| Lara Martins studied in Portugal, at the Guildhall and the Centre National Insertion Professionnelle Artistes Lyriques (CNIPAL) in Marseille. Lara won First Prize at the prestigious 2007 Concurso de Interpretação de Musica do Estoril. During the 2006/7 season Lara sang Susanna Le Nozze di Figaro on tour in Portugal, Despina Cosi fan Tutte in Oporto, Madamoiselle Silberklang Der Schauspieldirektor for the Teatro do Algarve and Elvira Italiana in Algeri, conducted by Donato Renzetti, for the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon for whom she has just sung Giannetta L’Elisir d’Amore in the Azores, Anina La Traviata and, in 2006, 3 roles in The Nose Shostakovich. She has also sung Sofia Il Signor Bruschino Rossini for the Opéra National de Bordeaux and Blondchen Die Entführung aus dem Serail for Opéra de Marseille. In April 2007 Lara gave a solo song recital for the Calouste Gubenkian Foundation in Lisbon. Lara has sung Despina and Frasquita Carmen for Opera Box.
Gareth Huw John trained at the Guildhall, School of Music and Drama. In 2003, he was awarded the David Lloyd memorial scholarship as the most promising Tenor at the National Eisteddfod of Wales and the Blue Ribbon for the best soloist less than 25 years of age.
Engagements have included a tour of Johannesburg with the South African Welsh Society, a performance of Britten’s Winter Words at the Chipping-Campden Festival and the opening concert at Machynlleth Music Festival
While studying at the Guildhall Opera School he understudied the role of Fracasso in La Finta Semplice - Mozart, played the Butler and the auctioneers’ assistant in the first performance of Violet - Scrutton, Bardolfo in Falstaff - Verdi, Song–Seller in Il Tabbaro, Gherrardo in Gianni Schicchi - Puccini, HRH Prince Phillipe The Dinner Engagement - Berkley, Roderick ll The Long Christmas Dinner - Hindemith, Don Basilio and Don Curzio Le Nozze di Figaro - Mozart, Flamand Capriccio -Strauss. He also understudied Lenski Eugene Onegin -Tchaikovsky [British Youth Opera] in 2006. He sang Jupiter Semele – Handel [Winterbourne Opera] in 2007 and Mr Upfold, the Mayor Albert Herring – Britten [BYO] in 2007.
Future engagements include the understudying of Vicomte Cascada Merry Widow – Lehar and Italian Singer Der Rosenkavalier –Strauss, both with the ENO. He will also be singing Nemorino L’Elisir D’Amore – Donizetti [Swansea City Opera].
Robert Davies studied at the University of Sheffield and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama before embarking on a solo career, both on the opera stage and concert platform.
Awarded the Erich Vietheer Memorial Award at Glyndebourne in 2003, he went on to appear as Marcello (La Bohème), Count Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro), Mr Gedge (Albert Herring) and Doctor Falke (Die Fledermaus) on the Festival Tour. Roles elsewhere include Greek Captain (Les Troyens) in Châtelet Theatre, Paris; Verrina in the UK premier of Lalo’s Fiesque; Dancaïre (Carmen) Diva Opera; Pish Tush (The Mikado) D’Oyly Carte; Escamillo (Carmen) and Count Di Luna (Il Trovatore) for English Pocket Opera/CMW and Aeneas (Dido and Aeneas) at the Edinburgh Festival. Robert also sang in the European premieres of Ned Rorem’s Hearing and The Robbers.
Robert has sung under the baton of such distinguished conductors as Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Simon Rattle, Vladimir Jurowski, Richard Hickox, Harry Christophers, and Edward Gardner. With a wide concert repertoire, performances include the Bach B Minor Mass; Monteverdi Vespers in St Mark’s, Venice; Handel Messiah in St. David’s Hall, Cardiff; Elgar The Kingdom; Brahms Requiem; Bach St Matthew and St John Passions; Mozart Mass in C Minor and Requiem; Orff Carmina Burana; Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle; Britten Cantata Misericordia; Elgar Caractacus and Haydn The Seasons.
In 2007, he was shortlisted for the prestigious Jetter Parker Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Simon Masterton-Smith is an experienced performer of both opera and musical theatre. He was educated at the Guildhall School of Music and the London Opera Centre. He was a founder member of the New D'Oyly Carte Company and has performed with many of the major companies including English National Opera, Teatre Royal de la Monnaie, Batignano Festival, Opera Portland and Opera Omaha. Operatic roles include Frosch, Alcindoro, Mars (Orpheus in the Underworld), Don Magnifico and roles in Così fan tutti, La Traviata, A Masked Ball, Nabucco and Fidelio. In Musical Theatre Simon has performed roles including Shogun's Mother (Pacific Overtures), Judge Turpin (Sweeney Todd), George Dillingham (Aspects of Love) and Roland Cassard (Umbrellas of Cherbourg). In 2008 Simon performed the role of Jupiter in the UK professional premiere of a new production of Gilbert and Sulivan’s “Thespis”
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