Event18048

Sophie Bevan
Sophie Bevan made her operatic debut at the age of 15, singing Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, and further roles have included Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Flora (The Turn of the Screw), Zerlina (Don Giovanni) and the title-role in Rodelinda. She made her Classical Opera Company in 2005 as Publio in the UK premiere of Gluck's La clemenza di Tito, and in 2007 she sang in the role of Worldly Spirit in its production of The First Commandment. She is an Associate Artist of the company. She has just graduated from the Royal College of Music's Benjamin Britten International Opera School, where her roles included the title role in Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea and Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, and her future engagements include Amor in Poppea at ENO and Alinda in Vivaldi's L'incoronazione di Dario at Garsington.

Rebecca Ryan
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 sang Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro) Compassion (The First Commandment) with the Classical Opera Company in 2007, and is an Associate Artist of the company. Other recent engagements include Angelica (Orlando) for Independent Opera, Micaëla (Carmen) for the University of Otago, Madame Silberklang (Der Schauspieldirektor) in Auckland, Handel's Messiah and Bach's Magnificat with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Canteloube's Songs of the Auvergne and Mahler's 8th Symphony with the RTE in Dublin. Her recordings include Handel's Silete venti for Naxos.

Allan Clayton
Allan Clayton was a chorister at Worcester Cathedral and a choral scholar at St John's College Cambridge, and has just graduated from the opera course at the Royal Academy of Music. He is an Associate Artist of the Classical Opera Company, and was recently selected for BBC Radio 3's New Generation Artists scheme. His operatic roles include the title roles in Peter Grimes, Albert Herring and Rameau's Dardanus, Belfiore (La finta giardiniera), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte) and Male Chorus (The Rape of Lucretia), and his concert work includes Handel's L'Allegro with William Christie and recitals with Graham Johnson and Roger Vignoles. In 2007 he sang in the role of Christian in the Classical Opera Company's production of The First Commandment. Future engagements include his Opera North debut as Lampwick in Jonathan Dove's new opera Pinocchio and his Glyndebourne debut in the title role of Albert Herring.

Trio, “Consolami, mio bene” from Imeneo
“Dolcebene di quest’alma” from Radamisto
“Empio, per farti guerra” from Tamerlano
“Se’lmio duol non è sì forte” from Rodelinda
“Piangeròla sorte mia” from GiulioCesare
“Pastorellod’un povero armanto” from Rodelinda
“No, no, I’ll take no less” from Semele

“ Deh! Se in ciel pietade avete” from L’incontroimprovviso
“Odio, furor, dispetto, dolor” from Armida
“ Wie wallet mein Herze” from Die Feuersbrunst

“ Owie ängstlich” from Die Entführung aus dem Serail
“ No, no, che non sei capace”, K.419
“Lungida te, mio bene” (original version) from Mitridate, re di Ponto
Trio,“Ich bin die erste Sängerin” from Der Schauspieldirektor

The Classical Opera Company is renowned for its work in developing
exceptional young singers, and in 2006 it launched its Associate Artist scheme. Three of the four inaugural artists have subsequently been offered main roles at Covent Garden, despite still being in their mid-20s.

On 18 April the company returns to Wigmore Hall to present a recital
showcasing its three current Associate Artists, sopranos Sophie Bevan and Rebecca Ryan and tenor Allan Clayton, in a programme of arias and ensembles by three of the greatest composers of the eighteenth century. The repertoire features three sublime Haydn arias from his often neglected operatic output, framed by a varied selection from the operas of Handel and Mozart. The recital will be introduced and accompanied by the Classical Opera Company's
conductor and artistic director Ian Page.