Alcina

James is General Director of ETO and has written original libretti for two operas and translations for three others, as well as several works of fiction.

Operatic work includes Katya Kabanova, Rusalka, Susannah, Eugene Onegin, Orfeo, Jenufa, Anna Bolena, Maria Stuarda, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as Teseo and Alcina (ETO); Ariodante, Erismena, Flavio, The Cunning Little Vixen (ETO and OTC); The Marriage of Figaro (RCM and ETO); Tolomeo (London Handel Festival/ ETO); Tamerlano, Amadigi, Rodelinda, L’elisir d’amore, Katya Kabanova and The Rake’s Progress (OTC); Cinderella (De Vlaamse Opera/ Transparant); Don Giovanni (Canadian Opera Company); La Voix humaine (Teatro Nacional São João, Oporto); staging of Kurt Weill songs (Culturgest, Lisbon); La Spinalba (Casa da Musica, Porto), The Cunning Little Vixen (Moravian National Theatre, Brno).

Opera and theatre work: Choreographer: The Cunning Little Vixen (ETO, OTC); Sweeney Todd (RAM); Who Killed Mr Drum (Treatment Theatre), Jenufa, Eugene Onegin, Susannah and Don Giovanni ( ETO); Casanova (Told by an Idiot); Tartuffe and The Hypochondric (Liverpool Playhouse) Director: Hänsel und Gretel (Stowe Opera); Jephtha (ETO). Le nozze di Figaro and Eugene Onegin (Iford Arts)
Bernadette’s career as a dancer and performer includes working for Tanztheater Wuppertal, ARC Dance Company, Siobhan Davies, Aletta Collins, London Contemporary Dance Theatre, Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre, Corp Feasa and many leading choreographers and directors in dance, opera and theatre.

Robert studied at York University and is Co-Artistic Director of The Avison Ensemble; Assistant Director of English Voices and Co-Principal keyboard player of the OAE. His opera engagements include Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria (WNO); Alcina (Hamburg State Opera); Monteverdi Ballo del Ingrate and Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda followed by Ulysses comes home (BOC); L’Orfeo and Tolomeo (ETO). He has been assistant conductor at several European houses and festivals and on the concert platform has conducted the OAE, Northern Sinfonia, St James Baroque Players, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra and Mozart Festival Orchestra. Future plans include a European tour of Monteverdi Vespers and The Glory of Venice with OAE.

Designs for theatre, opera and dance. Joanna’s opera engagements include The Rape of Lucretia (RCM); Eugene Onegin, Falstaff, Alcina, Le nozze di Figaro, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Cunning Little Vixen (ETO). She has also worked with the ROH, SO, OTC Dublin. Joanna’s designs for theatre include The Young Vic, Hampstead Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Salisbury Playhouse and The Lyric Hammersmith. She designed The Noise of Time for Theatre de Complicité at the Lincoln Centre NY, Barbican Centre London and European Festivals. Dance designs include Cholmondeleys, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company and London Contemporary Dance Theatre. She is Senior Lecturer in Scenography at Central School of Speech and Drama.

Natasha trained NOS, and GSMD where she won the Gold Medal Competition. Other achievements include the Glyndebourne on Tour Promis Award. Operatic roles include Elisetta/ The Secret Marriage and First Wood Nymph/ Rusalka (GFO)*; Ilia/ Idomeneo (ON); Emma/ Khovanshchina (WNO); First Lady/ The Magic Flute (ON and Holland Park Opera); Micaela/ Carmen (GTO); Kumadha/ The Flowering Tree (Chicago Opera Theatre). Natasha’s concert appearances include Haydn Creation (Windsor Festval); Carmina Burana (RPO); Handel Messiah (Ulster Orchestra); Pergolesi Missa Romana (Orchestre National de Lyon). Future performances will include Faure Requiem (Cadogan Hall), First Wood Nymph/ Rusalka (ON) and Donna Anna/ Don Giovanni (GTO).

• on 21st August, 2009 – with Natasha’s replacement being rushed down from London for the final act).

Celeste trained at the Sydney Conservatorium and GSMD. Awards include the Countess of Munster Award; Australian Music Foundation Award; Helpmann Award; Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship. Opera engagements include Soprano Soloist/ Hydrogen Jukebox (Angers-Nantes Opéra); Ninfa/ L’Orfeo (ON); Cover Partenope/ Partenope and Cover Clemence/ L’amour de loin (ENO); Sandrina/ La finta giardiniera (Opéra de Baugé); Governess/ The Turn of the Screw (Kiev Festival). Future opera engagements include Celia/ Lucio Silla (Opéra Angers-Nantes Opéra and Opéra de Rennes). Concert engagements include Die Jahreszeiten at the Maribor Festival (November 2009) and Mahler Symphony No. 4 (Melbourne Symphony Orchestra).

Wendy was born in Timaru, New Zealand and went on to train at Victoria University of Wellington, RNCM and RCM. In 2005 she was a Cardiff Singer of the World finalist and won the Kathleen Ferrier Award, Royal Overseas League Music Competition and Young Artist Trust in 2003. Opera roles include Isabella/ L’italiana in Algeri (New Zealand Opera); Fiduma/ The Secret Marriage (SO); Innocent/ The Minotaur (ROH); Messenger/ L’Orfeo (ENO); Der Komponist/ Ariadne auf Naxos (Garsington Opera); Varvara/ Katya Kabanova (ON). Concert appearances include Mahler Symphony No. 2 (Zagreb Philharmonic); Mozart Mass in C Minor (RLPO); Song Recital (Wigmore Hall).

Nathan was the winner of the 2006 London Handel Singing Competition, where he was also awarded the Audience Prize. He recently graduated from the BBIOS, RCM.
Nathan’s operatic engagements have included Pedrillo/ Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Surrey Opera); Nencio/ L’infedeltà delusa (Bampton Cassical Opera); First Prisoner/ Fidelio and cover Evangelist St Matthew Passion (GFO). At the BBIOS he has sung
Nerone/ L’incoronazione di Poppea and Alessandro/ Poro, rè dell’Indie. He made his debut with ENO in L’incoronazione di Poppea. Recent concerts include Handel Messiah (Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano and Sir Neville Marriner); Evangelist, Bach St. Matthew Passion (Northern Sinfonia); concerts with Les Arts Florissant.