Lunchtime Concert

TRINITY LABAN & OPERA ASTERIA PRESENT DIDO & AENEAS

WED 10 AUG / 13.00

This is the final concert in Trinity Laban's summer series at Queen's House and for this occasion we have joined hands with Opera Asteria to create a semi-staged lunchtime opera performance of Purcell's Dido & Aeneas accompanied by harpsichord and octet of strings. This concert aims to raise awareness for Opera Asteria's chosen charity Refuge, the leading charity in the UK against domestic violence.

Founded in 2021, Opera Asteria intends to present opera works with female storytelling and representation in mind with the belief that this will aid the continuing diversification of the stories on which we focus in the arts.

Creatives

Director Eleanor Strutt
Musical Director Thomas Payne
Répétiteur Aya Robertson

Cast

Dido Alicia Mallace-Goulbourne
Aeneas Davide Basso
Belinda Olivia Bell
Second Woman/Soprano Chorus Harim Oh
Sorceress Rhian Davies
First Witch Marrianne Town-Smith
Second Witch Emily Noon
Spirit/Mezzo Chorus Ruby Bak
First Sailor/Tenor Chorus Andrew Woodmansey
Bass Chorus Niall Windass

Octet Players

Violin I Stefan Bown
Violin I Marlena Swiatecka
Violin II Grace Byrne
Violin II Guo Yu
Viola Lauren Salter
Viola Janet Farrell
Cello Irina Korolevskaia
Double Bass Chiu Yung Chan

Biographies

Eleanor graduated with a first in Music from King’s College London in 2016 before studying for her Master’s Degree at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. At age 18, Eleanor made her professional operatic debut as Barbarina in Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro with Heritage Opera. Eleanor has since become a young artist with the company, singing in every subsequent production including The Magic Flute, La bohème, Tosca and La traviata. Other roles have included Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro for King’s Opera; Orfeo’s mother in Gluck’s Orfeo with the Yorke Trust and Gretel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel, Conservatoire de Musique de Genève. Eleanor is also very active behind the scenes; directing, choreographing, translating and prop-making. In 2017, Eleanor created and directed a new jukebox opera Cinderella for PuzzlePiece Opera (PPO), the student-led opera company based at Trinity Laban. Eleanor also wrote an English adaptation of Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor, which she directed last year with PPO. Assistant Director credits include La traviata with Opera Brava (Chris Lane), Le nozze di Figaro with St Paul’s Opera (Tony Baker) and The Rape of Lucretia for Trinity Laban Opera (Laura Altridge). Choreographic work in London includes Legally Blonde (Quay Players), Thoroughly Modern Millie (KCL MMT), Anything Goes (Kings Musical Theatre) and Amahl and the Night Visitors (Trinity Laban).

Thomas was on the music staff of both The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet as a Jette Parker Young Artist and has since gone on to conduct orchestras such as The Orchestra of The Royal Opera House, The Royal Danish Theatre, Gothenburg Opera and Neue Streicher Wien. Thomas is Musical Director of London City Orchestra and maintains a successful relationship as Assistant Conductor for Grange Park Opera, recently working on productions of Otello, La Gioconda and Der fliegende Holländer. Thomas was also personally invited by Sir Antonio Pappano to assist at The London Symphony Orchestra on Dallapiccola’s Il Prigioniero and Respighi’s Church Windows. Upcoming performances include The Snow Queen for Scottish Ballet and Agrippina for Hampstead Garden Opera and returning to Grange Park Opera assisting for Gods of the Game, a commissioned opera for Sky Arts.

Canadian keyboardist Aya Robertson holds her BMus from the University of Victoria (2019), and Professional Diploma in Repetiteurship from the Royal Academy of Music (2020). She was appointed Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music as Repetiteur from 2020 to 2022. She has studied with Brenda Hurley, Matthew Fletcher, and Pawel Siwczak on harpsichord and continuo. Recently, Aya was accepted to the Jette Parker Mentorship Programme at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden where she is currently studying with Susanna Stranders. In the summers of 2018 and 2019, Aya attended the Internationales Sommerakademie Universität Mozarteum, studying with renowned pianists Robert Levin and Andrea Bonatta and fortepianist Wolfgang Brunner. Since completing her studies as repetiteur, Aya has been accepted to the Royal Academy of Music for her MA in Harpsichord commencing in September, 2022. She will be studying with Carole Cerasi, James Johnstone, and Maggie Faultless.

British lyric soprano Alicia Mallace-Goulbourne has been praised as having a "sensitive legato" and "an outstanding sense of poise and command". Alicia made her role debut last year as Female Chorus/The Rape of Lucretia with Opera Asteria. Roles in staged operatic scenes include First Lady/The Magic Flute, Fifth Maid/Elektra, Queen Elizabeth I/Gloriana, Elettra/Idomeneo, Euridice/Orfeo ed Euridice, Countess/The Marriage of Figaro and Alice/Falstaff, the latter of which was performed with the Welsh National Opera. Alicia graduated with a Distinction MMus from Trinity Laban and during her time there was a semi-finalist of the prestigious Soloist Competition and was selected twice to participate in masterclasses with David Gowland and perform in concert with the ROH Jette Parker Young Artists. Ensemble roles include Fulham Opera’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (2019), Hampstead Garden Opera’s La bohème (2019) & Savitri (2020). Alicia also covered the role of Anna and was part of the small ensemble for Gothic Opera's Le nonne sanglante (2021), which won the Offie for Best Opera Production 2021 and was part of the small chorus for Regent Opera's La forza del destino (Feb-Mar 2022). Most recently, Alicia was in chorus for Scherzo Ensemble for their production of L'elisir d'amore (July 2022) at Longhope Opera. Up next, Alicia will be singing the role of Naiad in Ariadne auf Naxos with Uncovered Opera Company and Cis in Albert Herring with New Palace Opera. Alicia is also Company Director for Opera Asteria and freelances in assisting, producing and events management.

Davide Basso is a London based Italian tenor. Originally from Vicenza, he graduated from Middlesex University in London, and is currently under the guidance of Marcus Van Den Akker and Michael Pugh (Royal Academy of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama). He has performed regularly both in the UK (Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Hall, Cadogan Hall) and Italy (Teatro Verdi in Padova, Teatro Comunale in Vicenza, Teatro Cilea in Reggio Calabria, Teatro Malibran in Venice) with, among
others, Regents Opera, Scherzo Ensemble, Random Opera, Opéra de Baugé, Dockland Sinfonia, Ormond Opera, Barts Academic Festival Choir & Orchestra, Silver Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Ritmico Sinfonica Italiana and Casanova Venice Ensemble.

Olivia recently graduated with distinction in a performance MMus as Kathleen Roberts scholar at Trinity Laban under Tessa Cahill, having read English as senior choral scholar at Queens’ College, Cambridge. This year she was joint recipient of the national Joaninha Award, was awarded the Director's Award for Excellence and won Trinity’s Gold Medal and Audience Prize. A former young artist at Bury Court Opera, recent roles include Nancy (cover, Albert Herring, St Paul’s Opera); Gretel/Griselda (The Hive, Hoxton Halls, premiere); Haitch (Syllable, Trinity Laban/Theatre O, premiere); Michel (Saul, Aylesbury Opera); Wood Spirit (The Diary of One Who Disappeared, Two Moors festival/MomentumNow); First witch (Dido and Aeneas, Hurn Court Opera). Song and ensemble repertoire includes performances at St John’s Smith Square and King’s Place. Olivia is a member of Emma Kirkby’s Dowland Works, performing with lutenists across the country, and performs with the Facade Ensemble, specialising in contemporary and serialist works. A keen librettist, she has been commissioned by the Royal Opera House and London Mozart Players. She is delighted to have been awarded a scholarship to study on the Opera Makers programme at the Guildhall School from September.

Harim Oh is a British Soprano with Korean heritage. She studied both first study violin and singing at the Purcell School. She read music at the University of Bristol, and has graduated her Masters of Vocal Performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), studying with Kathleen Mckellar Ferguson. Operatic performances include at RCS, ‘Sophie’ (Der Rosenkavalier), ‘Clorinda’ (Cenerentola), ‘Marzelline’ (Fidelio), ‘Susanna’ (Marriage of Figaro), the chorus of Prokofiev’s Fiery Angel with the Scottish Opera, with WNO Youth Opera ‘Wu’ (Peter Maxwell-Davies, Kommilitonen), and many opera and operetta productions with the Bristol University Theatre and Operatic Society. As a soloist on the concert platform Harim has sung with Scottish Voices, Bach’s St John Passion with the Glasgow Barons and Scottish Chamber Choir, Handel’s Messiah with Opera Dei Lumi, Bach’s Magnificat at the RCS and with RCS Voices has performed the Beethoven 9, Bartok’s Miraculous Mandarin and Langaard’s Music of the Spheres in collaboration with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Harim is also an experienced recitalist.

Rhian Davies is a postgraduate mezzo-soprano completing her final year at Trinity Laban, studying under Teresa Cahill. Prior to studying at the conservatoire, Rhian graduated from the University of Cambridge, having read Music at Robinson College as an alto choral scholar. Rhian sings with the Philharmonia Chorus and is a member of Levedy Ensemble, a female voices and harp quintet, winning the inaugural Carne Trust Chamber Competition with them in 2020. In partnership with pianist Cèlia Margalef Boquera, Rhian has participated in The London Song Festival’s masterclass with Dame Sarah Connolly and competed in the final of the British Art Song Competition in December 2021. The duo was also delighted to reach Trinity Laban’s Elizabeth Schumann Lieder Duo Competition final in May 2022. On the operatic stage, Rhian has studied roles from Juno (Semele) to Auntie (Peter Grimes) in Postgraduate Opera Scenes. In honing her operatic interpretation, Rhian has been fortunate to participate in masterclasses with Patricia Bardon, David Gowland, Stephanie Wake-Edwards and Michael Morfidian, and Susan Bullock. Rhian is currently working with Josh Kaye to bring the role of Lucy to life in his chamber opera (Outlier) which premieres at the ‘Tête à Tête’ opera festival in September 2022.

Lyric-dramatic soprano Marrianne Town Smith started to sing in 2007 as a hobby and distraction from a fast-paced marketing management role. In 2015 she successfully auditioned for a Postgraduate Vocal Studies Programme at Trinity Laban and graduated with distinction in 2017. Most recently Marrianne performed the role of Abigaille in Verdi’s Nabucco and was soprano soloist in Brahm’s Ein Deutsches Requiem and Handel’s Messiah in Bart’s Great Hall London. Other roles performed and covered include Madeleine Lidoine, Les Dialogues des Carmélites; Maddalena, Andrea Chenier; Donna Anna, Don Giovanni; The Gingerbread Witch and Gertrude Hansel and Gretel, and on the concert stage has performed as soprano soloist in Verdi's Requiem. Marrianne's 2022 season includes concert performances as Abigaille Nabucco, her orchestral concert debut with St Paul’s Sinfonia singing Chausson’s La Poeme de l’amour et de la mer, a workshop with orchestra of Strauss Four Last Songs, First Witch in Dido and Aeneas and Ariadne Ariadne auf Naxos. Please visit marrianne.co.uk for more information.

Mezzo-soprano Emily Noon was inspired to pursue a career in opera from an early age after performing in the Royal Opera House’s 2005 production of La Boheme as part of the children’s chorus. She is currently under the tutelage of Hilary Summers. Her upcoming work includes Second Lady Die Zauberflöte with Cardiff Opera in 2023, Second Witch in a semi-staged production of Dido and Aeneas with Opera Asteria. Her recent engagements include chorus for La Sonnambula with Random Opera Company. chorus of L’elisir d’amore with Longhope Opera and performing the role of Tess Durbeyfield in an original staged production of Schubert’s Winterreise, Achilla and Papageno in a role-reversed opera gala, and performing with the Jervaulx consort, Spring The Fairy Queen and Titania in excerpts of Shakespeare at the RNCM, Volupia/Didone/Horra Terza in Hampstead Garden Opera’s production of L’Egisto, Dido Dido and Aeneas in the RNCM Opera Scenes. Emily graduated with distinction from her masters of music at the Royal Northern College of Music where she had the honour of receiving the Helen Mackaness Award and James and Mary Glass Scholarship to fund her studies.

British mezzo-soprano Ruby Bak is currently studying for a Bachelor of Music at King’s College London. As part of the King’s Opera Society, she has played the Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas in an online showcase (2020) and Mrs Nolan in The Medium by Menotti (2021) and most recently Miss Jessel in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw (2022). She holds a choral scholarship at King’s and has sang solos in their St John’s Passion concert alongside the Hanover Band and the alto solo in Rachmaninov’s All Night Vigil at St John’s Smith Square. Also, she performed the alto solo in the lesser known choral work by Gustav Holst, The Cloud Messenger, at the English Music Festival with the English Chamber Orchestra. Her summer work for 2022 started with being a part of the soprano chorus for Longhope Opera’s, L’Elisir D’Amore, and as summer work carries on, she is delighted to be in Opera Asteria’s production of Dido and Aeneas.

Tenor Andrew Woodmansey is studying for a Master's degree under Neil Baker at Trinity Laban, supported by the Elliot Rosenblatt Memorial Scholarship and the William's Trust. Andrew has a particular interest in contemporary opera and concert works, having recently played roles in operas by Harvey Brough, John Sturt, Louise Kublicki, Michael Gordon, Laurence Panter and an adaptation by Peter Wiegold. Andrew has also performed widely in the classical canon. Having played Don Ottavio in Mozart's 'Don Giovanni' and Tamino in Mozart's 'Die Zauberflöte', with Surrey Opera and King's Opera;as well as concert solos in Bach's St John Passion (Evangelist and Arias) Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Mozart's Requiem in D minor, Haydn's 'The Creation', Handel's 'Ode on St Cecilia's Day', Orff's 'Carmina Burana', Stainer's 'The Crucifixion', and Handel's 'Messiah'. Including performances with Magna Sinfonia, The Brandenburgh Festival Chorus and Orchestra, Feltham Choral Society, Maidstone singers, Guernsey Choral and Orchestral Society and the Old Royal Naval College Chapel Choir. Later this year, Andrew will be performing the role of Acis in a concert performance of Handel's 'Acis and Galatea' with the Burgate Singers, Singing Uriel in Haydn's Creation at Cadogan Hall, and appearing in an operatic premiere by Mark Springer.

Niall Windass is a baritone and has just completed undergraduate studies at Trinity Laban, under the tutelage of Eamonn Mulhall and Alistair Young. While at Trinity Laban, Niall was a Trinity College London Scholar, member of Chamber Choir under Stephen Jackson, and performed with Trinity Laban Opera in A Christmas Carol (Musgrave, 2018), Syllable (Jessen, 2022) and Strozzi! (Strozzi/Hamilton, 2022). Niall enjoys working with young composers on new works and has also worked with the British Youth Opera and Opera Holland Park. Niall is thrilled to be joining the Opera Asteria company for this performance of Dido and Aeneas.

Queen's House, Royal Museums Greenwich
Admission free, no ticket required