August News
What an incredible month this was! We had two fabulous events worth celebrating.
A Gala Concert at Chantry House
On the 6th of August, we hosted a gala concert with soprano Kristina Ammattil and bass-baritone Jacki Sandison at Chantry House in Henley-on-Thames. We were so happy to see so many audience members enjoying treats from across the operatic spectrum, and enjoying a glass of prosecco in the interval!
We particularly loved Kristina's incredible top notes in Durch Zärtlichkeit und Schmeicheln from Die Entführung aus dem Serail. World class!
Our Debut at Opera Holland Park
We then directed our focus towards one of Opera Prelude's biggest moments yet: our debut performance at Opera Holland Park!
We had a fabulous all-star cast of OP Young Artists past and present, who joined us for a double bill of Leonard Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti and Kurt Weill's The Seven Deadly Sins. Joined by conductor Lewis Gaston, director Valeria Perboni, choreographer Monica Nicolaides, and an orchestra full of incredible musicians, our cast put on a really spectacular show.
What the critics said
"[Alexandra] Moon sang 'I was standing in a garden' with creamy timbre and expressive nostalgia and imagination; she and Holton were unbearably wistful in the duet (if you can call it that) where they sing to the audience – but not to each other – of how they cannot bear to be together but cannot understand why (the reasons are all too obvious to the audience)." — Bachtrack
"I have never heard the score played better, Lewis Gaston conducting Opera Prelude's 16 piece orchestra to find all the vicious barbs, the poignant moments and the lilting satire that lies in the music. One act opera it may be, but this is no boutique operation and surely demands a return to Opera Holland Park next season." — Broadway World
"While Opera Prelude had only one night at Opera Holland Park they adjusted to the space and the walkway around the orchestra far better than some other ensembles. On this showing, it is very much to be hoped that they will return." — Plays to See
Seven Deadly Sins Stephanie Wake-Edwards, soprano and Yanki Yau, dancer
Young Artist News
Outside of our success at Holland Park, our Young Artists continued to thrive:
Soprano Ceferina Penny appeared as Musetta with Waterperry Opera Festival in La bohème throughout August
Tenor Robert Forrest sang Rodolfo with Waterperry Opera Festival in La bohème throughout August
Erin Rossington gave a recital as part of Waterperry's ballroom series
Simon Mascarenhas Carter gave a recital as part of Waterperry's ballroom series
Thank you to everyone who joined us this August, and to our wonderful artistic team for making these two events so memorable. Here's to what's next!