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Opera Lyrica – in Concert.
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After the delights of Opera Lyrica at All Saints’ over the past couple of years, we welcome them back to give a concert of the most beloved opera arias, duets, trios, and quartets. Featuring the Verdi quartet that inspired a film, Rossinian fireworks, Mozartian beauty, and Puccinian emotion, this concert promises to make you both laugh and cry in the space of 90 minutes. Opera Lyrica was founded in 2012 by Nicholas Simpson (General Director) with Paola Cuffolo (Artistic Director) to try to help young singers, musicians, directors, designers, and technicians gain experience in opera as well as to try to increase opera’s audience in general, especially amongst the younger generation. They believe that opera should be accessible to everyone. So far Opera Lyrica has presented a double bill of Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor and Die Zauberflöte in Oxford and Sheffield, Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and an 11 venue tour of the South of England with Handel’s Acis and Galatea. Recent Opera Lyrica productions include a double-bill of Blow’s Venus and Adonis and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas performed in Farley in February 2015. ProgrammeO mio Babbino Caro – Gianni Schicchi – Puccini Tickets £15.00 (£10.00 for Friends of Farley Music) from Salisbury Playhouse (01722 320333), or on the door, to include an interval drink Biographies of PerformersMusical Director: William Cole
Recent performances of William’s compositions have been given by Britten Sinfonia, Piotr Anderszewki, The Hermes Experiment, Peter Sheppard Skaerved, the choirs of Clare and College, Cambridge and Gloucester Cathedral, the Cambridge University New Music Ensemble and the Hampshire County Youth Orchestra, with festival appearances include the Ludlow Festival of English Song, L’Aura des Arts, Nonclassical and the Three Choirs Festival. Winner of the 2013 John Sanders Memorial Competition, his works have been heard at venues across the UK, Europe and in America and broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and he is one of today’s youngest published composers, with his choral music published by Encore Publications. Future projects include a new horn trio for the Swaledale Festival. William is also active as a pianist, with recital partners including Stephen Varcoe, and was a Choral Scholar at Clare College. Community work has involved workshops with young children in the south of England as part of the Elastic Band, collaborations with children in Soweto, Johannesburg, and projects with English Touring Opera. He writes for Interlude HK and TEMPO, and holds the position of Choral Director at London’s Youth Music Centre. Mezzo-Soprano : Paola Cuffolo
Paola Aurelia Cuffolo is a mezzo-soprano and operatic director. She began her solo singing career as a soprano at the Junior Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Eileen Price, where she won the Singer’s Prize in 2006. As a soprano she took part in and won several national competitions, and performed at the Glastonbury Extravaganza in August 2008 alongside The Feeling and Kate Nash. Paola was accepted to read Music at St Peter’s College, Oxford in 2007, where she was holder of the Paul Geddes choral scholarship. Whilst at Oxford, Paola was extremely active in the operatic scene, co-founding St Peter’s College Opera, with whom she sang the roles of Despina (Così Fan Tutte, 2009), Adele (Die Fledermaus, 2009), as well as Maragond (Fierrabras, 2009) Frasquita (Carmen scene, 2009) and Mrs Grose (The Turn of the Screw, 2010) for other student companies. After graduating from Oxford in 2010, Paola studied on the Opera Performance course at Birkbeck College, University of London, from which she graduated in 2011. This gave her the opportunity to perform under professional directors such as Michael Hunt, Tim Hopkins and Caroline Gawn, as well as course director Philip Headlam. She then began learning with Susan Roberts in July 2011, and became a mezzo-soprano. In February 2012, having begun directing whilst at Oxford with Cosi fan Tutte and Die Fledermaus for St Peter’s College Opera, Paola was offered the opportunity to return to St Peter’s to direct their production of The Marriage of Figaro, which was described in the Financial Times as having been ‘performed […] with astonishing verve’. Gaining in experience, Paola was then fortunate to be able to assist director John Ramster at the AIMS International Music School in August 2012 on scenes from Louise, La Bohème and L’Enfant et les Sortilèges. In May 2012 Paola and producer Nicholas Simpson co-founded Opera Lyrica. With them, she has directed performances of Der Schauspieldirektor/Die Zauberflöte, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and their national tour of Acis and Galatea, which was said to have ‘achieved something really quite special’ (Joe Richomme, Fringe Opera). Upcoming productions include Così Fan Tutte in the 20th Century Theatre, Notting Hill in September 2014, and a double bill of Venus and Adonis/Dido and Aeneas in November 2014. Paola continues to sing and direct freelance. She currently studies singing with Susan Roberts. She is also is a regular lecturer for Opera Prelude, a company that allows singers to give performance-based lectures on opera-related subjects of their choosing. Tenor: Christopher Diffey
Soprano : Kristy Swift
Kristy has won numerous awards in Australia, including the Herald Sun Aria, the National Oratorio Prize and the Robert Salzer scholarship at the National Liederfest. She has regularly been broadcast on Australian television and radio. Bass: Chris Webb
Whilst at university, Chris sang with the Choir of Clare College Cambridge, the Cambridge University Chamber Choir, and the Rodolfus Choir. With Clare College he appeared as a soloist under Sir Roger Norrington at St John’s, Smith Square, and live on BBC Radio 3 with the Academy of Ancient Music. He now sings with a number of professional vocal ensembles in London and across the UK. He has recently completed a series of projects with the Zürcher Sing-Akademie based at Tonhalle, Zürich. In lighter mood, Chris performs and records with a cappella group Over the Bridge, acclaimed as “worthy successors to the King’s Singers” by Gramophone magazine. Forthcoming recitals include collaborations with soprano Philippa Bonnet in Milton Keynes and London, and bass cantatas of the French and German schools with Musica Poetica London and Oliver-John Ruthven, in London and Malta. Tickets £15.00 (£10.00 for Friends of Farley Music) from Salisbury Playhouse (01722 320333), or on the door, to include an interval drink
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