January News
We began the year in true Opera Prelude style — championing young artists and celebrating the richness of the repertoire — with two vibrant OperaBites events, in Barnes and Hampstead.
In Barnes, mezzo-soprano Nancy Holt explored some of opera’s most compelling trouser roles, including Romeo from I Capuleti e i Montecchi and Sesto from La clemenza di Tito. Her performance combined dramatic insight with vocal warmth, beautifully supported by George Ireland at the piano.
Just over a week later in Hampstead, mezzo-soprano Alexandria Moon continued our celebration of these fascinating roles. She brought elegance and emotional depth to arias from Der Rosenkavalier — music that demands both richness of tone and subtlety of character — superbly accompanied by Archie Bonham.
Two evenings that perfectly reflected what Opera Prelude is about: giving exceptional young artists the platform they deserve and sharing extraordinary music in an intimate, engaging setting.
Our first lecture recital of the year set the tone beautifully. Simon Mascarenhas Carter was joined by Mark Dangerfield on guitar — a refreshing and intimate change from our usual piano accompaniment. Together they explored operatic gems from the Italian repertoire, alongside evocative Spanish songs by Manuel de Falla and English works by William Walton and Benjamin Britten. Simon sang with refinement and expressive clarity, and the warmth of the guitar created a wonderfully close, atmospheric experience for our audience.
Meanwhile in Henley, soprano Ceferina Penny presented our second lecture recital of the month, Soubrettes Saving the Day. With charm and authority, she guided the audience through the world of the soubrette voice — its distinctive sound, character, and dramatic function — illustrating her insights with sparkling arias by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Carl Maria von Weber, Gaetano Donizetti and more. Informative, engaging, and beautifully sung, it was a perfect example of Opera Prelude’s commitment to combining insight with performance at the highest level.
January is typically a quiet time for singers, but our young artists got up to some incredible work outside of OP regardless. Alumni Charles Styles, tenor, announced that he would be represented by Zelaya Artists worldwide. Catherine Hooper, soprano, toured China in January, visiting places such as Ningbo, Suzhou, Shenzhen and more with a programme of arias and songs. And finally, baritone Hector Bloggs began his stint covering the Count for Opera North’s production of Le nozze di Figaro.
It’s been a fantastic start to the year – we can’t wait to see what the rest of it has to offer!