Opera in the City
Productions
Benjamin Britten's
'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
Opera in the City performs Benjamin Britten's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' on the 25th June 2015 at 7pm at St Katherine Cree church, London.
Directed by Carol Sloman and Musically Directed by Jacques Cohen the evening will take you through Britten's magical setting of Williams Shakespeare’s play, via the underworld of the fairies through to the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta.
Opera in the City is delighted to have a fantastic cast of talented singers and performers on board. The full cast list can be seen below in alphabetical order.
Tickets are £15 with all proceeds will be going to the St Katherine Cree Church restoration fund. For more information on the venue and how to get there, please click here
Click on the link below to purchase your tickets in advance
Justin Bindley
Theseus, Duke of Athens
Justin was born in Lancashire and studied singing with John Cameron. His debut was Masetto (Don Giovanni) for British Youth Opera and he subsequently sang in the chorus for English National Opera, Opera North and Scottish Opera. For New D’Oyly Carte Opera he sang Sir Richard Cholmondley (Yeomen of The Guard) and for Carl Rosa Opera Pish-Tush (The Mikado – in Australia and New Zealand), Frosch (Die Fledemaus), Samuel (Pirates of Penzance) and Wilfred Shadbolt (Yeomen of the Guard). Other opera roles include Eugene Onegin (Glasgow Grand Opera), Marullo (Hastings Opera), Count Almaviva (Oxford Opera Festival), Papageno (Opera Viva), Mr Bluff (The Impressario – The New Savoyards & Voices2Go) , Junius (The Rape of Lucretia – Opera Viva) and The Pirate King (Maldon Music Festival). He has also sung with The London Savoyards at the Barbican and the English Bach Festival (Royal Opera House) . He has made several recordings and dvds, including the Spanish Officer in the world premiere recording of Sullivan’s The Contrabandista for Hyperion. Recent engagements include for the New London Opera Players – Angelotti and Sacristan (Tosca), Baron Douphol (La Traviata) , Don Fernando (Fidelio) , for Midsummer Opera Jake Wallace (La Fanciulla del West), Le Medicin (Pelleas & Melisande – Grimebourne Festival Opera) and most recently Lord Mountararat (Iolanthe) for Richmond Choral Society.
William Bouvel
Lysander, in love with Hermia
American Tenor William Bouvel has performed across the United States and Europe with Opera Lafayette of Washington DC, Haymarket Opera Chicago, Madison Early Music Festival, and Baroque Band. His most recent roles were Count Almaviva in Rossini’s Barber of Seville with Park Opera Bracknell, Damon in Handel’s Acis and Galatea with Benslow Music, and Mayor Upfold in Britten’s Albert Herring with Hampstead Garden Opera. He will be appearing next in Caccini’s La Liberazione di Ruggiero with Brighton Early Music Festival.
A current student of Philip Doghan, William completed his Masters of Music study at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he received a commendation in the Major van Someron Godfrey English Song Prize.
William has established himself as a producer through his project ‘Song reCycle’. This concept was developed and nurtured through his dissertation on concert programing at the Royal Academy of Music and was hailed as ‘An intriguing reimagining of the song recital idea’ (Planet Hugill). He continues to invent new programs regularly that cast older repertoire in a modern context. Most recently he premiered a new pastiche of Handel oratorio music set into a St. Mark Passion at Southwark Cathedral on Palm Sunday 2015. Additional projects have explored the English Song, German Lieder, Italian Madrigal, and Baroque Song repertoires.
William is also fortunate to have been a part of some of the world’s greatest choirs, including the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Oregon Bach Festival Chorus, and Apollo’s Fire Chorus. With these groups he has been a part of several well received recordings, including the 2011 Grammy winner for Best Classical Album and Best Choral Performance, Verdi Requiem conducted by Riccardo Muti.
Rachel Duckett
Mustardseed
Rachel recently graduated from Goldsmith College with a degree in Music having studied advanced performance in piano and voice. During this time, Rachel founded the Madrigal Mystery Tour UK, a vocal ensemble specialising in 16th century madrigals and has since sung with and directed the group in a number of concerts in venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, Deptford Town Hall and St. Margaret's Church. Rachel has also performed solo and with other ensembles such as Chelsea Opera Group, Ligeti Quartet, OperaGold, and Goldsmiths Chamber Choir in venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Cadogan Hall, Deptford Town Hall, and - more unusually - a fishing boat over the excavation site of the 1665 HMS London. Rachel performs as a soloist in concerts with the newly formed Wild Street Ensemble, a group she co-founded and co-directs with composer William Frampton. She will be performing in Gluck's Orpheus Ed Euridice with About Turn Theatre Company at this year's Edinburgh Fridge Festival. Tonight Rachel looks forward to magic making and mischief as Mustardseed in A Midsummer Night's Dream
Geoffrey Ewen
Snug, joiner Plays Lion
Geoffrey Ewen became increasingly involved with music at school after winning a music scholarship for piano and violin. During his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Goldsmiths, Geoffrey auditioned and sang for "Opera-Gold", the in-house opera company directed by Nan Christie and conducted by David Syrus, staging a major opera every summer. He first became familiar with the intricacies of Britten's Midsummer Night's Dream in their 2013 production.
Geoffrey also completed a year of post-graduate study at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, focusing on advanced piano performance with Mikhail Kazakevich. Aside from piano and opera projects, Geoffrey teaches privately in Hertfordshire.
Jennifer Fisher
Hippolyta , Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus
Jennifer Fisher is a Mezzo Soprano from N.Ireland. She studied at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London.
She has performed the roles of Octavian, Giovanna, Cherubino, Olga, Melisande, Dido, Zweite & Dritte Dame, Young Widow (Osud, Janacek, Garsington Opera), and Une Marchande (Carmen Opera Holland Park). She has covered Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte) for Opera Holland Park, and covered Maddalena (Rigoletto) for Opera a la Carte.
Contemporary roles include Secretary (Love in Transit, Richard Arnell), and Laura (Blood Rose by Mark Glentworth).
Jennifer has sung in the Chorus for Garsington Opera, Grange Park Opera, Opera Holland Park, Savoy Opera, the English Bach Festival Trust, and the Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company.
She has performed in recitals and oratorio concerts in the UK and Ireland: venues include the Purcell Room (South Bank, London), National Opera Studio, Greek Hellenic Centre, and the Spanish Institute Manchester.
Recent masterclasses have been with renowned opera director Andrew Sinclair, working on Dorabella and Sextus.
Jennifer’s singing teacher is Paula Anglin.
Alice Girle
Cobwebb
Since her arrival in London, Alice has performed excerpts from Mussorgsky’s opera Boris Godunov with the Philharmonia Orchestra at Royal Festival Hall and as part of the City Singers at St Katherine’s Cree. Opera in the City’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream marks Alice’s operatic debut in London! 2014 saw Alice attend the Bel Canto Institute in Florence where she was awarded two prestigious concert awards. She performed a series of concerts in New York accompanied by assistant conductor from the Metropolitan Opera Robert Morrison and returned to the States in October to perform with the Vermont Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Lou Kosma. In 2013 Alice played the role of Pamina in Mozart’s 'The Magic Flute' for Opera Australia's Oz Opera. She also played 'Suor Dolcina' in Harbour City Opera's production of Puccini's 'Suor Angelica'. In 2013 Alice was a finalist in the Richard Bonyge and Joan Sutherland Bel Canto Award and winner of the Megan Evans award. She has performed and recorded with The Seven Sopranos, Cantillation, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. She has also sung with Gondwana Voices, The Song Company, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and The Australian Voices. In 2003 Alice sang the Australian anthem at the Rugby World Cup. Other roles include Euridice in Gluck’s 'Orfeo ed Euridice' with Opera Prometheus and Pastorella in Caccini’s 'La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isolad’Alcina' with Ondine Productions. She has been a featured soloist with the Marrickville Symphony Orchestra and in Schumann’s 'Der Rose Pilgerfart' at the Sydney Conservatorium, with Sydney University Musical Society in Vivaldi’s 'Gloria', Rutter’s 'Requiem' and Haydn’s 'Missabrevis Sancti Joannis de Deo'. She also appeared as soprano soloist in the Australian premiere of George Dyson's 'Hierusalem' with Bel A Cappella and the Lurline Chamber Orchestra. Alice holds a Bachelor of Music in classical voice from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
Derek S Henderson
Nick Bottom/Weaver, plays Pyramus
Derek S. Henderson, bass-baritone, is from the Republic of Panamá. He moved to England in 2006 to study voice with David Pollard and has performed throughout England and in Italy, Kenya, the USA, and Panamá. In addition to opera (A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and Cinderella; Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin; Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love; Puccini’s La bohème; Blitch’s Susanna; Offenbach’s La belle Hélène; Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel; Milhaud’s La mère coupable; Mozart’s La finta semplice, Bastien und Bastienne, Così fan tutte), Derek enjoys exploring the modern song repertoire, especially that of late Shostakovich. For more information: www.dshenderson.co.uk.
Chloe Maloney
Oberon, Titania's husband and King of the fairies
Chloe was awarded the Geraint Evans award to study at the Royal Welsh College of Music where she trained under Suzanne Murphy.
Concert performances include Berlioz' Nuit D'ete, Schnittke's Historia von D. Joann Fausten, Faure's Requiem and Durafle's Requiem.
Chloe's roles include Venus, Dido, Dorabella, Rosina, Cherubino and Hermia. She has worked for companies such as Opera Holland Park as a soloist, Opera UK, and Longborough Opera and has trained with the ENO Baylis Opera Works. She has also appeared as a soloist in the Lahölm Summer Music Festival in Sweden and the Asturias Music Festival Spain.
Operatic characters include Dorabella Cosi Fan Tutte for Independent Singers, Cherubino Le Nozze Di Figaro for ENO Opera Works, Hermia Midsummers Nights Dream Royal Welsh College of Music, Dido Dido and Aeneus OperaGold, Venus Venus and Adonis OperaGold and RosinaIl Barbiere Di Siviglia European Chamber Opera. She also appeared as Flora in GoOpera’s production of La Traviata in the summer of 2012.
Chloe often sings with the Lloyd’s of London choir, and currently works in the City in communications.
Laura Maloney
Puck, Robin Goodfellow, servant to Oberon
Laura was a member of the National Youth theatre and went on to train as an actress at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Laura is an accomplished musician who plays several instruments including the Piano and French horn and has played first horn for The Brighton Youth Orchestra at the Royal Albert hall and the Royal Festival hall as well as touring Scotland and Europe. Her theatre credits as an actress include roles as Yelena in Children of the Sun by Gorky, Anna in Barbarians, also by Gorky, Isobel in The secret rapture by David Hare and Nora in A dolls house by Ibsen. Upon graduating, her peers from Central began a Theatre company (Mr Hart’s Theatrical Company) and Laura played Lydia in a site specific production of Sheridan’s The Rivals. Contemporarily Laura has collaborated as an actress in new writers work at the Theatre Royal in Stratford East and the Canal Cafe Theatre. Laura lives in Brighton and is currently studying as a writer. Recently Laura wrote and directed a verbatim play, Brighton’s finest’ for The Brighton Fringe which she has transposed for Radio and directed as a radio play for Radio Reverb. She is thrilled to be playing Puck for Opera in the City.
Beth Moxon
Hermia, daughter of Egeus, in love with Lysander
Born and raised in Leeds, Beth is currently working towards her Masters degree at the Royal Academy of Music, studying with Catherine Wyn Rogers and Mary Hill.
On stage, Beth has performed the roles of Nancy (Albert Herring, Hampstead Garden Opera), 3rd Boy (Die Zauberflöte, Woodhouse Opera Festival) Frau Viehmann, the Witch and Granny in Dean Burry's chamber opera The Brothers Grimm, Juno/Public Opinion (Orpheus in the Underworld, Opera'r Ddraig/Leeds Youth Opera) as well as appearing as chorus in The Rake's Progress (Royal Academy Opera), Cavalleria Rusticana/i Pagliacci (Woodhouse Opera), La Bohéme (St. Endellion Music Festival) and Faust (Leeds Youth Opera). In scenes Beth has performed the roles of Stewardess (Dove's Flight), Mother (Humperdink's Hänsel und Gretel), Nancy (Britten's Albert Herring), Dido (Purcell's Dido and Aeneas), Dorabella (Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte), 2nd/3rd Lady (Mozart's Die Zauberflote), Ursula (Berlioz' Béatrice é Bénédict) and Mrs Olsen (Kurt Weill's Street Scene). Oratorio engagements include: Verdi's Requiem, Mozart's Requiem, Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle, Dvořák's Mass in D, Handel's Messiah, Vivaldi's Gloria and Haydn's Stabat Mater.
Beth is generously supported by the Help Musicians UK Postgraduate Award, the Royal Academy of Music, Josephine Baker Trust, Robert Tebb Trust and Commander and Mrs Vigrass.
Hazel Neighbour
Peaseblossom
Hazel Neighbour is an operatic soprano based in London and the South of England. She studied chemistry at Imperial College London but quickly realised she was much more at home on the stage than in the lab. She moved into opera from a more choral background whilst studying with Wagnerian tenor, Howard Haskin, on her year abroad in Paris. Since moving back to the UK, she has performed regularly as a principal with opera societies and small companies as well as in recital. Hazel's roles include Gretel in Humperdinck's Hansel & Gretel with St Albans Chamber Opera and the lead role in a comic feminist opera called "Are Women People?". This March, she played the lead in the world premier of an operatic adaptation of the play Porcelain & Pink by F. Scott Fitzgerald as well as Pitti-sing in the Mikado with St Albans Chamber Opera. Hazel is looking forward to playing Gianetta in Barefoot's production of Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore in August/September.
Jamie Powe
Francis Flute, bellows-mender Plays Thisbe
Jamie is a 19 year old tenor and this is his first involvement with Opera. He developed his musicianship at Highgate School, and is heading to Oxford in October to further his musical studies. As well as singing, he is a keen composer, which began when he wrote a score for his school's production of The Tempest.
Jamie is also a keen sportsman and is looking to play first-class cricket in the future.
Jack Tebbutt
Tom Snout, Tinker, Plays Wall
Jack is incredibly excited to be a Singer in an Opera pretending to be a Tinker in a Play pretending to be a Wall. Becoming an inanimate object will provide a refreshing interlude from the string of unsuccessful love interests Jack will have played this year: from Aeneas (Dido and Aeneas) and Sir Sagramore (Camelot) with Surrey Opera, St Brioche (The Merry Widow) with Kentish Opera, to Tebaldo (I Capuleti e i Montecchi) with Guildford Opera this autumn. Ironically, Jack will probably see more action as the voyeuristic Wall separating the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe, than in all of these roles combined.
Having sung mainly before as a Choral Scholar at St Albans Cathedral, St Barnabas Cathedral, Nottingham and St Silas the Martyr, Kentish Town; Jack began studying under Norman Welsby who pushed him towards the Opera stage. His first Operatic role was in Britten's Albert Herring as Mayor Upfold (Hampstead Garden Opera), which cultivated a love for the subtle complexities that inhabit the musical and comic worlds of Britten. Other engagements this year include playing the smuggler Remendado (Carmen) at Wedmore Arts Festival and being the Tenor Soloist in Rachmaninoff's All Night Vigil with the BBC Symphony Chorus
James Schouten
Demetrius, in love with Hermia, then Helena
High baritone James Schouten has been performing and writing on the London circuit as a rock and jazz musician since 2008. Trained originally as a violinist, James changed his focus to work primarily as a classical singer since beginning his studies with Nan Christie at Goldsmiths. He is currently completing a MMus in Performance & Related Studies there. Outside of opera, he is involved with several rock and cross-over projects as orchestrator, musical director and performer. James has performed in roles such as: Demetrius A Midsummer Nights’ Dream (Opera Gold), Angelotti Tosca (Surrey Opera), Harlekin Ariadne auf Naxos (Queen’s Opera), Papageno Die Zauberflote (Woodhouse Opera), Escamillo Carmen (Barefoot Opera), Figaro Le nozze di Figaro (Opera UpClose), Don Giovanni Don Giovanni (Opus Opera), Marcello La Boheme (Dulwich Opera Company), Elviro/Ariodate Xerxes (Hampstead Garden Opera) and Eisenstein Die Fledermaus (Opera Gold). James is very much looking forward to reprising the role of Demetrius with Opera in the City and hopes you enjoy the performance!
Howard Thompson
Robin Starveling, Tailor, Plays Moonshine
Howard is currently studying at The Royal Academy of Music and is taught by Alex Ashworth and Mary Hill. He most recently appeared as Mr Peachum in The Threepenny Opera (Mumford Theatre). Opera scene credits include Argante Rinaldo and Don Alfonso Cosi Fan Tutte (RAM). He also enjoyed appearing in the chorus in The Rake’s Progress, directed by John Ramster and conducted by Jane Glover and chorus for Cosi Fan Tutte (New Theatre Oxford, Metta Theatre). Howard has won the University of York concerto competition and consequently performed as a soloist with the University of York Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the KVU Singers, Yorkshire Bach Choir and the Uppingham Chamber Orchestra. Howard’s other theatre credits include Strephon Iolanthe (Stratford-upon-Avon G&S) and Tom The Thing About Men (Out of the Bubble Theatre).
Rachel Tolzman
Cobwebb
Wisconsin native Rachel Tolzman, soprano, recently graduated with a master of music in vocal performance at The Boston Conservatory under the instruction of Dr. Rebecca Folsom. In 2011, she received a bachelor of music at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she studied with Julie Simson. In May 2011, she received the prestigious Ted and Nancy Anderson Vocal Scholarship and was the recipient of Oustanding Graduating Senior of the music school at the University of Colorado. Past operatic performances include Emmie in Britten’s Albert Herring and Paquette in Bernstein’s Candide. Her performances at The Boston Conservatory include Ravel’s L’Enfant et les sortileges, Don Giovanni and covering the role of Character #1 in Conrad Susa’s Transformations. Among other accomplishments, she was honored to be a part of the world premier of Frank Pesci’s chamber opera, Trade, which debuted April 2013. Rachel now resides in London where she is pursuing her operatic career.
Clare Treacey
Helena, in love with Demetrius
Clare Treacey is a young Irish soprano based in London. She recently graduated from a Masters in Vocal Studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where she studied with celebrated soprano, Suzanne Murphy, and coaches Cameron Burns and Angela Livingstone. Clare is a multiple prize winner in competitions throughout Ireland and has been awarded the Arklow Music Festival Overall Bursary. She has performed as a soloist with Bristol Cathedral Concert Choir, Cor Bro Ogwr and Trinity College Singers. Opera highlights include the roles of Susan, A Dinner Engagement (Bute Park Opera); Frasquita, Carmen (Opera’r Ddraig); Poppet, Paul Bunyan (Welsh National Youth Opera); Sandman, Hansel and Gretel (Bute Park Opera); Eurydice, Orpheus in the Underworld (DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama); and Papagena, The Magic Flute (DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama). Clare regularly sings for Music in Hospitals, a charity which brings the joy and therapeutic benefits of live music to people in nursing homes and hospitals. www.claretreacey.com
Ciaran Walshe
Peter Quince, carpenter, plays Prologue
Ciaran is finishing his Undergraduate degree in Music at Royal Holloway University where he has been a member of the Chapel Choir and a regular performer in concerts and musicals. Some notable performances include; MC in Oh it's a lovely war, Henry Spofford in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Pish tush in The Mikado and Trinculo in The Tempest. He is currently preparing for his west end debut with the National Youth Music Theatre in their upcoming production of the musical Prodigy. He is delighted to be playing Peter Quince and has thoroughly enjoyed taking on his first Britten Opera.!
Amy Worsfold
Titania, Oberon's wife and Queen of the fairies
Currently in her first postgraduate year at Trinity Laban where she is receiving a scholarship for her studies with Teresa Cahill, Amy has been performing and studying as a professional singer since her graduation from the University of York. Her performing work ranges from roles with companies such as Surrey Opera and Midsummer Opera, to singing in the pit at the Coliseum for the Mark Morris Dance Company. She also regularly appears as a soprano soloist for oratorio and concert around the UK with regional choirs and orchestras.
Her recent roles include Controller in Flight (TLC Opera Scenes), Despina (for Welwyn Barn Theatre) and Marzelline (for Midsummer Opera). She is looking forward to débuting the Glière Concerto for Coloratura Soprano under Adrian Brown this summer.