Sir Thomas Allen C.B.E.

Patron of The Samling Foundation

Thomas Allen is an established star of the great opera houses of the world. At the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, where in 2001 he celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of his debut with the company, he has sung over forty roles. Last year, he also celebrated his twentieth anniversary of his debut at the Metropolitan Opera, New York.

He has been particularly acclaimed for his Billy Budd, Pelleas, Eugene Onegin, Count Almaviva, Sixtus Beckmesser and, of course, Don Giovanni, roles he has made his own all over the world. Equally renowned on the concert platform, he appears in recital in the United Kingdom, throughout Europe, in Australia and America, and has appeared with the world's great orchestras and conductors. The greatest part of his repertoire has been extensively recorded. [Continued]

Marie Cécile Bertheau

Pianist

Marie Cécile Bertheau began her piano studies in Nancy and later studied with Carlos Roque-Alsina at the National Conservatoire in Lyon, gaining a Premier Prix. She then spent a further two years at the Royal Northern College of Manchester studying with Renna Kellaway and gained a Diploma of Music. Since then, she has appeared in numerous festivals including Roque d'Anthéron, St Jean-de-Luz and Royaumont, where she was repetiteur for Cosi fan tutte.

From 1993 to 1996 she was engaged as voice coach at the Lyon Opera School, then from 1996 as repetiteur at the Opéra de Lausanne, where she has worked with such conductors as Jonathan Darlington, Evelino Pido, Armin Jordan, Corrado Rovaris, Jane Glover and Claude Schnitzler. [Continued]

Barbara Bonney
Barbara Bonney is widely recognised as a superlative recital and concert artist and as a prime exponent of the Mozart and Strauss roles she has made her own in the world's leading opera houses. She has been praised for her radiant tone and the engaging warmth of her personality, as well as for her stylistic versatility in a broad repertoire that ranges from the Baroque to 20th century music.

Ms. Bonney's artistic scope and interpretative gifts are most evident in the thoughtful programming of the Lieder recitals that serve as the cornerstone of her career: she is likely to perform less frequently-heard songs by Mendelssohn or Clara Schumann, Benjamin Britten or Zemlinsky along with more familiar works by Schubert and Wolf. These interests are reflected as well in the more than seventy recordings she has made for major labels including London/Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Teldec, Angel/EMI and Philips. [Continued]

Isobel Buchanan

Isobel Buchanan was born in Glasgow and won a scholarship to The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 1971.  Whilst there, she won the Governors’ Recital Prize for Singing and was named ‘Student of the Year’ in 1974.
The following year, Isobel auditioned for Richard Bonynge and Joan Sutherland who offered her a three year contract with The Australian Opera. Her professional debut was in January 1976 singing the role of Pamina in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, a role which she repeated many times in her career.
Other roles with The Australian Opera included Fiordiligi, The Countess, Zerlina, Micaela, Norina, Gilda, Amelia (Simone Boccanegra), Helena (Midsummer night’s Dream), and Zerlina (Fra Diavolo). [Continued]

Iain Burnside

One of Britain's most popular musical personalities, Iain Burnside has a career that spans both performance and broadcasting. As a performer he is best known for his commitment to the song repertoire. Among artists with whom he has collaborated internationally are Susan Chilcott, Galina Gorchakova, Adrianne Pieczonka, Michelle de Young, Susan Graham, David Daniels and Bryn Terfel.

His broadcasting career covers both Radio and TV. As the presenter of Radio 3's weekly song slot Voices, he has been acclaimed as "the most innovative DJ on radio." He has also featured as pianist and presenter of BBC World Service's series The Music Party. [Continued]

Ileana Cotrubas

Ileana Cotrubas was born in Romania and made her first public appearance as
soloist of the Children's Chorus of the Romanian Radio. She was educated at
the 'Scuola speciala de Musica' and studied at the Bucharest Conservatory,
where her principal singing teachers were Prof. Eugenia Eliescu and Prof.
Constantin Stroescu. After making her debut in 1964 as Yniold at the 'Opera
Romana' in Bucharest and singing there roles like Siebel, Oscar, Cherubino,
Blondchen and Gilda, the Romanian Ministry of Culture sent her to the
International Singing Competition 1965 in Hertogenbosch and the 1966 Munich Radio Competition at both of which she won the first prize. Before starting her first major engagement abroad, a 3-years-contract with the Frankfurt Opera, she went to the Vienna Academy of Music to complete her studies. International engagements followed soon: the festivals in Salzburg, Glyndebourne and Florence, and the two opera houses where she appeared regularly every season, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and the WienerStaatsoper. [Continued]

Paul Farrington

Paul Farrington studied Voice and Piano at the Birmingham Conservatoire. Since Graduating in 1982 he has had a wide and varied career as a singer, choral conductor, musical director and is now heavily in demand as a Freelance Vocal Consultant. He is widely recognised as one of the foremost 'vocal trouble-shooters' in the business, and with over 15 years experience, he is one of only two NHS Clinical Vocal Consultants in the UK.

Paul has worked with some of the world's leading Opera and Concert singers, among them, Dame Margaret Price, Dame Felicity Lott, Barbara Bonney, Della Jones, Magdalena Kozcena and Christopher Maltman. He regularly coaches Principal Artist's for all of the National Opera Companies, The Royal Opera House Covent Garden and Glyndebourne Festival. [Continued]

Della Jones

Della Jones, one of Great Britain's leading mezzo-sopranos, was born in Neath and studied at the Royal College of Music where she won many prizes including the Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship.

Della Jones has appeared with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera North and foreign engagements have included performances in the U.S.A., Russia, Japan, Canada and throughout Europe with repertoire including title-role ARIODANTE, Rosina IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, title-role LA CENERENTOLA, [Continued]

Philip Langridge

Philip Langridge was born in Kent and studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London. He is one of the world's most distinguished singers, whose musical and dramatic qualities ensure that he is in constant demand throughout Europe, the USA and Japan. In recognition of these qualities, he was made a Commander of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 1994.

He has also received a number of other awards, including the prestigious Olivier Award for Osud, the Singer of the Year Award from the Royal Philharmonic Society and The Worshipful Company of Musicians’ Santay Award and the NFMS/Charles Groves Prize 2001 for his “outstanding contribution to British Music”.

[Continued]

Barbara Leigh Hunt

Barbara began her career at the age of 12, broadcasting for the BBC. She studied drama at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School before joining London Old Vic to tour the USA and Canada in A Midsumers Night’s Dream. She rejoined the Old Vic several years later and played Helena in The Dream and Portia in The Merchant of Venice, again touring Europe and USA several times. Repertory at Lowestoft, Colwyn Bay, Guildford, Nottingham, Bristol and Birmingham. Parts played include Saint Joan, Hedda Gabler, Lady Macbeth and Ann Whitefield in Man and Superman. Two major European and US tours of Love’s Labours Lost, Hamlet and Guthrie’s production of Measure of Measure. For Prospect Venice Preserv’d. West End productions includes A Woman of No Importance, Pack of Lies, A Severed Head, Mrs Mouse, Are you Within? and The Formation of Dancers. [Continued]

Julia Lynch             
                 

In 1982 she won a scholarship to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama where she studied piano with Laurence Glover and harpsichord with Alexa Maxwell. Whilst a student, she won all the college's prizes for piano solo, accompaniment and chamber music.

Having gained her BA and completed a year of post-graduate studies, Julia was invited to join the staff of the RSAMD as accompanist, a post she still holds. [Continued]

Malcolm Martineau

Malcolm Martineau was born in Edinburgh, read Music at St Catharine's College, Cambridge and studied at the Royal College of Music. He has accompanied many of the world's leading singers including Dame Janet Baker, Sarah Walker, Della Jones, Frederica von Stade, Anne Sofie von Otter, Dame Felicity Lott and Olaf Bar. His many recordings include Schubert, Schumann and English song recitals with Bryn Terfel, Schubert and Strauss recitals with Simon Keenlyside, recitals with Angela Gheorghiu and Barbara Bonney and the complete Beethoven Folk Songs. His current and future recitals with Amanda Roocroft, Barbara Bonney, Karita Mattila, Joan Rodgers, Sir Thomas Allen, Ann Murray, Susan Graham, Christopher Maltman, Solveig Kringelborn, Ian Bostridge, Simon Keenlyside and Bryn Terfel take him to the Sydney Opera House, La Scala Milan, Paris (Chatelet), Barcelona (Liceu), Amsterdam (Concertgebouw), Vienna (Konzerthaus and Musikverein), New York (Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall) and the Aldeburgh, Edinburgh, Hohenems and Salzburg Festivals. [Continued]

Patricia MacMahon

During her career, Pat has specialised in concert, recital and oratorio work, frequently recording for BBC. Her profession has taken her to Israel, Aix en Provence Festival, Norway and St Petersburg and she has performed with the English Chamber Orchestra in the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Barbican in London, with all the major Scottish orchestras and has frequently appeared at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Pat is closely associated with the music of Scotland, having recorded music by many native composers, including the highly acclaimed award winning series 'A History of Scottish Music'.

[Continued]

Simon Over

Simon Over studied at the Sweelinck Conservatoire, Amsterdam, the Royal Academy of Music and he read music at Oxford University. As a pianist, he has accompanied many internationally acclaimed singers, including Sir Thomas Allen, Ian Bostridge, Sarah Fox, Simon Keenlyside, Emma Kirkby, Della Jones, Dame Felicity Lott, Christopher Maltman, Lisa Milne and Willard White.

His performances with American violinist Miriam Kramer at the Wigmore Hall London and Lincoln Center, New York - as well as on several recordings - have received high critical acclaim. From 1992 to 2002 Simon was a member of the music staff of Westminster Abbey, as Director of Music at St. Margaret's Church and the Chapel of St. Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster. [Continued]

Felicity Palmer

Felicity Palmer is one of the most versatile performing artists singing today, equally at home in music as diverse as Handel, Wagner and Berio. She regularly performs throughout the world in opera, concert and recital.

Her recent successes include Fricka in 'The Ring' for the Bavarian State Opera; Klytemnestra in 'Elektra' for La Scala, Milan with Maestro Sinopoli (also in concert in Japan and Taiwan); Klytemnestra for the Staatsoper, Berlin with Maestro Barenboim, in Munich and for the Deutsche Opera, Berlin; Juno in Handel's 'Semele' and Klytemnestra for The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Widow Begbick in 'The Rise and Fall of Mahagonny'... [Continued]

Richard began his career in 1943 as student-apprentice Stage Manager at old “Q” Theatre, London. After his War Service and two years at The Central School of Speech and Drama where he won the Gold Medal, he joined The Old Vic Company from 1950 – 1952; 1952 – 1955 at Sir Barry Jackson’s Birmingham Rep; Royal Court 1956-58, where work included Look Back in Anger and The Entertainer (He made his first Broadway appearance in the latter in 1958). West End includes
Hamlet (Brook.Schofield – also Moscow 1955), Teresa of Avila, The Lady from the Sea, Look Homeward Angel, The Private Ear and the Public Eye, Ivanov, An Inspector Calls (transferred from The Royal National Theatre), The Italian Girl, Man and Superman... [Continued]

Sophia Rahman

Sophia Rahman studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School with Peter Norris and Louis Kentner. After taking a first class honours degree in English at Kings's College London, she completed her studies at the Royal Academy of Music with Alexander Kelly and Malcolm Martinuau. She was elected an associate of the RAM in 1997.

Since winning the Royal Overseas League Competition's Accompanist Award and the Liza Fuchsova Memorial Prize for a chamber music pianist in consecutive years, her work has encompassed a wide range of solo and chamber activities. [Continued]

Sarah Walker

Sarah Walker began her musical life as a violinist at the Royal College of Music and subsequently studied singing with Vera Rozsa, with whom she has built up a wide repertoire ranging from Bach and Monteverdi to 20th century works by composers such as Berio, Boulez, Cage, Henze, Ligeti, Copland and Ives.

Miss Walker is much in demand on the concert platform worldwide, where she has worked with Ozawa, Davis, Mackerras, Solti, Norrington, Boulez, Rozhdestvensky, Tilson-Thomas, Masur, Harnoncourt and Rattle. She appears regularly with the major British orchestras, and at the major British and European festivals. She was a memorable soloist at the Last Night of the Proms and sang under the late Leonard Bernstein in Beethoven's 9th Symphony in Berlin to celebrate the opening of the Berlin Wall (televised worldwide and recorded by Deutsche Grammophon). [Continued]

Susannah Waters

During a ten year career as a singer, Susannah sang principal roles with many of the world's leading opera companies, including Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, the Royal Opera, Santa Fe Opera, L.A. Opera, Seattle Opera, New York City Opera, the Canadian Opera Company, the Theatre du Chatelet and the Royal Swedish Opera at Drottningholm.  During this time, and slotted in between having a daughter Isobel and a son Noah, she was invited by The Samling Foundation to give two different recitals of music and text with her husband Jonathan Cullen, and they fell in love with the whole set-up of the organisation.

[Continued]

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