Welsh National Opera’s Three Letters project started in 2021 and over 3 years, through music, chronicles Cardiff’s HIV past, present, and future, working with community groups and local artists to raise public awareness of the contemporary realities of HIV.
In this third and final installment, inspired by the landmark film Philadelphia, Camilla Roberts performs La mamma morta from the Giordano’s Andrea Chénier, alongside Nathaniel J Hall reciting new spoken-word text by Andrew Loretto.
Philip Sheffield is a featured singer on the original soundtrack album on the Bradley Cooper film Maestro, recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
The film chronicles the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.
Bernstein: Maestro
Label: Deutsche Grammaphon
Release date: 17 November 2023
It is with enormous sadness that we announce the sudden death of Keel Watson. It was a huge privilege to work with him and call him a friend.
Keel’s magnificent voice was admired by so many, as was his sharp wit and generosity as a performer. Only recently he completed acclaimed performances in genres as diverse as Wagner and Gilbert and Sullivan. We send our thoughts to his family and those who knew and loved him.
We are delighted that Scottish bass baritone Niall Anderson has joined our artist roster for general management. Niall was a member of the Académie at the Opéra National de Paris, having begun his vocal studies at the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied with Glenville Hargreaves and Jonathan Papp. He was a soloist in the RAM/Kohn Bach Cantata Series, performing with the Song Circle on numerous occasions and won the 2019 Pavarotti Prize.
Among his recent highlights are Escamillo in Peter Brook’s La Tragédie de Carmen (Atelier Lyrique de Tourcoing); Zweiter Preister and Zweiter Geharnischter Die Zauberflöte; Mourner Bernstein’s A Quiet Place conducted by Kent Nagano (Opéra national de Paris); Allazim Zaïde (Angers Nantes Opera, Opéra de Rennes); Sacristan Tosca (Northern Ireland Opera); and Ufficiale in Mercadante’s Il proscritto for a recording and concert (Opera Rara/Britten Sinfonia, conducted by Carlo Rizzi).
Future engagements include further performances as Allazim Zaïde (Opéra Grand Avignon, Tourcoing); Junius The Rape of Lucretia (Teatro Petruzzelli di Bari); and Haydn Nelson Mass (Angmering Chorale) and Mozart Requiem (Opus 48).
We are delighted to announce, that following the Merola Opera Program this summer, Thomas Kinch has been announced as a San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow.
Across the year he performances will include Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, First Armed Man The Magic Flute and Melot Tristan und Isolde. He will also cover Don José Carmen and Luke and Nick in The Handmaid’s Tale.
Ailish Tynan and Olivia Ray return to Grange Park Opera in summer 2024 in a bloodshed and bounty double bill by Rachmaninov and Puccini.
Ailish performs Zemfira in Aleko and Nella in Gianni Schicchi, where she is joined by Olivia Ray as La Ciesca.
Joanna Harries sings Finocchini in Offenbach’s La Princesse de Trébizonde, conducted by Paul Daniel with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
A travelling circus, an innocent prince in love with a waxwork and a lottery ticket to win a magnificent castle… What could possibly go wrong?
Offenbach: La Princesse de Trébizonde
Label: Opera Rara
Code: ORC63
Release date: 22 September 2023
Following English Touring Opera’s announcement for autumn 2023…
Trevor Eliot Bowes performs Seneca in a new production of The Coronation of Poppea, directed by Robin Norton-Hale and conducted by Yshani Perinpanayagam. Trevor’s ETO debut was in spring 2022 in La bohème.
Following acclaimed performances in Handel’s Ottone, Nazan Fikret returns to ETO as Clorinda in a new production of Rossini’s La Cenerentola, directed by Jenny Ogilvie Furness and conducted by Naomie Woo.
Both Nazan and Trevor will perform in ETO’s spring 2024 production of The Rake’s Progress.
Neil Balfour and Joanna Harries feature on Wonderland: The Alice Sound a new recording from LSO Live of Paul Rissmann’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, conducted by Lee Reynolds with the London Symphony Orchestra.
Inspired by the Lewis Carroll books and by early musical adaptations of them, composer Paul Rissmann wrote two musical suites which were premiered by the LSO in 2015 (Alice in Wonderland) and 2022 (Through the Looking Glass). Both Neil and Joanna performed these works in a family concert at the Barbican which included the premiere of Through the Looking Glass.
A range of cross-curricular learning resources and other materials are available on The Alice Sound website.
Wonderland: The Alice Sound is available on all digital streaming platforms form 30 June 2023
Following Irish National Opera’s season announcement for 2023/24…
Mark Nathan returns as Wagner in a new production of Gounod’s Faust, directed by Jack Furness and conducted by Elaine Kelly.
Wyn Pencarreg returns as First Nazarene in a new production of Strauss’ Salome, directed by Bruno Ravella and conducted by Fergus Sheil.
Following English National Opera’s season announcement for 2023/24…
Ronald Samm returns as Reverend Horace Adams in David Alden’s acclaimed production of Peter Grimes, conducted by Martyn Brabbins.
Llio Evans returns in the role of Celia in this first revival of Cal McCrystal’s sell-out production of Iolanthe, she is joined by Keel Watson as Private Willis and Timothy Nelson understudies the the role of Strephon. These performances are conducted by Chris Hopkins.
Gweneth Ann Rand returns as the Mayor’s Wife in David Alden’s Olivier Award-winning staging of Jenůfa, she is joined by Keel Watson as the Mayor, conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson.
Monwabisi Lindi will join Scottish Opera next season as an Emerging Artist.
Throughout the season he will be involved in mainstage, concert and touring productions, as well as lunchtime recitals. He will perform in:
Access Barber of Seville – Count Almaviva
Daphne – Zweiter Schäfer
La traviata – Gastone de Letorières
Opera Highlights Tour
Following the Royal Opera House season announcement for 2023/24…
Claire Wild returns to revive her role as Mother / Baba Yaga in the Olivier-award winning Wolf Witch Giant Fairy, with Little Bulb Theatre.
Wyn Pencarreg revives the role of Alcindoro in Richard Jones’ production of La bohème, conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson.
Rhonda Browne understudies the role of Erda in Barrie Kosky’s new production of Das Rheingold.
We are delighted to announce that Thomas Kinch will join San Francisco Opera’s prestigious Merola Opera Program this summer.
Thomas is currently an Associate Artist at Welsh National Opera where his roles have included First Armed Man in The Magic Flute and Vitek (cover) The Makropulos Affair.
We are delighted that mezzo soprano Wendy Dawn Thompson has joined our artist roster for general management. Wendy studied at the University of Wellington, Royal Northern College of Music and Royal College of Music. She is a former Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artist at New Zealand Opera, winner of the 2003 Kathleen Ferrier Award and in 2005 was a finalist at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, representing New Zealand.
Her engaging performances in a wide-ranging repertoire have made her a favourite with both audiences and critics, whether she’s playing the role of Teresa Salieri in Amadeus at the National Theatre of Great Britain; Charlotte in Werther at Vilnius City Opera; or Magdalena in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at the Edinburgh International Festival.
Providing a high quality, personalised artist management service, meeting the requirements of both our artists and promoters
57 Copthall Lane, Chalfont St Peter, Gerrards Cross, UK, SL9 0DQ | +44 (0) 7742 882 167 | +44 (0) 1753 882 378 | mail@stevenswalesartists.com
