With just a couple of days to go before our second David Butt Philip and Friends Gala, we can reveal the repertoire for the evening. Joining David (tenor) will be soprano Natalya Romaniw, mezzo soprano Katie Stevenson and baritone Ross Ramgobin. They will be accompanied by Ed Whitehead and Ben-San Lau on piano.

All are regular faces at the world’s leading opera houses including the ENO, the Royal Opera House, Welsh National Opera and Glyndebourne. David, Ross and San have just finished a highly acclaimed production of Rusalka at the ROH. Katie has just finished her role as Flosshilde in Der Rheingold at the ENO while Natalya is back in the UK after performing the title role in Tosca at Hamburg’s Staatoper. Ed is mid run in the brand new opera Blaze of Glory! with WNO.

I catch Ed Whitehead on a much-earned day off in Cardiff. He’s been flat out recently, as assistant conductor on Welsh National Opera’s (WNO) new opera Blaze of Glory!, his first production with the opera company since joining them in January.

How’s the new role going with WNO?

“It’s been amazing. Blaze of Glory! is at times hugely funny, at times tragically sad, and  so authentically Welsh that I know it resonates with a lot of people here. There are a fair few in-jokes that possibly only people living in Wales will get, but I think it will be well received by our English audiences when we take it on tour as well as the story is pretty universal 

San has just made a quick dash from the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden after a Turandot rehearsal back to his flat in north London to have a chat about his operatic life.

“I’m playing the celesta in the orchestra and it’s great to be part of the actual performances as well as the rehearsals,” San tells me. His current role is pianist and répétiteur at the Opera House, having recently also been involved in the Rusalka production, working with David Butt Philip (DBP).

Baritone Ross Ramgobin has recently starred in the Royal Opera House’s new production of Rusalka with St Paul’s Opera (SPO) patron David Butt Philip (DBP). Hard work achieves the rewards of working at the highest level, he tells SPO founder, Tricia Ninian

What inspired you to take up singing?

When I was studying at Brunel University, I had a Music Award which not only paid for singing lessons, but also got me involved in choirs and shows. I ended up enjoying the time I spent at the Arts Centre more than my actual degree. My singing teacher Eileen and coach Sally mentioned to me that it might be something I could consider as a career - they really nurtured me, took me to concerts and operas, and helped to broaden the repertoire I was singing. This eventually prepared me to audition for the Royal Academy and I got in to do postgraduate study in 2009. 

At the end of a production run every opera singer enjoys some serious downtime.  I find Katie Stevenson, who has just finished her role as Flosshilde in The Rhinegold at ENO, using this time catching up with some domestic chores – a bit of touching up of paintwork in the home she shares with her partner, Nick, in south west London, before she takes her rescue American Staffie, Bruno, for a windy Thames walk.

How are the post show blues going?