Buxton inspires world of music
Buxton has been praised by one of the country’s top orchestras for helping to inspire generations of musicians.
English Touring Opera – who will perform on March 23 in a concert for the Friends of Buxton International Festival – say they have developed a “special relationship” with the town which has become one of their favourite venues.
And they will be bringing a programme which promises musical fireworks.
''ETO's relationship with Buxton is indeed a very special one,” said the Orchestra’s General Director James Conway.
“Buxton Opera House is one of the handful of venues to which ETO tours all of its productions in two visits per year. It is also one of the very few real opera houses we have the chance to play!”
The March 23 concert is part of the Festival Friends’ busy programme of exciting music in unusual venues, and will take place at Moorcroft House on Lismore Road, Buxton, home of Pat and Philip Holland, Friends of the Festival.
“The friends of Buxton Festival are the kind of people who inspire artists to be the best they can be,” said James.
The special recital features leading artists from all three productions ETO will bring to Buxton this season: Galina Averina from the Puccini double bill, Dawid (correct) Kimberg, who plays the Count in their new Figaro, and Luciano Botelho, an exciting Brazilian lyric tenor who sings some of the stratospheric music in their concert of Rossini seria opera, called “Fireworks!''
Also on the programme will be favourites from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and Bizet’s Les pecheurs de perles. For details of the Friends events and how to book, see www.buxtonfestival.co.uk/friends/friends-events
l English Touring Opera, Moorcroft House, Buxton, March 23, 11.30am. £25, including lunch.
ENDS
For further details please email John Phillips at john@buxtonfestival.co.uk or visit www.buxtonfestival.co.uk
Visit buxtonfestival.co.uk for more information or telephone 01298 70395.
Biographies of performers:
Hannah Quinn (piano)
British conductor and répétiteur Hannah Quinn graduated with distinction from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and is an alumnus of the National Opera Studio. Hannah has recently conducted Johnathan Dove’s The Enchanted Pig for Hampstead Garden Opera and worked with the Tianjin Philharmonic Orchestra in China.
Dawid Kimberg - Baritone
Dawid was born in Johannesburg and he moved to the UK in 2001 to further his studies at the Royal College of Music in London, receiving a position on the Royal Opera House Jette Parker Young Artist Programme in 2009. He also represented South Africa in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 2009.
Luciano Botelho (tenor)
Luciano has performed in various opera houses including the Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne, Theater an der Wien, Opera de Genève, Oper Frankfurt, Hamburg Staatsoper, Sydney Opera House and the New National Theatre Tokyo.
He represented Brazil at the BBC Cardiff Singers of the world and was a finalist at the Francisco Viñas competition. He was also recently nominated by Opera Now Magazine as one of the ten favourite tenors from a generation of rising stars.
Galina Averina (soprano)
Born in Moscow, Galina Averina graduated from the Russian University of Theatre Arts in 2010. She immediately accepted a position as soloist at the Perm State Opera Theatre and made her international debut in 2013.
She was the youngest finalist in the prestigious Francisco Viñas Competition at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, being awarded Sextio Premio and winning the Audience Prize.
About Buxton International Festival
Buxton International Festival is one of the UK’s leading arts events taking place in July each year; a cultural celebration of the very best opera, music and literature taking place in the beautiful Peak District. The Festival features the most promising rising stars in the arts world, as well as prominent international singers, artists and literary figures performing in a packed summer programme of in excess of 120 events over a 17-day period to an audience of over 30,000.
The Festival produces three operas alongside a series of concerts given by many leading British and international musicians, and a literary series featuring leading writers and thinkers. Festival venues include the exquisite Matcham-designed Buxton Opera House, St John’s Church and the Pavilion Arts Centre. Together with the Buxton Festival Fringe, the spa town is a haven for arts enthusiasts throughout July each year. The Festival also presents an annual autumn Book Weekend and Outreach Programme.
Buxton International Festival has been presented annually since 1979. The brainchild of Malcolm Fraser, the Head of Opera at the Royal Northern College of Music, who had a vision of making the dilapidated Buxton Opera House, which had been used as a cinema for most of its life, into the home of an annual opera festival. With the help of Welsh National Opera conductor, Anthony Hose, he set about making his dream a reality. The Artistic Director is the acclaimed conductor, Stephen Barlow.