Gary Matthewman News
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2024-04-26
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2022-07-01 09:39:29
Unsung Heroines: Lauren Fagan & Opera Holland Park Young Artists in a celebration of women composers and more
Lauren FaganUnsung Heroines: Clara Schumann, R. Strauss, Ilse Weber, Stefania Turkewich, Graciane Finzi, Bachelet, Rachmaninov, Madeleine Dring, Undine Smith Moore, Smythe, Dvorak, Rebecca Clarke, Stravinsky; Lauren Fagan, Lucy Anderson, Olivia Boen, Phillip Costovski, Gary Matthewman; Opera in Song at Opera Holland ParkReviewed 29 June 2022A last minute replacement forced programme changes, but Lauren Fagan gave us an engaging and imaginative programme, supported by Opera Holland Park's Young Artists in an eclectic and unusual mix of songsThe second of Opera Holland Park's Opera in Song recital series, curated by Dylan Perez and Julien Van Mellaerts, was Unsung Heroines on 29 June 2022. Planned to be recital of works by female composers sung by Louise Alder, in the event soprano Lauren Fagan (Violetta in Opera Holland Park's La traviata, see my review) stood in at the last moment. Lauren Fagan was joined by three of this years Young Artists, soprano Lucy Anderson, soprano Olivia […]
2022-01-28 13:02:30
[…] feature of last year was the mix of concerts as well as staged productions. Julien van Mellaerts and Dylan Perez' Opera in Song series returns with six opera-inspired recitals including portrait of Carmen in song, a celebration of female composers and librettists, a survey of classic and classical American songs, and three programmes of Schubert song cycles given fresh contexts in poetry and music. Artists include Louise Alder, James Baillieu, Adèle Charvet, Francesca Chiejina, Kunal Lahiry, Simon Lepper, Gary Matthewman, Ema Nikolovska, Ella O’Neill, Alex Otterburn and Roderick Williams. There are visiting companies too. British Youth Opera makes a return following its Holland Park debut last year, and the Royal Ballet School are back for their first performances here since 2019. There will also be spoken word events, the return of Notting Hill Carnival, Waterperry Opera’s family-friendly reduction of Peter and the Wolf, Fifth Door Ensemble’s presentation of The Seven Deadly Sins and Bluebeard’s Castle, […]
2021-11-01 09:05:41
Back with a bang: Donizetti's Roberto Devereux from Chelsea Opera Group with Helena Dix and Eleazar Rodrigues
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex after Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger. Donizetti Roberto Devereux; Helena Dix, Catherine Carby, Eleazar Rodriguez, Julien Van Mellaerts, Gary Matthewman, Chelsea Opera Group Reviewed by Robert Hugill on 31 October 2021 Star rating: 5.0 (★★★★★) Returning in terrific form, Helena Dix gives a stupendous account of Elisabetta in Chelsea Opera Group's welcome return in a vivid ensemble performance of Roberto DevereuxChelsea Opera Group's plans for its 70th birthday in 2020 included a celebratory performance of Donizetti's Roberto Devereux with Australian soprano Helena Dix in the role of Elisabetta, following on from her triumphant performance as Bellini's Norma with the company in 2018 [see my review], and to say the road to finally performing the work was eventful, is something of an understatement. Not only did COVID cause the cancellation of the planned performance, but Helena Dix caught COVID (thankfully recovered, she made a […]
2020-09-22 08:34:00
Make Opera Live Again: Helena Dix returns to Chelsea Opera Group for a live concert at Cadogan Hall with Catherine Carby, Christopher Turner, Julien van Mellaerts and Gary Matthewman
[…] soprano is returning to sing with Chelsea Opera Group with a live audience at the Cadogan Hall on 8 November 2020, when Chelsea Opera Group is presenting Make Opera Live Again a concert of opera arias with a reduced orchestra. The concert will feature Aria and ensembles from popular works by Verdi, Mozart, Bellini and Donizetti, performed by Helena Dix (soprano), Catherine Carby (mezzo-soprano), Christopher Turner (tenor) and Julien van Mellaerts (baritone), conducted by Gary Matthewman. Christopher Turner sang the role of Pollione in that 2018 Norma, and had planned the title role in Mozart's Idomeneo with Chelsea Opera Group (another casualty of lockdown). We last caught Catherine Carby as Elcia in Rossini's Moise in Egitto with Chelsea Opera Group in 2018 [see my review]. We last caught Julien van Mellaerts singing the title role on Stanford's The Travelling Companion with New Sussex Opera [see my review], and in the […]
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