February News
February was a busy month for us here at Opera Prelude, with a recital, masterclass and opera premiere taking place!
Our month began with a Q&A and Audition Masterclass on the 13th. We were incredibly lucky to be joined by Jonathon Cole-Swinard, who is well known as the Head of Music and Chorus Director at Garsington Opera. He was interviewed by our Young Artist, mezzo-soprano Annabel Kennedy, who asked Jonathon about the audition process from the perspective of those behind the table. This insightful conversation was then followed up by the opportunity for Annabel, countertenor Eliran Kadussi and soprano Simone Ibbett-Brown to perform in front of Jonathon and receive advice on their audition technique!
This was quickly followed a few days later by the premiere of our children’s opera, The King’s Pants. The opera had been in development for many months prior, and we were so thrilled with how it debuted at the Isle of Wight Story Festival. The opera was extremely well received by the young people in attendance, and followed by a workshop in collaboration with Nicholas Allan, author of the children’s book the opera was adapted from! This was a joyous experience, and we are greatly looking forward to taking the opera elsewhere!
We were then joined, by Bridget Esler, soprano, in Henley on the 23rd, for her lecture recital entitled ‘Sopranos on the Edge: Demystifying the Mad Scene’. Bridget spoke about the depiction of madness onstage in opera, giving specific attention to the rage arias of Handel’s time, to the mad scene of the Bel Canto era. She performed arias from Ariodante and I puritani; songs by Schubert, Libby Larson and R. Strauss; and even treated us to a show-stopping number from Sondheim’s Follies! It was a wonderful recital which we can’t wait to see again in London in April.
Elsewhere, our Young Artists impressed audiences with their wonderful singing. Shafali Jalota, soprano and Brenton Spiteri, tenor began touring with English Touring Opera in their productions of Manon Lescaut and The Rake’s Progress. Both productions will be touring until the end of May, so you have time to check if they will be coming to a town near you!
Annabel Kennedy, mezzo, gave a recital entitled ‘A Sundial of Music for Redbridge Music Society, where she performed works by Richard Strauss, Mahler, Brahms, Grieg, Vaughan Williams, Eric Coates and others. Meanwhile, tenor Harry Grigg was on the other side of the world, giving an Opera Concert Tour with other young singers around the North Island, New Zealand!