Lunchtime Opera Recital Highlights of WNO concert repertoire Excerpts from L’elisir d’amore, Maria Stuarda, Così fan tutte, and Don Giovanni Tuesday 25 January, 1.10pm Blackburn Hall, National Opera Studio PROGRAMME BIOGRAPHIES L’elisir d’amore, Act 1 duet and trio Gaetano Donizetti Sonia Ben-Santamaria pianist Born in France, Sonia studied at the RAM. Repetiteur work in- Adina Aoife O’Sullivan cludes: Ariodante,The Marriage of Figaro, Così fan tutte, La bo- Nemorino John Pierce hème, Billy Budd, The Turn of the Screw (RAM); Lakmé (Opera Belcore Oliver Dunn Holland Park), Tosca (Kentish Opera), Rigoletto, Fledermaus (Pavilion Opera), La traviata, L’elisir d’amore (Riverside Opera), Pianist Julian Black Pagliacci (Chelmsford Opera). In 2009 Sonia was appointed Musical Director of Chelmsford Opera. Amongst singers Sonia has worked with is Katarina Karneus, who she worked with on the preparation of a role. NOS Maria Stuarda, Act 2 duet Gaetano Donizetti studies supported by an MBF repetiteur award. Future plans include conducting L’elisir d’amore, Le nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflote (Chelmsford Opera) and Maria Susana Gaspar repetiteur work for Aida (Riverside Opera). Talbot Ross McInroy Julian Black pianist Pianist Sonia Ben-Santamaria Julian read Music at Cambridge. He held conductorships with the Cambridge University Musical Society orchestras and Cambridge University Symphony Orchestra, performing rep- Così fan tutte, sextet Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ertoire including Mahler’s First Symphony, Brahms’s Second Symphony and Dvořak’s Eighth Symphony. Julian music- Fiordiligi Susana Gaspar directed Hansel and Gretel, Les Mamelles de Tirésias, Gianni Dorabella Máire Flavin Schicchi, and The Pirates of Penzance for Cambridge University Opera Society Despina Aoife O’Sullivan (CUOS). Repetiteur work includes: The Magic Flute, The Turn of the Screw Ferrando Nathan Vale (CUOS) and Albert Herring (Co-Opera). In 2008 Julian founded the Ardente Guglielmo Duncan Rock Opera Company, conducting Hindemith’s Mörder, Hoffnung der Frauen and Don Alfonso Jimmy Holliday Symphonie Mathis der Maler. Future plans with Ardente include a new commis- sion for an opera by Edward Nesbit. Pianist Julian Black Lucinda-Mirikata Deacon soprano British-Australian Lucinda-Mirikata trained at the Sydney Don Giovanni Act 2 finale Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Conservatorium of Music and the GSMD with Rudolph Pier- nay. Roles include: Lady Billows Albert Herring, La Comtesse Anna Lucinda-Mirikata Deacon Chérubin, Eleonora L’assedio di Calais, Agafya The Marriage Elvira Máire Flavin (GSMD); Bertha Il barbieri di Siviglia (Pacific Opera), Elpide Zerlina Hanna Hipp Betrayal (New Australian Opera). Concert experience includes Ottavio Nathan Vale a Strauss Lieder recital in the Barbican Hall (LSO pre-concert series). She won Giovanni Oliver Dunn the 2009 Bruce Millar/Gullivar Prize, Scotland and the Royal-Over-Seas League Leporello Jimmy Holliday Prize for recitals at St. James Piccadilly and St Martin in the Field. NOS stud- Masetto Duncan Rock ies supported by The Eileen Goddard Memorial Bursary, Countess of Munster Commendatore Ross McInroy Musical Trust, Tait Memorial Trust, a Sybil Tutton Award and The Opera & Arts Support Group of Sydney. Pianist Julian Black Oliver Dunn baritone Hanna Hipp mezzo-soprano Oliver studied at the RNCM and RAM, where he studied with Born in Poland, Hanna studied at the Academy of Music in Mark Wildman and Iain Ledingham. Roles include: Zurniga Gdańsk, Poland and the GSMD with Janice Chapman. Roles Carmen, Count Monterone Rigoletto (Clonter Opera); Marul- include: Sesto Giulio Cesare, Amastris Serse, Poro Cleofide lo Rigoletto (Iford Festival) Pish-Tush The Mikado, Captain and Orfeo Orfeo ed Euridice, The Anne who Strips The King Corcoran HMS Pinafore (Phoenix Opera); Don Parmenione goes forth to France, Arina The Marriage, Aurelio L’assedio L’occasione fa il ladro, Cadmus Semele, Mr Gedge Albert di Calais, title role Chérubin (GSMD); Lucilla La scala di seta Herring (RAM). Last summer Oliver sang with the Glyndebourne Festival and Marianna Il Signor Bruschino (BYO). Her concert repertoire includes solo Chorus in the new production of Billy Budd in which he also covered the role performances in works including Vivaldi Juditha triumphans, Bach Christmas of 1st Mate. Oratorio work includes Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Confes- Oratorio and Magnificat, Handel Messiah, Mozart Requiem and Coronation sore, Bach St Matthew Passion and St John Passion (Christus and Pilate). Mass. NOS studies supported by Serena Fenwick, the Worshipful Company NOS studies supported by a Lionel Anthony Scholarship and the Robert Vivian of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers, the John Wates Charitable Trust and the Memorial Scholarship. Derek Butler Trust. Hanna joins the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the ROH in September. Máire Flavin mezzo-soprano Irish born, Máire read Psychology & Music at Queens Univer- Jimmy Holliday bass sity, Belfast and trained at the RIAM and GSMD with Janice Jimmy trained at the RCM with Graeme Broadbent, with Chapman. Roles include: title role Chérubin; Aurelio L’assedio whom he still studies. Roles include: Father Truelove The di Calais; Nancy Albert Herring; The Queen of England The Rake’s Progress (Dartington International Summer School); King goes forth to France and Clarina La cambiale di matri- Caronte L’Orfeo (Suffolk Villages Festival), Noye Noye’s monio (GSMD); Tisbe La cenerentola (Clonter Opera); Venus Fludde (Romsey Abbey), Polyphemus Acis & Galatea Euridice (BYO); Clarice La Pietra del Paragone; First Witch Dido and Aeneas (Woodhouse Opera), Sleep Fairy Queen (The English Con- (RAM) and Cathleen Riders to the Sea for the Anna Livia Fringe festival. Máire sort); The Judge The Jailor’s Tale (Finchley Children’s Music Group); Oratorio is an alumna of both the Opera Theatre Company Young Artist and Britten work includes: Brahms’s Requiem with The Bach Choir and Bournemouth Pears Young Artist programmes as well as a past member of Glyndebourne Symphony Orchestra, Mahler’s Eighth Symphony at The Sage, Gateshead Festival Opera’s chorus. Máire was the 2010 winner of the Thelma King and The Flood with CBSO, Birmingham. In 2009 Jimmy was awarded the award for singers and the recipient of the Harold Rosenthal Prize upon leaving inaugural Richard Van Allan award and won the Hampshire Singer of the Year GSMD. NOS studies supported by Peter & Helen Blumer and the Arts Council, competition. NOS studies supported by British American Tobacco and Friends Ireland. of Covent Garden. Susana Gaspar soprano Ross McInroy bass Born in Portugal, Susana Gaspar studied at the National Born in Scotland, Ross studied at the RSAMD, RAM and Conservatory of Lisbon and GSMD with Susan Waters. RCM with Peter Savidge, with whom he still studies. Ross Roles include: Mimi La bohème (BYO); Papagena Die Zau- was a member of ENO’s “Opera Works” programme 09/10. berflöte, Serpina La serva padrona, Euridice Orfeo ed Eu- Operatic roles include le Medecin Pelleas et Melisande; Bad ridice, Dircea and Mochila Para obsequio a la deidad nunca Robber The Vanishing Bridegroom (RSAMD); Colatinus es culto la crueldad e Iphigenia en Tracia (Zurich, Turicum The Rape of Lucretia, Bartolo Le nozze di Figaro, Gremin Ensemble); title role Little Prince; Josephine Comedy on the Bridge (Lisbon). Eugene Onegin (RAM); Quince A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sarastro Die She was a finalist in the Richard Tauber Prize at the Wigmore Hall 2010. She Zauberflöte (RCM). Oratorio work includes: Bach’s St John and Matthew won the first Melodie/Lieder and Portuguese Song Prizes, the Algarve’s Musi- Passions, Handel’s Messiah; Haydn’s Creation, Nelson & St. Nicolas Mass’ cal Award at the IV Portuguese Rotary Singing Competition 2010. NOS stud- and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria. NOS studies supported by The Scottish Opera ies supported by the Royal Opera House. Susana joins the Jette Parker Young Endowment Trust, Friends of Covent Garden, Dewar Trust, Robertson Trust, Artist Programme at the ROH in September. Cross Trust and Josephine Baker Trust. Aoife O’Sullivan soprano Duncan Rock baritone Aoife studied at DIT, Dublin. Roles include Theodora Theo- Born in Western Australia, Duncan trained at the West Aus- dora and Second Woman Dido and Aeneas (Yorke Trust tralian Academy of Performing Arts and at the GSMD. Roles Opera, Norfolk), Pamina The Magic Flute (Gleeson Thea- include: Novice’s Friend Billy Budd, Guglielmo (cover) Così tre, DIT Conservatory, Dublin) and cover of Jano Jenufa fan tutte, Keeper of the Madhouse The Rake’s Progress (Glyndebourne). Aoife sang with the Glyndebourne Festival (Glyndebourne). He has also performed with Longborough chorus this summer. Concert highlights include recitals at Festival Opera, BYO and Opera Holland Park. He is a Susan Carnegie Hall, New York, the National Concert Hall, Dublin and at the Wexford Chilcott Scholar and a Samling Foundation Scholar. Duncan was a finalist in Opera Festival. Aoife is a featured artist on the first recording of the entire the 2010 Kathleen Ferrier Competition and has won the 2010 Royal Over- collection of Moore’s Melodies, My Gentle Harp. She has also recorded Irish Seas League Competition. Duncan has performed on the concert platform in opera by Stanford and Wallace, on the Irish Opera Gems CD (Opera Theatre America, Austria, Italy, Australia and the UK, recently performing the Messiah Company). NOS studies supported by British American Tobacco, Friends of at the Royal Albert Hall under Sir David Wilcocks. NOS studies supported Covent