Concert 1: “Prelude” – Christopher White
Christopher White has worked as repetiteur, coach, assistant conductor and language coach with some of the world’s leading opera companies.He studied piano and piano accompaniment, and completed his Doctoral work on the music of Gustav Mahler, at the Royal Academy of Music. He returned to the Academy in 2023 as Head of Vocal Faculty and Preparatory Opera, and became Head of Opera in 2024.
Christopher’s international operatic career has included engagements with The Royal Opera, English National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, Opernhaus Zürich and Israeli Opera. Festival work includes Bayreuth (2016-17) on the Ring and Parsifal and the Salzburg Festival with Strauss operas (from 2018).
From 2016 to 2023 he served as Head of Music at Deutsche Oper Berlin, overseeing musical preparation of all operas at one of Europe’s busiest and most prestigious houses, including the complete stage works of Richard Wagner, and operas by Mozart, Strauss and Puccini alongside multiple world premieres. He has worked with the foremost opera conductors in the world including Edward Gardner, Jakub Hrůša, Marek Janowski, Vladimir Jurowski, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Donald Runnicles and Franz Welser-Möst.
Concert 2: Scintilla Quartet (Royal Academy of Music, London)
Formed in 2024, the Scintilla Quartet are an exciting ensemble comprised of young musicians studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London. They regularly receive coachings from a plethora of world class musicians, such as Anthony Marwood, Marije Johnston, and members of the Doric, Castilian and Barbican Quartets. Recent performances include a public masterclass with Lawrence Power, and a performance of contemporary music with the Academy Manson Ensemble under the baton of Colin Currie. The Scintilla Quartet compete in a variety of prizes within the Academy and hope to perform in more competitions around the UK and further afield in the near future.
Concert 3: “Ravel 150”
Christopher White – Piano
Eloisa-Fleur Thom – Violin
Brian O’Kane – Cello
Eloisa-Fleur Thom is an expressive artist and collaborator, known for her captivating violin performances both on stage and in the recording studio.She is founder and co-Artistic Director of the pioneering string orchestra 12 Ensemble.
As soloist, Eloisa-Fleur has performed Arvo Pärt’s Fratres at the BBC Proms, J.S Bach’s Concerto in D minor for two violins with Maxim Vengerov and joined composer Max Richter for his Vivaldi Recomposed at DIOR’s fall show at the Pyramids of Giza. An advocate for new music, in 2021 she performed alongside Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood at London’s Barbican for his work Water, playing with “crystaline purity” (The Strad).
Eloisa-Fleur has performed at leading venues and festivals directing 12 Ensemble, including the BBC Proms, Barbican, Berlin Philharmonie, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie and Jordan Hall – Boston. The group were Artist-in-residence last season at London’s Wigmore Hall. Their three albums Resurrection, Death and the Maiden and Metamorphosis have received widespread critical acclaim. The latter features Eloisa-Fleur performing Oliver Leith’s spell-binding aria Non Voglio Mai Vedere Il Sole Tramontare from his acclaimed first opera Last Days.
In the studio, Eloisa-Fleur has led sessions for film scores including Jonny Greenwood’s Spencer and The Power of the Dog, Mica Levi’s Oscar-nominated Jackie and Bobby Krlic’s Midsommer. She also features on Radiohead’s album A Moon Shaped Pool, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ Carnage, The Smile’s Wall of Eyes, and Daughter’s Stereo Mind Game.
Irish cellist Brian O’Kane enjoys a busy career as both soloist and chamber musician. Since winning first prize at the Windsor International String Competition in 2008, he has made his debuts with the RTE National Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra under Ashkenazy and in recital at the Wigmore Hall. Brian is a former “Rising Star” of Ireland’s National Concert Hall and he recently recorded his debut CD for the Champs Hill label.
An avid chamber musician, Brian enjoys playing as a member of the Cappa Ensemble and Navarra Quartet. He has collaborated with a wide variety of artists such as Michael Collins, Aleksandar Madzar, Anthony Marwood, Pekka Kuusisto, Lawrence Power, Antoine Tamestit and Sir James Galway. Brian has also performed at concert halls and festivals throughout the world such as Sydney Opera House, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Seoul Arts Centre, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, West Cork, Radio France-Montpellier, Lockenhaus and the Weesp Chamber Music Festival, Holland of which his quartet are the artistic directors.
A graduate of both the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, Brian‘s biggest influences have come from Louise Hopkins and at Prussia Cove, Aldeburgh & Chamber Studio from studies with Ralph Kirshbaum, Steven Isserlis, Ferenc Rados and Eberhard Feltz. Brian currently plays on a Rugieri cello made in Cremona c.1690.
Concert 4: Organ Recital – Joshua Simões
Joshua Simões is Organist of His Majesty’s Chapel Royal, Hampton Court where he is the principal Organist for the Chapel’s round of services, for the Royal Household, the Order of the Companions of Honour and concerts, broadcasts and recordings. Joshua completed his master’s and undergraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music under the tutelage of David Titterington and Bine Bryndorf, where he was awarded several major prizes and awards. A previous prize winner at the Northern Ireland International Organ competition, Joshua made a critically acclaimed CD with the choir of King’s College London and was praised by Gramophone – “Joshua played superbly with virtuoso use of the organ”. He has collaborated with Delphian and Resonus Record Labels and recent concert appearances have taken Joshua to Germany and the UK.
Concert 5: “A Celebration of the Voice”
Oksana Lepska – Soprano
Clare Presland – Mezzo Soprano
Anando Mukerjee – Tenor
James Platt – Bass
Latvian soprano Oksana Lepska made her Carnegie Hall debut at twelve and has since performed across Europe, the UK, and the US. In 2015, she moved to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music, earning a Bachelor of Performance Degree, followed by a Master of Performance Degree with Distinction at the Royal College of Music. Her studies were supported by the Bruce-Payne Vaseppi scholarship under Patricia Bardon’s guidance.
Oksana’s career highlights include first prize in the National Mozart Competition and second place in the Pendine International Voice of the Future Competition, both held in England. Her operatic performances have featured Mimì in La Bohème with Hurn Court Opera and the title role in Alcina at Saluzzo Opera Academy. She has also appeared at prestigious festivals such as the Oxford International Song Festival and Life Victoria Barcelona Lied Festival, and given recitals at renowned venues such as the National Liberal Club in London.
Described by the Times as “mesmerising with an intensity that almost sears the flesh” Clare Presland is a former winner of the Chilcott Award and has firmly established herself on the international operatic and concert platforms.
Current and future engagements for Clare Presland include PIA in the world premiere of Turnage’s Festen Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, her debut with Staatsoper Hamburg and Teatro dell’opera de Roma for Peter Grimes, Ligeti’s Requiem London Philharmonic Orchestra and BBC Proms, AKSINYA/FEMALE CONVICT Lady Macbeth of Mtsenk Staatsoper Hamburg, COUNTESS SUSANNA Il segreto di Susanna revival Opera Holland Park, Dani Howard’s one woman show Yellow Wallpaper (world premiere) Copenhagen Festival, Sadlers Wells and Opera Nova Festival in Prague.
Clare’s recent operatic performances include: QUEEN OF HEARTS & Red Queen in Gerald Barry’s Alice’s Adventures Under Ground, a co-production with Royal Opera House Covent Garden and Irish National Opera (recently released on video), SECOND ESQUIRE AND VOICE FROM ABOVE in Parsifal at Liceu Barcelona, MRS LOVETT West Green Opera, a return to English National Opera for Die tote Stadt, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Opéra de Lille, POPOVA in Walton’s The Bear Opera Holland Park, COUNTESS SUSANNA Il segreto di Susanna Opera Holland Park and Scottish OperaAKSINYA Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk Opéra de Lyon, VARVARA Káťa Kabanová Opera Holland Park, KOMPONIST Ariadne auf Naxos Longborough Festival Opera, La Traviata Théatre des Champs Elysées and Musikfest Bremen, HERMIA A Midsummer Night’s Dream Hyogo Performing Arts Centre, Japan, English National Opera and Aldeburgh Festival, PATIENT 2 Venables’ 4.48 Psychosis (world premiere) Royal Opera House, Covent Garden at the Lyric Hammersmith, CHRISTINA Eichberg’s Glare (world premiere) Linbury Studio Theatre ROH, RED QUEEN Gerald Barry’s Alice’s Adventures Under Ground RTE Concert Orchestra, New Music Dublin, FENENA Nabucco Chelsea Opera Group, Cadogen Hall, KITCHEN BOY Rusalka Scottish Opera, CARMEN (title role) & MISS JESSEL The Turn of the Screw Nevill Holt Opera.
Since making her acclaimed debut as PALESTINIAN WOMAN The Death of Klinghoffer at the English National Opera, she has since appeared there in productions such as REALTOR Tansy Davies’ Between Worlds (world premiere), WARDROBE MISTRESS/SCHOOLBOY/PAGE Lulu, SONYETKA Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, PAGE Salome, FLORA La Traviata, MERCEDES (Cover Carmen) Carmen, MARGRET (cover MARIE) Wozzeck, WOWKLE La fanciulla del West and SECOND LADY The Magic Flute.
On the concert platform: her Wigmore Hall debut singing the world premiere of Alexander Goehr’s Combat of Joseph de la Reina and the Devil with the Nash Ensemble, A Song on the End of the World by Francis Potts with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Three Choirs Festival, her Barbican Hall debut in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Other recent concert engagements include appearances at festivals such as Al Bustan, Weesp Chamber Music Festival and Musique a Marsac performing large scale concert works such as Wagner Wesendonck Lieder, Fauré La Bonne Chanson, Berlioz Les Nuits d’été, Mozart Requiem, Dvorak & Rossini Stabat Mater.
Clare has enjoyed working with many renowned conductors including Edward Gardner, Mark Wigglesworth, Thomas Adès, Kazushi Ono, Sian Edwards, Gianluca Marciano and Yutaka Sado. In recital, she enjoys collaborating with pianists James Baillieu, Iain Burnside, Simon Lepper, Tom Poster, Alasdair Beatson and the Navarra Quartet.
Anando Mukerjee is “India’s finest tenor” (The Statesman 2009), considered the only internationally recognized tenor from India. After receiving degrees in Zoology and Natural Sciences respectively from Delhi and Cambridge Universities, where he was an Inlaks scholar, he pursued his vocal studies privately in England. The highlight of his vocal training however was his seven years of discipleship under legendary Swedish tenor Nicolai Gedda. Anando received a Charles Wallace India Trust British Council Award in 2001, was a finalist in the UK National Mozart Competition in2007 and the Wagner Society Bayreuth Bursary Competition in2012.
A spinto tenor specializing in the Italian and French bel canto, romantic and verismo operatic repertoire, his significant operatic debut took place in 2006 when he sang Rodolfo (La bohème) at the Belgrade National Opera, Serbia. This was followed by a period of intense learning of new roles and performing them across the UK and Europe, including Tobias (Tobias and the Angel, New Sussex Opera 2007), Beppe (Pagliacci, Dorset Opera 2009), Macduff (Macbeth, White Horse Opera 2009), Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore, Somerset Opera 2010), Alfred (Die Fledermaus, Surrey Opera 2012), Don Jose (Carmen, Plymouth Operatic Society 2015, Windsor & Eton Opera – Royal Command Performance 2016), Alfredo (La Traviata, Stentorphon Opera 2010, Somerset Opera 2011, Windsor & Eton Opera 2015), the Duke (Rigoletto, Bury Court Opera, Anghiari Festival, Scottish Opera, all 2011), Cavaradossi (Tosca, Little Venice Music Festival 2012, Philharmonia Britannica 2013, Athenaeum 2017, Everybody Can! Opera 2019), Riccardo (Un ballo in maschera, Windsor & Eton Opera 2017), Percy/Riccardo (Anna Bolena, New Caledonian Opera 2020), Canio (I Pagliacci, RCM Orchestra 2021), Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor, Instant Opera, reviewed in Opera magazine 2022), reprising Rodolfo (La Boheme 2019 & 2022) and Alfredo (La Traviata 2023) for Instant Opera, the latter reviewed in Opera magazine. 2024 marked a significant turning point in his career with his first foray into the Wagnerian heldentenor repertoire with him covering Siegmund (Die Walküre) and Loge (Das Rheingold) for Longborough Festival Opera’s 20204 Ring Cycle conducted by Anthony Negus and his debut in a Wagner role as Erik in Persona Arts’ groundbreaking production of Der Fliegende Holländer directed by the award winning director Iqbal Khan, supported by the Arts Council and personally recognized by HM the King. Recent role debuts include Luigi (Il Tabarro) and Calaf (Turandot) in 2024 & 2025 respectively both for Instant Opera commemorating the Puccini 100th death anniversary, the latter production conducted by Alice Farnham.
Concert highlights include his Italian debut at the Teatro dei Rozzi, Sienna, taking part in the Concordia International Ensemble Gala. Other concert appearances include his Cadogan Hall debut in London Lyric Opera’s cycle A Feast of Orchestral Songs; the opening of the 9th season of the Symphony Orchestra of India at the NCPA Bhabha Opera House, Bombay; the Maximum India Festival, Kennedy Center, Washington DC, with the Washington National Opera; and his debut at the Al-Madinat Opera House in Dubai. His notable recitals include his Wigmore Hall appearance accompanied by Leslie Howard and featured on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune; the Maria Callas International Club’s 30th Anniversary Celebration at the Royal Opera House (Crush Room); and a lieder programme performed with the pianist Babette Hierholzer at the Allensbach Festival, Germany. Anando gave the orchestral world premiere of Ian Venables’ Venetian Songs accompanied by the Orchestra of St. John Bromsgrove featured on BBC Radio 3 In-Tune. He has also appeared on the BBC World Service, All India Radio & Premier Christian Radio.
On the oratorio stage Anando’s repertoire encompasses Handel, Bach, Mendelssohn, Rossini, Gounod, Verdi & Puccini. As a tenor soloist he has appeared in Puccini’s Messa di Gloria with the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra; in Verdi’s Requiem and Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle at the Great Hall, Dartington; in Stanford’s Requiem with the Birmingham Choral Union; in William Lloyd-Webber’s The Saviour, performed in celebration of the composer’s centenary at Westminster Central Hall; & Dubois’ Seven Last Words of Christ. Recent highlights include his Royal Albert Hall (RAH) debut in 2022 for the 50th Anniversary of Prom Praise with the All-Souls’ Orchestra, returning there for the Coronation Prom in 2023 and again in 2025 for Prom Praise: Wonder.
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. He was a member of the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden from 2014-2016.
Engagements in James’ 2024/25 season include Swallow in a new production of Peter Grimes for the Dutch National Opera and Arkel in a new production of Pelléas et Mélisande for the Longborough Festival. His concert engagements include The Creation with La Nuova Musica/David Bates, and Messiah with the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra/Matthew Halls.
Recent highlights have included Sarastro Die Zauberflöte and Il Re Aida for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Bottom in new productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Deutsche Oper, Berlin and the Grange Festival; Sarastro for the Glyndebourne Festival; Trulove The Rake’s Progress for the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino; Crespel Les contes d’Hoffmann and Basilio Il barbiere di Siviglia for the Deutsche Oper, Berlin; Sarastro, Il Commendatore Don Giovanni and Sparafucile Rigoletto for the Welsh National Opera; Ortel Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg for Teatro alla Scala, Milan; First Soldier Salome and Cuno Der Freischütz for the Dutch National Opera, and Il Commendatore for the Opéra de Lille
His concert appearances include Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius with the London Philharmonic Orchestra/Edward Gardner at the BBC Proms, Zacharie in Meyerbeer’s La Prophète with the LSO/Sir Mark Elder at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Hunding in concert performances of Die Walküre with the Philharmonie Zuidnederland/Hartmut Haenchen, Il Re in a European tour of Ariodante and Bach’s Weihnachts-oratorium with Les Musiciens du Louvre/Marc Minkowski, Shostakovich’s Four Romances on Poems by Pushkin with the Hallé Orchestra/Sir Mark Elder, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Royal Northern Sinfonia/Lars Vogt, Handel’s Messiah with the Hallé Orchestra/Christian Curnyn, Verdi’s Requiem with the Orchestre National de Lyon/Leonard Slatkin, Dvorak’s Requiem with the BBC Symphony Orchestra/Jiri Belohlavek, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle at the BBC Proms with the BBC Singers/David Hill and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Vasily Petrenko.
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/halstead-music-festival-2025
Halstead Music Festival 