Eugene Onegin

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.

James has directed a range of operas for ETO – including, most recently, the critically-acclaimed Il tabarro (Puccini) and Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito. In 2010, he directed the world premiere of Alexander Goehr’s opera, Promised End. His production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (performed by ETO in 2004 and revived in 2010) was nominated for an RPS Award.

Other operatic work includes Katya Kabanova, Rusalka, Susannah, Eugene Onegin, Orfeo, Jenufa, Anna Bolena, Maria Stuarda, 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).

Michael began his conducting career in Germany before joining the Vienna State Opera. In Vienna he assisted Claudio Abbado and worked closely with the world’s leading singers, notably Pavarotti and Domingo. Michael has conducted in Kassel, Wiesbaden; Mannheim, where he was resident staff conductor; ENO, and at numerous international festivals, including Buxton, Bath, Perth and Montepulciano. He has appeared at the Aldeburgh Festival and is recognised as one of the leading interpreters of Britten’s music. In concert he has worked with many European orchestras and broadcast on Radio France Musique and Südwestfunk. Michael has conducted Le nozze di Figaro, A Misummer Nights Dream, Katya Kabanova, Norma and Teseo for ETO and recorded a CD with Grammy award winning tenor Alfie Boe and the Orchestra of Scottish Opera. He is currently Opera Director at the RCM and Music Director for ETO.

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.

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.

A graduate of RNCM, Michael’s operatic roles during college included Tom Rakewell/The Rake’s Progress, Sandy and First Officer/The Lighthouse and Ruggero/La Rondine. He was the 2006 winner of the Emmy Destinn Award for Young Singers and a prizewinner at the Mezzo Television International Opera Competition and Festival 2008. Operatic roles include Tamino/The Magic Flute (ENO); Boris/Katya Kabanova (SO); First Armed Man/The Magic Flute (ENO and OHP); Lensky/Eugene Onegin, Steva/Jenufa and Cavaradossi/Tosca (ETO); Judge Danforth/The Crucible (Dicapo Opera, New York); Don José/Carmen, Rodolfo/La bohème and Jenik/The Bartered Bride (Mid Wales Opera). In concert and broadcast Michael has performed with RLPO, RPO, English Chamber Orchestra and BBC Concert Orchestra at venues including Barbican Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall.

Born London
Training RAM
Opera Frugola Il Tabarro (WNO), Auntie Peter Grimes, Katisha The Mikado (both ENO), Innkeeper’s Wife The Cunning Little Vixen (City of Birmingham Touring Opera), Filipyevna Eugene Onegin (ON)
Concert Elgar Sea Pictures (City of Southampton Symphony Orchestra), Verdi Requiem (Singapore Symphony Orchestra), Beethoven Symphony no. 9 (Hallé Orchestra)
Recordings Robert Saxton Caritas (Collins Classics), various musicals including The Sound of Music, Carousel, Fiddler on the Roof, South Pacific and a Gershwin album (Carlton Label)

Born
Reading

Training
RNCM; NOS

Awards
Prizewinner 2003 Cardiff Singer of the World; 2nd Prize 2000 Kathleen Ferrier Awards

Opera
Eugene Onegin Eugene Onegin (ETO); Henry Kissinger Nixon in China (ENO); Papageno Magic Flute, Schaunard La Boheme and Falke Die Fledermaus (SO as Company Principal Artist); Nick Shadow Rake’s Progress (GFO); Escamillo Carmen (Castleward and Cork Opera House)

Concerts
Rosenblatt Recital (St John’s, Smith Square); Walton Belshazzar’s Feast (Hallé); Britten War Requiem (Bydgoscz/Filarmonika Pomorska); Bernstein Candide (Edinburgh Festival); Bellini La Straniera (LPO)

Recordings
Fauré Requiem; A Masked Ball, Madam Butterfly and The Carmelites (Chandos); Il Diluvio Universale, La Straniera (Opera Rara)

Future Plans
Papageno (OHP); Alfio Cavalleria Rusticana and Shelkalov Boris Godunov (ENO); Renato Ballo in maschera (Reisopera); Belcore L’elisir d’amore (WNO);

Born South Africa
Training Neil Howlett
Awards Represented South Africa in Cardiff Singer of the World 2005, Kathleen Ferrier Competition finalist, winner of Bayreuth Bursary and Great Elm Singing Competition.
Opera Alcina Alcina, Fiordiligi Così fan tutte (both ETO), Barena Jen_fa (GFO), Tosca Tosca (London City Opera, Central Festival Opera, Northampton), First Bridesmaid Le Nozze di Figaro, Flowermaiden Parsifal (both WNO)
Concert Mendelssohn St Paul (Tring Choral Society), Vaughan Williams Sea Symphony (Tring Choral Society), Victorian Parlour Songs with Robert Tear
Future Manon Lescaut Manon Lescaut (OHP)