Louise Winter – Artistic Director and Founder
(2023-Present)
Louise Winter began her musical training at Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Her operatic opportunities came on Glyndebourne Tour singing Tisbe in La Cenerentola, Rosina in Rossini’s Barber of Seville and Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte. For the Festival, roles included Mercedes in Carmen, Varvara in Katya Kabanova, Sesto in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, and the role of Nancy in Britten’s Albert Herring. Louise has sung in major opera houses across the globe, and in the United Kingdom has appeared at the Royal Opera House, Grange Opera, Garsington and often sung in English at ENO (the role of Carmen directed by Jonathan Miller, Dulcinea in Massenet’s Don Quixote and sung the title role in Handel’s Xerxes in the acclaimed production by Nicholas Hytner). Louise also has an extended recorded repetoire, including an album of songs by Frank Bridge and performed for the BBC, notably singing Elgar’s Sea Pictures and Phaedra by Benjamin Britten.
Her love of English song has grown over the years, and she has taught classes specialising in English language alongside teaching singing for the last twelve years at the Royal Northern in Manchester. Recent work includes return visits to Scottish Opera to sing in Puccini’s Il Trittico (Frugola and Zita) in a new production by Sir David McVicar and to Garsington to sing in The Bartered Bride by Smetana. A performance of Elgar’s The Kingdom with the Norwich Philharmonic in November 2023 was followed by a run as Mistress Quickly in the latest production of Verdi’s Falstaff for Opera North – “It was a joy to hear Louise Winter as Mistress Quickly, a role which allowed her to display not only her warm mezzo but her gift for humour.” Music OMH, September 2023. Click HERE to read an entertaining account by a self-confessed groupie of attending performances by Louise in 2023.
Dame Felicity Lott – President
(2023-Present)
Dame Felicity Lott studied French at Royal Holloway, London University, and singing at the Royal Academy of Music. She has played leading roles in all the major opera houses of the world and with the greatest conductors and directors. She is particularly associated with the operas of Mozart and Strauss but also with the operettas of Jacques Offenbach. She has given recitals all over the world and is a founder member of Graham Johnson’s Songmakers’ Almanac. Her many recordings include three recital CD’s devoted to English Song, Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony, the rôle of Ellen in ‘Peter Grimes’ and the Governess in ‘Turn of the Screw’, both by Benjamin Britten.
She is a Dame Commander of the British Empire, a Bayerische Kammersängerin, and has been awarded the titles Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur and Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government. She has also received the Wigmore Medal marking her significant contribution to that Hall. In 2023 Gramophone magazine gave her their coveted Lifetime Achievement Award.
Sebastian Wybrew
(2023-Present)
Sebastian Wybrew – Praised for his ‘tremendous versatility and sense of colour’ (BBC Music Magazine), Sebastian Wybrew gives recitals with many of the UK’s most eminent performers including Dame Felicity Lott, Iestyn Davies and Christopher Maltman. He made his debut at Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam with Ian Bostridge, and at Wigmore Hall with Sophie Bevan. He regularly performs at festivals throughout Europe including Aix-en-Provence, Edinburgh, Zaragoza, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorprommen. His recordings of English music, ‘An English Trumpeter’ with Simon Cheney and ‘Songs of Vain Glory’ with Sophie Bevan for Wigmore Hall live have received unanimous critical acclaim. He was awarded the Accompanist Prize at the John Kerr English Song Competition and the Jean Meickle Duo Prize at the Wigmore Hall Song Competition with Gemma Summerfield. He has given masterclasses on Britten song for Foundation Royaumont and taught English Song at the Royal College of Music. In much demand as a pedagogue, he has given masterclasses for the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Edward Said Conservatory, Palestine and the Fondation Royaumont, France. He is a member of the Vocal faculties of Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music and Dance, and the Royal College of Music, London.
Richard Stuart
(2023-Present)
Richard Suart has been a member of the D’Oyly Carte since 1988 when he sang the part of the Lord Chancellor in the augural season of the new company. Over the last decade he has continued his relationship with D’Oyly Carte, in collaboration with Scottish Opera, with productions of The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, The Gondoliers and Utopia Limited.
He has sung Ko-Ko in The Mikado for ENO since 1986, and after 45 years in the profession singing a wide variety of music: from Bernstein and Sondheim to Shostakovich and Lehar, from Maxwell Davies and Tippett to Harrison Birtwistle and Benedict Mason, from Ligeti and Stravinsky to Britten and Schoenberg and from Lerner & Loewe and Rossini and Mozart and Donizetti, he has made his debut at Glyndebourne singing Benoit in La Boheme. In 2023 he returned to Scottish Opera to sing Dr. Spinelloccio in Gianni Schicchi, where he encountered Louise Winter.
He has written two book about his Mikado experiences: They ‘d none of ‘em be missed, documenting many of his re-writes for Ko-Ko’s Little List, and Mikado Memories, remembering the ENO singers, dancers and conductors, who over many years contributed to the great success of Jonathan Miller’s acclaimed production.
Linda Kitchen
(2025 Junior Final)
Linda Kitchen studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and at the National Opera Studio. Having served her apprenticeship at Glyndebourne Festival, she became a principal soprano at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, followed by an extensive free-lance career. During her 25 years as a soloist, she sang with notable conductors and directors, her goal always being to engage and communicate with the audience. Linda’s interest in theatre led her towards reinventing herself as a director, directing upwards of 20 operas in New Zealand, USA and back in the UK.
She has always had a passion to help young singers unearth their talents and develop their performance skills. This was fulfilled to a greater extent at the University of Auckland and the National Opera Studio in London. Her research for NOS – to support singers reaching a crossroads in their careers – has led to her foundation of the charity SingersResound who has helped over 100 singers in crisis. Linda’s quest, to be present when needed, brings her to Ashburnham, where she looks forward to hearing lovely voices and enjoying compelling performances.
Alessandro Fisher
(2025 Junior Final)
Alessandro was a member of the BBC New Generation Artists Scheme between 2018 and 2021. An Associate Artist of The Mozartists, he won First Prize at the 2016 Kathleen Ferrier Awards, and in 2022 he received an award from the Borletti-Buitoni Trust. He made his Salzburg Festival debut as Lucano in Monteverdi’s “L’Incoronazione di Poppea” and further operatic engagements have included roles at The Grange Festival, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and the Royal Opera, London. Concert and recital performances have included engagements with the BBC Orchestras, the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest of The Netherlands, Wigmore Hall, and the Oxford International Song Festival.
Engagements in 2025 include performances with “The Mozartists” at Cadogan Hall, “La Serenissima” at Wigmore Hall, the Czech Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle in Prague, Graham Johnson at the Luxembourg Philharmonie; and “I Pomeriggi Musicali” in Milan. He has recorded roles for Les Arts Florissants and Harmonia Mundi; the Mozartists and Signum CD; and performed as tenor soloist in Roussel’s “Evocations” with the BBC Philharmonic on Chandos Records. In 2022 Alessandro, debuted a new song cycle by the composer Ian Venables entitled “Portraits of a Mind”. Commissioned by the Vaughan Williams Society to be a companion piece to “On Wenlock Edge”, the cycle was subsequently recorded and released by Albion Records in early 2023. His second disc with Albion, “I Have Lived and Loved”, featuring songs by Vaughan Williams and Percy Grainger was released in September of this year. His first solo album with pianist Anna Tilbrook was released by Rubicon Records in February 2024. Entitled “A Gardener’s World” it is taken from a live performance at the Wigmore Hall, and features songs in 6 languages, inspired by blooms from around the world.
Catherine Wyn-Rogers
(2024 Junior Final)
Catherine Wyn-Rogers, is one of the most sought after artists. A regular guest of the Royal Opera, Covent Garden and The Bavarian State Opera, Catherine has appeared extensively on the world opera stage with companies including La Scala Milan, The Metropolitan Opera of New York, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, English National Opera, Teatro Real of Madrid, and Paris Opera. Concert highlights in recent seasons include Elgar’s ‘Dream of Gerontius’ with Barenboim and the Berlin Staatskapelle, a tour with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Andrew Davis in China, concerts and recordings with the Handel & Haydn Society of Boston, and a recording of Britten’s ‘Peter Grimes’ with the Bergen Philharmonic conducted by Edward Gardener in Bergen, Oslo and London. As a recitalist, Catherine has appeared at major venues and festivals, including the Wigmore Hall in London, with pianists including, Roger Vignoles, Malcolm Martineau, and Julius Drake, and also with Chamber Groups such as the Nash Ensemble. Catherine has had a lifelong association with choral music as chorister, soloist and supporter. Whilst at college, she was a member of the college choir and Bach Choir; both under the direction of Sir David Willcocks. In her early professional life, Catherine was an ad hoc member of the BBC Singers, and has a special association with The Sixteen and Harry Christophers appearing on several of their recordings; most notably their critically acclaimed ‘Messiah’. Catherine Studied at the Royal College of Music and later with Diane Forlano. She is herself a member of the vocal faculty at the Royal Academy of Music and was made an Hon RAM in 2018.
Paul Nilon
(2024 Junior Final)
Paul Nilon has worked for many opera companies worldwide, but has close associations with Opera North, Garsington Opera, ENO and worked closely with Graham Vick at Birmingham Opera Company. Paul’s notable title roles at Opera North have included, Nemorino, Lensky, Orfeo, Idomeneo, The Dwarf, Croesus, Werther, and Tito in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito. Other roles have included, Aschenbach, Britten’s Death in Venice (Garsington Opera and Gothenberg Opera), Grimoaldo, Rodelinda (Bolshoi Theatre Moscow), Ermione (Glyndebourne and Volkstheater Rostov), and took part in the world premiere of Jonathan Dove’s Life is a Dream, singing the Scribe Khovanshchina (Birmingham Opera Company).
Paul’s concert engagements have included working with the BBC Philharmonic, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and singing Rachmaninov’s The Bells and The Dream of Gerontius at the Three Choirs Festival, and has sung as a soloist with the Huddersfield Choral Society. Paul is a vocal tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music and regularly sits on the panel for British Youth Opera.