeck College.
Canadian-born David Curry is renowned for his recent performances at Théâtre du Châtelet, where he sang principal roles such as Tony in the 50th Anniversary Production of West Side Story, Arindal in Wagner’s rarely performed first opera, Die Feen with Mark Minkowski, and the role of Stathis Borens in David Cronenburg and Howard Shore’s international première The Fly, conducted by Placido Domingo.
Early roles included Amtshauptmann Die Gärtnerin aus Liebe, Tom Rakewell, the title role in Bizet’s Le Docteur Miracle, and Lechmere Owen Wingrave. His professional debut was at Wexford as Gervais Manon Lescaut and followed with appearances there as Don Fulgencio Maria de Carmen, Antinous in Fauré’s Penelope, Le Docteur Miracle, and as Don José in Peter Brook’s La Tragédie du Carmen, a role he later took on tour with ETO. Other roles include Kudriash Katya Kabanova for WNO, Marco The Gondoliers for ENO, Camille and Danilo The Merry Widow, Gomatz in the Canadian première of Mozart’s Zaide; his repertoire also embraces Don Ottavio, Ferrando and roles in Offenbach’s La Belle Hélène and Les Contes d’Hoffmann.
Concert performances include works by Handel, Haydn and Mozart, Elijah, Verdi’s Requiem, Dvorak’s Stabat Mater, Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Delius's Maud and Finzi's Dies Natalis. He has performed 20th Century American and French repertoire at Opéra Comique in Paris, Beethoven song at Teatro della Maestranza in Seville, and at The Last Night of the Proms for the BBC. He made his London recital debut in the Rosenblatt Recital Series at St. John’s, Smith Square, accompanied by Roger Vignoles.
Future engagements include Henrick A Little Night Music at Théâtre du Châtelet and appearances in Canada and the United States.
Early roles included Amtshauptmann Die Gärtnerin aus Liebe, Tom Rakewell, the title role in Bizet’s Le Docteur Miracle, and Lechmere Owen Wingrave. His professional debut was at Wexford as Gervais Manon Lescaut and followed with appearances there as Don Fulgencio Maria de Carmen, Antinous in Fauré’s Penelope, Le Docteur Miracle, and as Don José in Peter Brook’s La Tragédie du Carmen, a role he later took on tour with ETO. Other roles include Kudriash Katya Kabanova for WNO, Marco The Gondoliers for ENO, Camille and Danilo The Merry Widow, Gomatz in the Canadian première of Mozart’s Zaide; his repertoire also embraces Don Ottavio, Ferrando and roles in Offenbach’s La Belle Hélène and Les Contes d’Hoffmann.
Concert performances include works by Handel, Haydn and Mozart, Elijah, Verdi’s Requiem, Dvorak’s Stabat Mater, Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Delius's Maud and Finzi's Dies Natalis. He has performed 20th Century American and French repertoire at Opéra Comique in Paris, Beethoven song at Teatro della Maestranza in Seville, and at The Last Night of the Proms for the BBC. He made his London recital debut in the Rosenblatt Recital Series at St. John’s, Smith Square, accompanied by Roger Vignoles.
Future engagements include Henrick A Little Night Music at Théâtre du Châtelet and appearances in Canada and the United States.
David Curry
Franz
Franz
Birgit Rohowska began her musical studies on the piano, completing a MMus degree at the University of London, before retraining as a singer. She was awarded the title “Distinguished Artist” in the Bellini International Vocal Competition in Italy in 2008. She has appeared with NSO, Opera at Bearwood, Hand Made Opera, Made2Measure Opera, Abbey Opera and Opera Nova. Roles include the Queen of the Night, Lucia, Olympia, Donna Anna, Lakmé, Gretel, Sophie Der Rosenkavalier, Norina, Amor Orfeo ed Euridice, Alice Ford, Ginevra Ariodante, Susanna Le nozze di Figaro, Adina, Oscar Un ballo in maschera and First Medium The Poisoned Kiss.
Oratorio performances include appearances with the Worthing Philharmonic Choir, Arun Choral Society, and the Elgin Choral Society in Canada, performing the Haydn Harmoniemesse, Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music, Messiah, Mozart Requiem, Mendelssohn Symphony No 2, Lobgesang, Fauré Requiem, Beethoven Choral Fantasy, Schubert Mass in G and Vivaldi Gloria. She has performed in concerts and recitals in Italy, Ireland, Canada, and throughout the UK. She has participated in master classes with Sergei Leiferkus, Benjamin Zander, Barbara Bonney, Malcolm Martineau, Paul Hamburger, Neil Jenkins & Nicoletta Conti.
In 2009, she will be appearing in a gala concert and covering Musetta for Co-Opera-Co and also appearing as Gretel for Made2Measure Opera.
Oratorio performances include appearances with the Worthing Philharmonic Choir, Arun Choral Society, and the Elgin Choral Society in Canada, performing the Haydn Harmoniemesse, Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music, Messiah, Mozart Requiem, Mendelssohn Symphony No 2, Lobgesang, Fauré Requiem, Beethoven Choral Fantasy, Schubert Mass in G and Vivaldi Gloria. She has performed in concerts and recitals in Italy, Ireland, Canada, and throughout the UK. She has participated in master classes with Sergei Leiferkus, Benjamin Zander, Barbara Bonney, Malcolm Martineau, Paul Hamburger, Neil Jenkins & Nicoletta Conti.
In 2009, she will be appearing in a gala concert and covering Musetta for Co-Opera-Co and also appearing as Gretel for Made2Measure Opera.
Rosalind Plowright is one of England’s most wide ranging performers. While known above all for her international career as an opera singer she has also performed on TV as an actress and on stage in musical comedy.
As soprano and now mezzo soprano she has performed in the world’s major opera houses, including recently Covent Garden, The Metropolitan Opera, Paris, Japan and The Proms. On TV she appeared in “House of Elliott” and “The Man who made Husbands Jealous”. She starred in “Two’s a Crowd” a musical comedy which received five star reviews.
She performed with “The Three Tenors.” Her American debut was alongside José Carreras and they also sang Andrea Chénier at Covent Garden and recorded La Forza del Destino (Gramophone best opera recording). With Placido Domingo she has performed II Trovatore at Covent Garden. With Luciano Pavarotti she performed Aida at Covent Garden and a gala concert for 25,000 at the Arena of Verona.
Other recordings include Mary Stuart, Otello, Aida, Hansel & Gretel (Grammy for best recording), Elijah, La Vestale, Les Contes d’Hoffmann and Mahler 2nd Symphony. Her DVDs include Il Trovatore from Verona, Suor Angelica from La Scala and Hansel & Gretel from the Met
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She has worked with Giulini, Muti, Abbado, Mehta, Sinopli, Sawallisch, Haitink, Pappano, Gielen, Cambreling, Elder, Norrington, Kuhn, Ozawa and Patane with all the major orchestras and gave many recitals with the late Geoffrey Parsons in over 20 international festivals. She gives Master Classes throughout the world and works with young artists through her Mini Master Class series. Over the next two years she will perform in Stuttgart, Amsterdam, Montpellier, Bregenz, Madrid and Covent Garden. She was awarded the OBE in 2007 for services to music.
As soprano and now mezzo soprano she has performed in the world’s major opera houses, including recently Covent Garden, The Metropolitan Opera, Paris, Japan and The Proms. On TV she appeared in “House of Elliott” and “The Man who made Husbands Jealous”. She starred in “Two’s a Crowd” a musical comedy which received five star reviews.
She performed with “The Three Tenors.” Her American debut was alongside José Carreras and they also sang Andrea Chénier at Covent Garden and recorded La Forza del Destino (Gramophone best opera recording). With Placido Domingo she has performed II Trovatore at Covent Garden. With Luciano Pavarotti she performed Aida at Covent Garden and a gala concert for 25,000 at the Arena of Verona.
Other recordings include Mary Stuart, Otello, Aida, Hansel & Gretel (Grammy for best recording), Elijah, La Vestale, Les Contes d’Hoffmann and Mahler 2nd Symphony. Her DVDs include Il Trovatore from Verona, Suor Angelica from La Scala and Hansel & Gretel from the Met
.
She has worked with Giulini, Muti, Abbado, Mehta, Sinopli, Sawallisch, Haitink, Pappano, Gielen, Cambreling, Elder, Norrington, Kuhn, Ozawa and Patane with all the major orchestras and gave many recitals with the late Geoffrey Parsons in over 20 international festivals. She gives Master Classes throughout the world and works with young artists through her Mini Master Class series. Over the next two years she will perform in Stuttgart, Amsterdam, Montpellier, Bregenz, Madrid and Covent Garden. She was awarded the OBE in 2007 for services to music.
Philip Mountford studied piano with Marlene Fleet before gaining a place at Trinity College of Music, where he completed his degree and post graduate diploma. He continued his studies with Eva Bernathova. He has wide experience of performing both as soloist and ensemble pianist. He works regularly with Rosalind Plowright and as part of the two-piano duo ‘Quadmanus’.
He has appeared as pianist for Sir John Mortimer’s ‘Mortimer’s Miscellany’, as well as for other anthologies of poetry, prose and music with Virginia McKenna, Edward Fox, Geraldine James, Richard Briers, June Whitfield and the late Dame Dorothy Tutin. Philip also appears as pianist for ‘Sian Phillips in Cabaret’.
He has appeared as pianist for Sir John Mortimer’s ‘Mortimer’s Miscellany’, as well as for other anthologies of poetry, prose and music with Virginia McKenna, Edward Fox, Geraldine James, Richard Briers, June Whitfield and the late Dame Dorothy Tutin. Philip also appears as pianist for ‘Sian Phillips in Cabaret’.
Philip Mountford
piano
piano
Rosalind Plowright
mezzo soprano
mezzo soprano