The Classical Opera Company — The Marriage of Figaro
Markus Schwartz was born in Sweden, and studied at University College of Music in Stockholm and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.
He is emerging as one of Scandinavia's most exciting young singers, and is currently on contract at the Gothenburg Opera, where his recent roles have included Masetto (Don Giovanni), Don Magnifico (La Cenerentola), Leporello (Don Giovanni) and Lamoral (Arabella). Other roles include Papageno and Figaro in Finland, and Norbanor (Zoroastre) at the Netherlands Opera, Amsterdam and the Drottningholm Court Theatre. This is his UK debut.
Silvia Moi was born in Norway. Her operatic roles include Despina (Cos
In 2006 she made her debut at the Salzburg Festival, singing Ninetta in La finta semplice as well as further roles in Lo sposo deluso and L'oca del Cairo. She is currently singing Servilia (La clemenza di Tito) at Den Norske Opera, and can shortly be seen as Papagena in Kenneth Branagh's film of The Magic Flute.
Anna Leese was born in New Zealand, and is an Associate Artist of the Classical Opera Company.
Her numerous prizes include the 2004 Royal Overseas League Vocal Competition, the 2005 Richard Tauber Prize, the 2006 Great Elm Competition and the 2007 Maggie Teyte Competition. She recently made an acclaimed debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Musetta (La boh
Ronan Collett studied at at Pembroke College, Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music, where his operatic roles included Nardo in La finta giardiniera and in Chao Lin in A Night at the Chinese Opera.
In 2004 he made his Edinburgh Festival debut in Der Freisch
Rebecca Ryan won the New Zealand Performing Arts National Award for Singing, and came to international prominence when she gave the UK premiere of the newly rediscovered Handel Gloria at the Royal Academy of Music.
She recently received great critical acclaim as Angelica in Handel's Orlando at Sadler's Wells, and is currently singing Madame Silberklang (Der Schauspieldirektor) in Auckland. Her recordings include Handel's Silente venti for Naxos and The Mozart Sessions for RTE TV.
Sally Harrison studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and the National Opera Studio.
For ENO she has sung Pamina (Die Zauberfl
Christopher Lemmings studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
He created the role of Bartholomew in Birtwistle's The Last Supper (Staatsoper Berlin and Glyndebourne Festival), and recent roles have included Caliban (The Tempest) at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Don Ottavio (Cologne and Verona), Ferrando (Opera Holland Park), Lechmere (Owen Wingrave) at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and the title role in La clemenza di Tito for Glyndebourne Touring Opera. His disc of Ned Rorem Auden Songs was recently released on Sanctuary Classics.
Betsab
She sang Elisa (Il re pastore) with the Classical Opera Company at the 2001 Brighton Festival, and has recently recorded the roles of Angelica in Porpora's Orlando and Achille in Martin y Soler's Ifigenia. She has appeared in operas by Monteverdi, Cavalli, Rameau, Handel, Mozart, Hahn and Bernstein in England, France, Belgium, Holland, Sweden and Spain, and recently created the leading role in Dominique Le Gendre's Bird of Night at the Linbury Studio Theatre (ROH).
James Gower was born in Newport, South Wales, and studied at St John's College, Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music.
His operatic roles include Pinellino (Gianni Schicchi) and First Priest/Second Armed Man (Die Zauberfl
Ian Page worked as assistant conductor at Glyndebourne for three years before founding the Classical Opera Company in 1997.
With the company he has conducted numerous operas by Mozart, J.C.Bach, Gluck and Thomas Arne, as well as concert series at venues such as the Wigmore Hall, St John's Smith Square and the Barbican, and he directed as well as conducted last year's production of Cos
Jo Davies divides her directing career between drama, opera and music theatre.
In opera her work includes The Rape of Lucretia (Royal College of Music), Judith Weir's A Night at the Chinese Opera (Royal Academy of Music) and La Fanciulla del West (Holland Park Opera), and future plans include a new production of A
Alex Lowde is one of the country's most promising young designers. He attended The Motley Design Course having read Drama at The University of Hull, and spent a year on a bursary with Northern Stage.
As an assistant designer he worked at Glyndebourne, the Metropolitan Opera, The Royal Ballet and the Donmar Warehouse, and his recent designs have included included Tobias and the Angel for the Young Vic, The Gentle Giant for ROH2 and The Nose, Candide and The Threepenny Opera for The Opera Group.
Johanna Town is Head of Lighting at the Royal Court. She has also worked extensively in the West End and on Broadway, at the National Theatre, the Gate, Notting Hill, the Liverpool Playhouse and the Royal Exchange.
Her opera work includes Le nozze di Figaro and Otello for Nice Opera, Tobias and the Angel for Almeida Opera, La boh
