Andrew Shore plays Omar
We are pleased to announce that the professional baritone, Andrew Shore – and Bristol Opera’s President – has agreed to perform in the premiere of our commissioned work and throughout the evening with his own unique voice. Andrew’s reputation is an international one having performed at most of the world’s major opera houses including leading roles at ENO, Glyndebourne, Covent Garden, Paris Opera, and the New York Met whilst remaining loyal to his alma mater grassroots in Bristol where he began his music studies at the University.
https://www.grovesartists.com/artist/andrew-shore/
Rebecca Chellapah plays Anne Fish
We are delighted to see the return of Rebecca to our company for this world premiere. Her 2017 performance in Bristol Opera’s production of Carmen was a recent and intoxicating highlight showing her range and passion for opera.
Mezzo-soprano Rebecca holds a Masters in Music with Distinction from the Royal Northern College of Music, UK. She lives in Bristol where she works full time as a mezzo-soprano and teaches singing.
Rebecca’s operatic roles include Delilah in Saint-Saëns’ Samson and Delilah, Geneviève in Debussy’s Pélleas et Mélisande, Marcellina in The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart and Filipyvena in Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky.
An active recitalist, Rebecca has given many well received song recitals in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Europe and the UK. She has a deep love for chamber music, performing regularly in festivals and recitals around the UK. Rebecca’s international career also takes her to Oratorio as an alto soloist.
https://www.rebeccachellappah.com/
Guy Withers plays Edward Fitzgerald
We are delighted to welcome the return of Guy to Bristol Opera where he started his opera singing career at the age of 16.
Guy is now Artistic Director & CEO of Waterperry Opera Festival (2017-): a unique and innovative opera festival hosted at the beautiful Waterperry House & Gardens in Oxfordshire.
Alongside management, Guy Withers is an experienced deviser, director and theatre-maker, with work focusing on collaborative interdisciplinary practices within opera, music-theatre and puppetry. Directing credits for Waterperry Opera Festival include; ‘Peter Rabbit’s Musical Adventure’ (2018/19), ‘Cosi fan tutte’ (2020), ‘Peter and the Wolf’ (2021/22), and ‘The Diary of One Who Disappeared’ (2022). Both ‘Peter Rabbit’ and ‘Peter and the Wolf’ have toured nationally to The Lichfield Festival, The Newbury Spring Festival and Opera Holland Park. As a theatre-maker and deviser he has worked alongside Simon McBurney for Complicite/Aix-en-Provence Festival, He is heavily involved in developing work for young audiences, including; devising ‘Paradise Planet’ (2018) with Hanbury & Groves for English Touring Opera, devising and performing ‘The Rattler’ (2016) for Mahogany Opera Group, devising and performing ’16 Singers’ (2015) for Dance Umbrella/Bath Theatre Royal.
Sophie Kirk-Harris plays Eve
We are pleased to see the return of Sophie to Bristol Opera after her many seminal performances. Her recent interpretation of Adina in our post lockdown 2022 production of Elixir of Love was a memorable highlight.
Born in Germany, Sophie Kirk-Harris was a founding member of the Stuttgart Youth Opera, and accepted a place at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
During her time at the College, Sophie travelled to Italy to perform William Walton’s Façade for the composer’s widow, Lady Susanna Walton, in her home on Ischia. Sophie has regularly appeared as a soloist at the Hoddinott Hall and St David’s Hall with the BBC National Chorus of Wales and recorded Mansel Thomas’ Requiem for Radio 3. Operatic roles include Antonia (Tales of Hoffman), Senta (The Flying Dutchman), Freya (Das Rheingold), Serafina (Il Campanello di Notte), Michaela (Carmen), Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), Dorabella (Cosi Fan Tutte), Cherubino (Marriage of Figaro), Alice Ford (Falstaff) Lisa (La Sonnambula) and Cio Cio San (Madame Butterfly).
In November 2017, Sophie directed her first opera “Puss in Boots” for a project aimed to make opera more accessible to children. Since then she has co-founded Opera Boots.