The Marriage of Figaro

Michael Rosewell began his career at the Vienna State Opera, assisting Claudio Abbado and working closely with many of the world’s greatest singers including Pavarotti, Domingo, Gruberova, Freni and Cappuccilli. He has conducted extensively throughout Germany, notably in the opera houses of Kassel, Wiesbaden and the Mannheim, where he held the position of Kapellmeister. Michael’s first guest appearances in the UK included some world premiere performances of Stephen Oliver’s Timon of Athens for English National Opera and since then, he has conducted for ENO, Kent Opera, English Touring Opera, and at the Aldeburgh, Bath, Perth, Buxton and Montepulciano Festivals. As Associate Conductor for the London Handel Society, he has introduced many rarely performed Handel operas to the London stage. Michael is also Director of Opera at the Royal College of Music.

In concert, Michael has appeared in Germany, Austria, France, Italy and Croatia and broadcast for Radio France Musique and Süddeutsche Rundfunk. He has conducted concerts at the Mayfield Festival with the London Mozart Players and internationally renowned baritone, Sir Thomas Allen. His recording, with Grammy-award-winning tenor Alfie Boe and the Orchestra of Scottish Opera, was recently released under the Decca record label.

Michael has been noted in the press as one of this country’s leading Mozartians and is also widely acknowledged as one of the foremost interpreters of the music of Benjamin Britten. His performances of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Bellini’s Norma, Janacek’s Katya Kabanova and Jenufa for English Touring Opera have been critically acclaimed for the style and theatricality of his interpretations, and the excellence of the orchestral playing. He was appointed Music Director for ETO, in 2009.

Recent theatre performances include appearances at The London Coliseum in the presence of HRH Prince Andrew, The Hong Kong Arts Festival and a return visit to Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu.

A devoted advocate of new music, he has collaborated with The Opera Group, Opera W11 and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group on new operas by Edward Rushton, Julian Philips, Stuart Hancock, and Jonathan Dove.

Recent opera engagements have included assisting on The Queen of Spades (Opera North) and Salome (Singapore Lyric Opera).

Previously for ETO, he has conducted The Marriage of Figaro, La Clemenza di Tito, Don Pasquale, Fantastic Mr Fox also assisting on A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Born in London, Timothy Carey studied the cello with Casals-pupil, Christopher Bunting in addition to the piano from a young age. He went on to study conducting with Prof. Ilya Musin at the St Petersburg Conservatoire.

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).

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.

Matthew studied Lighting Design at Rose Bruford College. Opera credits include La Cenerentola (Malmö Opera); Pelléas et Mélisande, The Sofa, The Departure (Independent Opera); L’assedio di Calais, La cambiale di matrimonio, La Colombe, L’occasione fa il ladro (GSMD); La fedeltà premiata (RAM); Partenope, Les nuits d‘été (Les Azuriales Festival); A House on the Moon, Orfeo, Tolomeo (ETO); Tobias and the Angel (The Young Vic/ ETO); Le nozze di Figaro (RCM). Theatre credits include Glass Mountain (Trestle Theatre); Blowing Whistles, Hit Me! (Leicester Square Theatre); Mud (Gate Theatre); The Pool (Arts Theatre London); Lovely and Misfit (Trafalgar Studios). Site Specific projects include Dido Queen of Carthage (Kensington Palace); Sea Tongue (The Shout/ De La Warr Pavilion); Encounters (Greenwich & Docklands Festival).

Robert studied at the University of Sheffield and GSMD. He received the 2003 Erich Vietheer Memorial Award at Glyndebourne and appeared as Mr. Gedge/Albert Herring, Marcello/La Boheme, Count Almaviva/Le Nozze di Figaro and Doctor Falke/Die Fledermaus on the Festival Tour. Other notable roles at Glyndebourne include Curo/Julio Cesare, Indian/The Bartered Bride, Guccio/Gianni Schicchi, Shepherd/Pelleas et Melisande and Guide/Carmen. He was Greek Captain in the Gramophone Award-winning production of Les Troyens at (Châtelet Theatre). Other roles include Lalo’s premiere of Verrina/Fiesque (UCL); Belcore/L’Elisir d’Amore and Sharpless/Madame Butterfly (Opera Box); Dancaïre/Carmen and Jailer/Tosca (Diva Opera). Concert performances include Monteverdi Vespers (St. Mark’s, Venice), Handel Messiah (St. David’s Hall, Cardiff), Elgar The Kingdom and Caractacus, Mendelssohn Elijah and Orff Carmina Burana.

Eliana Pretorian was born in Romania and trained at the RCM and National Opera Studio. She won first prize on two consecutive occasions in the Romanian National Singing Competition, and in 2005 was the youngest finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier Competition. Operatic roles include Gianetta/L’elisir d’amore (GFO); Karolka/Jenůfa, Dew Fairy/Hänsel und Gretel, Papagena/Die Zauberflöte (GOT); Naiad/Ariadne auf Naxos, Clorinda/La Cenerentola (Garsington); Despina/Cosi fan tutte (Longborough Festival Opera). Concert appearances include Dircé/Médée (Gulbenkian Orchestra); Haydn arias (the Classical Opera Company); and Handel Messiah (Philadelphia Orchestra).

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.

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.

Andrew studied at Royal Northern College of Music and St Petersburg Conservatoire. He has performed more than 60 opera roles including Lotario, Ariodate, Falstaff, Bottom, Bartolo, Blitch, Alfonso, Donald and Araspe (All ETO); Ben Selim (Royal Opera House), Nachtigal (Grange Park Opera), Golaud (Glyndebourne Touring Opera), Faninal (Scottish Opera), Basilio (Welsh National Opera), Sacristan (Opera North), Colline (English National Opera) etc.

Recordings include Nyman, Love Counts and Mozart 252 (MNR); Michael Berkeley, Jane Eyre (Chandos); Stravinsky, The Flood (Twentieth Century Classics).

Henry trained at GSMD, the Alexander Gibson Opera School at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and as a Britten-Pears Young Artist. Previous roles include Snug/ A Midsummer Night’s Dream (ETO, Opera de Bauge and BYO); Antonio/ Le Nozze di Figaro (ETO, BYO); Don Alfonso/ Cosi Fan Tutti (Grange Park Opera, Pimlico Opera); Superintendent Budd/ Albert Herring (Co-Opera Co, Dottore); Grenvil/ La Traviata (Opera de Bauge); covered and sang The Mikado/ The Mikado (Carl Rosa Opera, UK and US National Tours); Farmer Boggis/ Fantastic Mr Fox (Chamber Version World Premiere, OHP). Oratorios have included Haydn’s The Creation, Haydn’s Nelson Mass, Mozart’s Requiem, Polyphemus in Handel’s Acis and Galatea at venues including St. Martin’s in the Fields and the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Future plans for 2011 include Perichaud/ La Rondine, Antonio/ Le Nozze di Figaro (OHP).

Stephanie was born in Leicester and trained at the RCM and RWCMD. Awards include 2006 Stuart Burrows Competition Prize, Lee Freeman Memorial Prize and Josephine Baker Trust. Operatic roles include Cricket, Frog, Chief Hen, and Woodpecker/The Cunning Little Vixen, and Barbarina/Le Nozze di Figaro (RCM and BBIOS); Cathleen/Riders to the Sea and Mercedes/The Ten Belles (RWCMD); Fairy Queen/The Tailor’s Daughter (Welsh National Youth Opera). Concert engagements include Mendelssohn Hear My Prayer (John S. Davies Singers); Haydn The Seasons (East Grinstead Choral Society); Vaughan Williams Sea Symphony (Banbury). She recently recorded a CD of John Ireland’s music with the Vivace Singers (Priory Records), as well as “Discovering Music: Extracts from The Magic Flute” for BBC Radio 3. Stephanie has previously performed with ETO as Papagena/The Magic Flute.

Catrine Kirkman graduated with a Masters from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama and continues to study with Jessica Cash. Recent roles include Zerlina/ Don Giovanni (Focus Opera); Tebaldo/ Don Carlo (Midsummer Opera); Susanna/ Figaro, Papagena/ Magic Flute (both Opera Brava); Suor Genovieffa/ Suor Angelica (Midsummer Opera). Catrine performed the solo vocalise in a world premiere by Benjamin Ellin at the opening catwalk show of London Fashion Week 2010. She sings the role of Inn Hostess on the Naxos recording of Edward German’s Tom Jones, and plays the title role in forthcoming cinema release In Love with Alma Cogan (Capriol Films). Future engagements include the role of Laetitia (Sullivan’s The Zoo) for Charles Court Opera in Gettysburg, USA, in June. Catrine has previously appeared with ETO as Barbarina/ Figaro and Moth/ A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Benedict was born in Manchester and studies with Jeffery Talbot. His operatic roles include cover Bardolfo/Falstaff, cover Night Watchman and Marco Polo/Night at the Chinese Opera and cover Gastone/La Traviata (Scottish Opera); First Trojan/Idomeneo (Birmingham Opera); Gastone/La Traviata (OHP). His theatre credits include The Gondoliers, The Merchant of Venice and The Water Babies for the Chichester Theatre Festival. Concert engagements include Beethoven Fidelio (Proms Royal Albert Hall); Verdi Otello and Macmillan St John Passion (Concertgebouw Amsterdam). Benedict has also made recordings for Opera Rara and Chandos and sings and records with London Voices.