In the 2017/18 season, David Butt Philip makes his debut with Teatro Real as Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, in Sir David McVicar’s new production of Gloriana as well as taking on the title role of Brett Dean’s Hamlet with Glyndebourne on Tour, having sung the role of Laertes in the Glyndebourne Festival Opera this summer. Other highlights include Falco in Mascagni’s Isabeau at Opera Holland Park and Narrabothin Salomeat the Royal Opera House. On the concert platform, Butt Philip sings Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius with the Hallé Orchestra and Sir Mark Elder, Verdi’s Requiem with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Britten’sWar Requiem with Opera Orchestra National Montpellier and Orquestra Sinfonica Portuguesa.
Recent engagements include Rodolfo (La Bohème) with Glyndebourne on Tour and English Touring Opera and Don José (Carmen) at Nevill Holt Opera. During his time as a Jette Parker Young Artist at the Royal Opera House he appeared in productions of Nabucco, Die Zauberflöte, Gloriana, Turandot, Parsifal, La Traviata, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Dialogues des Carmélites and Ariadne auf Naxos. On the concert platform, he performed in Mahler’s Das Klagende Liedwith Vladimir Jurowski and the London Philharmonic Orchestra; Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle at the Barbican, Haydn’s Nelson Mass with the Hallé under Sir Mark Elder, Britten Folk Songs with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and recitals at the Wigmore Hall with Simon Lane and the Solstice Quartet.
David was born and brought up in Wells in Somerset and was a chorister at Peterborough Cathedral. He is a graduate of Royal Northern College of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, and the National Opera Studio and is also a Samling Artist, an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music and winner of the prestigious John Christie Award in 2011.
PROGRAMME
ANTONIA CVIIC
Voi lo sapete, o mamma (Cavalleria Rusticana – Pietro Mascagni)
Antonia studied music and drama at Royal Holloway, University of London, where she was a choral scholar. Further training followed at the Royal College of Music and Morley College Opera School. Roles include: Donna Elvira (Co - Opera - Co), Vitellia (Midsummer Opera – cover), Erste Dame (Village Opera), Amina (Brent Opera), Suor Angelica (Morley College), Gutrune (Midsummer Opera) and Lady Billows (AylesburyOpera). With St Paul’s Opera, Antonia sang the role of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni in July2015. Recent roles include Elisabetta in Maria Stuarda with Brent Opera and Noemie in Cendrillon in Le Val, Provence. Next March, Antonia will be a soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at St John’s Smith Square.
BRID NI GHRUAGAIN
O Mio Fernando (La Favorita – Gaetano Donizetti)
Bríd is a mezzo-soprano from Dublin, whose recent projects include The 24hr Opera in June with Opera Theatre Company, Ireland and Dispatches, the ENO Opera Works showcase in May. Bríd premiered a new song cycle commissioned by The Prince of Wales, Songs Aer Rain by Neil Martin, at a reception for HRH and the Duchess of Cornwall. Her UK opera début was as Leah in Long Story Short: the Belfast Opera (NI Opera / Belfast Buildings Trust) in 2016. Other roles include - Witch/Mother (Hänsel & Gretel); Mrs. Grose (The Turn of the Screw); Zweite Dame (Die Zauberflöte); Nancy Tang (Nixon in China). ENO Opera Works artist 2016-17, librettist, voice director, concert soloist. Currently studying with Stephen Wallace and Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet.
BRYONY SOOTHILL
Caro nome (Rigoletto – Giuseppe Verdi)
Bryony is a ConcordiaFoundation Young Artist who joined the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she studied as a scholar with Rudolf Piernay and David Pollard. Recent engagements include two role debuts and house debut as Der Hirt cover and Noble Page (Tannhäuser) for Longborough Festival Opera 2016, Blumenmädchen (Parsifal)for Elemental Opera 2016, Zerlina (Don Giovanni)for St Paul’s Opera 2015 and Miss Wordsworth (Albert Herring) for the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and a 2017 world premiere of Pamela Elborn's Twelve Songs for Female Voice. Bryony was the first singer to win the Bristol Rotary Young Musician of the Year competition, won first prize in the Mid-Somerset Festival Recital Competition and was highly commended at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama English Song Competition and the Susan Longfield Competition.
GARETH EDMUNDS
Dies Bildnis (The Magic Flute – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Gareth studied with Eric Roberts and Adrian Thompson, and was awarded the Eileen Price prize for lieder singing at RWCMD. Roles include Acis/Damon (Acis and Galatea); Captain Macheath (The Beggar’s Opera); Dr Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus); Aeneas/Sailor (Dido and Aeneas); Lord Tolloler (Iolanthe); and Prince Charming (Cendrillon). Gareth sings in various ensembles including The Kings Consort performing throughout Europe and the USA. Last year, Gareth performed on Estonian Radio in Tartu and Tallinn. In 2017, he joined the Mogens Dahl Kammerkor, Copenhagen, performed the Champions League Anthem in Bristol, sang Pluto in St Paul’s Opera’s Orpheus in the Underworld and Ferrando in Così fan Tutte in Bordeaux.
OLIVIA LEWIS
Frere! Voyez! ….. Du gai soleil (Werther – Jules Massenet)
Olivia Lewis has recently completed her postgraduate studies at Trinity Laban Conservatoire for Music and Dance and continues to study with Prof Susan McCulloch. She also attended the Morley College Opera Performance Programme, after which Olivia became a Rossini Young Artist as part of the Rossini 2016 Opera Festival and currently freelances throughout the UK. In St Paul’s Opera’s 2017 production of Orpheus in the Underworld she sang the role of Diana. Future projects include taking on the role of leading lady, Adina, in Opera Bamba’s 2017 production of Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore and touring two productions of Puccini’s Suor Angelica with Opera in the Meantime and Lunchbreak Opera.In 2018, Olivia will tour with Opera Anywhere in the role of Pamina in The Magic Flute.