Gweneth Ann Rand returns to the Royal Opera for the first revival of Philip Venables award winning opera 4.48 Psychosis, inspired by Sarah Kane’s extraordinary play about her experience of depression. Ted Huffman returns to direct, with Richard Baker conducting.
Performances take place from 24 April to 4 May 2018 at the Lyric Hammersmith.
We are delighted to announce that soprano Camilla Roberts has joined our roster for general management. Born in Wrexham, North Wales, Camilla studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the National Opera Studio sponsored by Welsh National Opera, with whom she subsequently she became an associate artist. In 2005 she represented Wales at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World.
Recent highlights include Santuzza Cavalleria rusticana and First Lady The Magic Flute for Welsh National Opera, Donna Anna Don Giovanni and Andromache King Priam for English Touring Opera. She has also recently understudied Meni The Exterminating Angel (The Royal Opera) and Isolde La Vin herbé (Welsh National Opera).
In the current season she performs Donna Elvira Don Giovanni for Welsh National Opera and understudies the title role in Vanessa for Glyndebourne.
Wyn Pencarreg steps in at short notice to perform Roc in The Exterminating Angel for the premiere at the Royal Danish Opera. The production is directed by Tom Cairns and conducted by Robert Hossart.
Wyn performed the role of Padre Sansón in this production at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 2017. He is also currently performing Alcade in La forza del destino for Welsh National Opera.
Harry Nicoll performs Mr Bobo/Ghost Child 2 in the world premiere of Coraline by Mark-Anthony Turnage, for the Royal Opera at the Barbican. This new production is directed by Aletta Colins and conducted by Sian Edwards, with the Britten Sinfonia.
Performances take place on 27, 29, 31(x2) March and 3, 4, 5, 7(x2) April.
Philip Sheffield makes his debut with the Opéra de Monte-Carlo as Rev. Horace Adams in Peter Grimes, directed by, and featuring in the title role, José Cura, and conducted by Jan Latham-Koenig.
The premiere takes place on 20 February, with further performances on 23, 25 and 28 February.
Later this season Philip makes his debuts at the Teatro la Fenice and with Opera Zuid.
Llio Evans makes her debut with English National Opera as Celia in their new production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic operetta Iolanthe.
The lavish new production, directed by Cal McCrystal and conducted by Timothy Henty, premieres on 13 February, with further performances until 7 April.
Jeni Bern makes her debut at the Teatro Real as Greta Fiorentino in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene.
The new production, directed by John Fulljames and conducted by Timothy Murray, premieres on 13 February, with performances through the season until 1 June.
The performance on 16 February, will be broadcast live on Mezzo HD Live.
Wyn Pencarreg makes his debut with Welsh National Opera as Alcade in David Pountney’s new production of La forza del destino, conducted by Carlo Rizzi.
The premiere takes place on 2 February at the Wales Millennium Centre, before touring until 21 April.
Nazan Fikret perform’s Arasse in Hasse’s opera seria, Siroe, re di Persia, for the Nederlandse Reisopera. The production, directed by Jakob Peters-Messer and conducted by George Petrou, is a co-production with the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater.
The premiere takes place on 26 January at the Wilminktheater in Enschede before touring The Netherlands hrough February.
Nazan last performed for the Reisopera as Flora The Turn of the Screw in 2006.
Gweneth Ann Rand makes her debut at English National Opera in the title role in Verdi’s Aida. This new production is directed by Phelim McDermott and conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson.
Performances take place at the London Coliseum on 29 November and 2 December.
Gweneth Ann Rand performs Messiaen’s Harawi at Opera North’s Howard Assembly Room in Leeds on 26 October, with long time collaborator, pianist, Simon Lepper.
Gweneth Ann is is widely noted as an exponent of the works of Messiaen and has performed them with the Gürzenich Orchester Köln, Tonhalle Orchester Zürich and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, at Wigmore Hall, the BBC Proms and at the Southbank Centre, in London, as part of the composer’s centenary celebrations.
Claire Wild returns to Welsh National Opera as Emma in Mussorgsky’s epic opera, Khovanshchina, which opens their 2017/18 season. The production is directed by David Pountney and conducted by Tomáš Hanus.
Performances take place from 23 September in Cardiff, before touring to Birmingham and Llandudno.
Wyn Pencarreg performs Alcindoro in Richard Jones’ lavish new production of La bohème at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The long awaited production with designs by Stewart Laing, is conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano.
The premiere takes place on 11 September with a further twenty four performances through the season.
In the wake of the terrible fire at Grenfell Tower, Nazan Fikret, with support and generous assistance from Cadogan Hall, the Royal Opera House, Garsington Opera, Opera Magazine, the International Opera Awards and leading arts professionals, has rallied fellow performers to organise a concert to raise funds for those affected.
The concert on at Cadogan Hall on 17 September, presented by Petroc Trelawny, will feature a sensational line-up of both established and up-and-coming artists. This is a one-off event and everyone involved has given their services for free.
All funds raised will be distributed equally between Rugby Portobello Trust (Charity No 1100143) and Grief Encounter (Charity No 1101277) which focus specifically on helping the affected families with rehabilitation and looking to the future.
We are delighted to welcome Welsh tenor Robyn Lyn Evans to our roster for general management. Robyn is a postgraduate of the Royal College of Music, London and graduate of Trinity College Carmarthen and recipient of the Stuart Burrows Bursary.
Future engagements include role debuts as Cavaradossi Tosca for Opera Project and Lensky Eugene Onegin for Mid Wales Opera. He will also make further appearances as Rodolfo for Diva Opera.
