Cosi fan tutte

Born in Hertfordshire, Laura studied at the Royal College of Music where she gained a first-class honours degree and postgraduate diploma. She then joined the Benjamin Britten International Opera School, studying with Lillian Watson. In 2007, she won the Song prize at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards and the Lies Askonas Prize. Laura attended the National Opera Studio during the 2007/08 season.

While at the NOS, Laura took part in residencies at WNO, Scottish Opera, Theatre Royal and Opera North, singing Illia/Idomeneo, Helena/A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Donna Elvira/Don Giovanni, Leila/The Pearlfishers. Other operatic roles include Countess Almaviva/Le nozze di Figaro and Elisa/Tolomeo for BBIOS, Aldimira in Cavalli ‘s Erismena, First Witch/Dido and Aeneas, Ninfa and Proserpina/Orfeo (cover), all for English Touring Opera. More recently, she appeared at Scottish Opera in Smetana’s Two Widows, covering the role of Lidka.

Concert work includes Tippett’s Spirituals and Rutter’s Requiem at St.John Smith Square, Mozart’s Exultate Jubilate and Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras no 5 with the Emerald Ensemble at Bristol Cathedral, Bach’s B Minor Mass at St John Smith Square, Haydn’s Nelson Mass with Sir David Willcocks, Handel’s Messiah at Kings College Cambridge with Stephen Cleobury,Mozart’s Exultate Jubilate with the London Pro Arte Orchestra in Denmark and Strauss’ Four Last Songs at the Hatfield Auditorium, conducted by Peter Stark.

In 2007/08, Laura sang Bach’s St. John Passion with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Mark Padmore at the QEH in London, which was followed by a tour through South Korea and Japan.
As a recitalist she has performed at the Teatro dei Rozzi Siena, the St.Peters Basilica Rome as well as the Purcell Room, Wigmore Hall, St Martin in the Fields, St.James’ Piccadilly, and the Windsor, Chester and Beaumaris Festivals.
She has taken part in master classes with Robin Stapleton (Amici di Verdi) and with Roger Vignoles at the Leeds Lieder Festival.

Her most recent appearances include Bach’s St Matthew Passion at the Royal Festival Hall with Mark Padmore and the OAE, recitals for the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Ismene/Mitridate for WNO with Sir Charles Mackkeras, Gilda/Rigoletto for the Grange Park Opera ‘Rising Stars’ series and ‘Messiah’ concerts with John Nelson and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg.

Future engagments include Helena and Countess Almaviva for ETO, Donna Elvira at Opera Holland Park and Kristina/The Makropoulos Case at ENO.

Laura gratefully receives the support of The Countess of Munster Musical Trust for their Funding and Recital scheme, the Concordia Foundation for the Barthel Prize, the Wingate Scholarship, the Zetland Foundation, and the Worshipful Company of Musicians.

Winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award 2011 and the 59th Royal Over-seas League Award for Singers, British mezzo soprano Kitty Whately trained at Chetham’s School of Music, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Royal College of Music International Opera School. She was also a finalist at the Les Azuriales International Singing Competition 2010.

Kitty has recently sung Rosina The Barber of Seville for English Touring Opera, Cherubino Le Nozze di Figaro, Dorabella Così fan tutte and Eduige Rodelinda for RCMIOS, Kate Owen Wingrave for Nuremberg International Chamber Music Festival, and Edith in Arne’s Alfred for the Classical Opera Company. She has also sung cover roles in the world premiere of Peter Etvos’ Love and Other Demons for Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and Idamante Idomeneo for Buxton Festival Opera. Other operatic roles include Nancy Albert Herring, Juno Semele, Second Lady The Magic Flute, and Johanna Sweeney Todd.

On the recital platform, Kitty has worked with Roger Vignoles, Malcolm Martineau, Gary Matthewman and Joseph Middleton. She has given recitals at Oxford Lieder Festival, Wigmore Hall, the Elgar Room (RAH), and Kings Place. A Samling Foundation Scholar, Kitty has also participated in a workshop week with Sir Thomas Allen and Roger Vignoles in 2010.

Highlights in 2012/13 season include her debut at the English National Opera, playing several roles in The Pilgrim’s Progress, Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius at St John’s Smith Square, Messiah at RAH, the Verbier Festival Christmas Concert, Dorabella Così fan tutte for English Touring Opera, Canteloube Chansons d’Auvergne with RPO at RFH, and a recital of Shakespeare settings at Wigmore Hall.

Kitty Whately was awarded the Cuthbert Smith prize, the Ted Moss and Bertha Taylor-Stach lieder prize and 1st place in the Joan Chissell Schumann competition. She is also supported by the English Touring Opera Young Artist Programme.

Rising young tenor Anthony Gregory is a recipient of many awards and prizes including the Ian Fleming Award and the Lies Askonas Prize. He was a Jerwood Young Artist for 2010 at Glyndebourne and a trainee of the prestigious National Opera Studio in 2011-2012.

Last season he sang the title role of Lucio Silla (Classical Opera Company) and Edward Milfort Il cambiale matrimonio (Aix-en-Provence Festival Académie). Other engagements included Purcell The Fairy Queen (English Touring Opera); Schubert’s Rosamunde (BBC Philharmonic Orchestra); Bach St John Passion in Hereford Cathedral and the launch of a new recording of Chilcott’s Requiem in Wells Cathedral. In the 2012/13 season he makes ENO debut as Young Sailor Julietta and Don Ottavio Don Giovanni (cover). Other engagements include Ferrando Cosi Fan Tutte (English Touring Opera); Messiah at Cadogan Hall, Wells Cathedral and with Royal Scottish National Orchestra for his debut with the orchestra; a concert of Handel works with the Choir of Kings College Cambridge at the Royal Albert Hall; and a Christmas Concert at the Watford Coliseum.

Paula received the Tagor Gold Medal from the RCM and the Karaviotis Prize at the Les Azuriales International Competition. At RCM, she was a finalist for the Young Concert Artists Trust and received the Coutts & Co. Award along with the Sir Thomas Allen Scholarship supported by a Clayton Award. Operatic roles include Norina/ Don Pasquale, Gilda/ Rigoletto (Preggio Opera Festival, Italy); Atalanta/ Atalanta (Handel Society); Bastienne/ Bastien und Bastienne (Skipton Camerata); Mimi/ La bohème, Inez/ Il trovatore (both Opus I Opera); Grasshopper/ The Cunning Little Vixen (RCM). Covers include Governess/ Turn of the Screw (Opera North). Concert engagements include Mozart Unwrapped (King’s Place with Roger Vignoles November 2011), City of Dreams (Philharmonia Orchestra concert series 2009); City Music Society series (Eric Falk Trust Award). Paula has also recorded a Peroni advert soundtrack. Previously for ETO, Paula has performed the roles of Pamina/ The Magic Flute, Clizia/ Teseo, Emilia/ Flavio, Susanna/ Figaro.

Richard Mosley-Evans was born in Cardiff and trained at the Welsh College of Music and Drama. Awards include Silver Medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians, the Sybil Tutton Opera Scholarship and twice winner of the Sir Geraint Evans Scholarship. Operatic roles include cover Gepetto/ The Adventure of Pinocchio (ON); Bosun/ Billy Budd, Doctor, Servant and Herald/ Macbeth, cover Father/ Hänsel und Gretel, Steuermann/ Tristan und Isolde (all for GFO); The Mayor/ Jenůfa (GTO); Le Dancaire/ Carmen, cover Don Alfonso/ Cosi fan tutte (both GFO and GTO); Sacristan/ Tosca (Raymond Gubbay at RAH). Recordings include DVD releases of Billy Budd, Tristan und Isolde, Gianni Schicchi for GFO, various TV/Radio broadcasts from Glyndebourne and at the Proms (RAH).