Recognised as one of the UK’s leading conductors, Gavin Carr specialises in working with major symphony choruses and orchestras to bring the best of the great British choral tradition to music old and new. He conducts the major choral-orchestral repertoire and is at the forefront of promoting new works, with many notable premieres under his belt. Conductor of the celebrated Philharmonia Chorus, the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus and of Bath Minerva Choir, and Founder-Director of Chorus Angelorum, he has led these ensembles to international acclaim with a number of world-premiere recordings, regular International tours, and a host of innovative programmes. 

Victoria Simmonds studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and became a company principal at English National Opera from 2000 to 2005.  Recent and future operatic commitments include Fox / The Cunning Little Vixen and Meg Page / Falstaff for Garsington Opera, Through His Teeth, a new commission by Luke Bedford for Royal Opera House, Mad Hatter and Alice’s Mother/ Alice in Wonderland, Minsk Woman in Jonathan Dove’s Flight, Angelina/Cenerentola, Donna Elvira / Don Giovanni,  Marcellina / Le nozze di Figaro,  Mother / Little Women and Watkins in the new opera Itch for Opera Holland Park. 

Andrew Rees gained a scholarship to study at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, and completed his studies on the Opera Course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. He was a Jerwood Young Artist at English National Opera and later became a principal tenor at the company.  Current engagements include Vladimir Igoryevich in Prince Igor for Chelsea Opera Group, Laca in Jenufa for Grange Park Opera, Melot in Tristan und Isolde at the Dutch National Opera and the Rome Opera, and Jimmy Mahoney in The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. 

British bass James Platt was educated at Chetham’s School of Music and went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music and the Opera Course of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Engagements in James’ 2023/24 season include Verdi’s Requiem with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/David Hill, Shostakovich’s Symphony No.13 with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales/Ryan Bancroft, Mozart’s Requiem with the Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera/Tomáš Hanus and Haydn’s Die Schöpfung with the Philharmonia Orchestra/Daniel Hyde and Die Jahreszeiten with the Tapiola Sinfonietta/Matthew Halls. On the opera stage he sings Il Commendatore (Don Giovanni) in his debut for the Opéra de Lille and Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte) in a return to the Glyndebourne Festival. 

Recognised as one of the leading lyric sopranos of her generation Sophie Bevan studied at the Royal College of Music where she was awarded the Queen Mother Rose bowl for excellence in performance. She was the recipient of the 2010 Critics’ Circle award for Exceptional Young Talent, The Times Breakthrough Award at the 2012 South Bank Sky Arts Awards, Young Singer award at the 2013 inaugural International Opera Awards and was made an MBE for services to music in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2019. Read More

Czech / British Lada Valešová conducted the award-winning production of Janáček’s Cunning Little Vixen for Hampstead Garden Opera, which won the Off West End Award in Opera Ensemble. This season Lada is Cover Conductor and Assistant Conductor to Jakub Hrůša on Jenůfa at Royal Ballet & Opera, Assistant Conductor to Principal Conductor Karina Canellakis on Janáček’s From the House of the Dead at Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Assistant Conductor to Principal Conductor Dinis Sousa with Royal Northern Sinfonia and pianist Steven Osborne at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, and Assistant Conductor on Pavel Haas Šarlatán (The Charlatan) at The National Moravian Silesian Theatre. Read More