The Royal Academy of Music is delighted to announce the appointment of Gareth Hancock as Director of Royal Academy Opera from next academic year, 2016/17. Jonathan Freeman-Attwood, the Academy’s Principal, said: ‘I’m delighted that Gareth Hancock will be taking over the reins of Royal Academy Opera from July 2016 after outstanding periods of leadership under Iain Ledingham, Anthony Legge and Jane Glover. The post of Director of Opera attracted some exceptional candidates from all over the world as we looked to appoint a top-class musician with a truly inspiring educational vision. As we move into an especially exciting era with the construction of new theatre, Gareth’s remarkable qualities will help RAO to consolidate and develop its reputation as one of the world’s very best opera schools. I much look forward to working with him in the years ahead.’ Gareth Hancock is an alumnus of the Royal Academy of Music and is currently the Academy’s Head of Preparatory Opera. He has conducted at Glyndebourne, Opera North, English Touring Opera, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philharmonia, amongst many others. As an accompanist he has appeared at all the major London venues and throughout Europe and the USA. Opera magazine wrote ‘Gareth Hancock did not miss a trick’ in his conducting of Royal Academy Opera’s Walton/Berkeley double bill in May 2015. He will conduct Rimsky-Korsakov’s May Night for Royal Academy Opera in Spring 2016, part of an imaginative series of opera ‘on the road’ during the construction of the Academy’s new theatre. Jane Glover, Director of Royal Academy Opera since 2008, will conduct Le nozze di Figaro at Hackney Empire in October/November in the opera directorial debut of Janet Suzman. Tickets are available now. From July 2016, Professor Jane Glover will become the Royal Academy of Music’s first ‘Felix Mendelssohn Emeritus Professor of Music’ — in which role she will continue to contribute to the Academy’s musical life as a conductor, coach, mentor and researcher. The Royal Academy of Music has an outstanding reputation for training some of the most talented singers for professional operatic careers. Royal Academy Opera is a specialist and intensive postgraduate programme for those with the potential and aspirations to succeed as principals at the highest international standard. It provides a highly focused study period in which advanced singers work closely with the Academy’s distinguished singing professors and prestigious visiting artists (including Thomas Allen, Barbara Bonney, Susan Bullock,...
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I am delighted to announce that I have been offered a full scholarship to study on the opera course at the Royal Academy of Music Opera School from September 2015. I look forward to continuing at this wonderful institution for another two years.
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I’m very glad to announce that I will be joining the chorus of Gyndebourne Festival Opera for their productions of Donizetti’s Poliuto and Bizet’s Carmen in the summer of 2015. A new production for Festival 2015 (UK premiere) Donizetti’s rarely-produced masterwork Poliuto reveals the epic side of this bel canto genius. Poliuto contrasts fierce personal conflict with sweeping heroic scale, in the manner of French grand opera – a choice which would wield great influence on Verdi. Poliuto’s grand Temple Scene in Act II clearly foreshadows the famous Triumphal Scene in Aida . Based on Corneille’s French Neoclassical tragedy Polyeucte , Poliuto weaves the tale of Saint Polyeuctus (d. 259 AD), an early Christian martyr. The opera portrays Poliuto’s spiritual crisis after his conversion to Christianity incites persecution by Armenia’s Roman occupiers. His wife Paolina, though in love with another man, is so moved by Poliuto’s courage that she finally follows him to his tragic fate. Conceived as a vehicle for the great French tenor Adolphe Nourrit, the title role demands a tenor of lyricism and suppleness but also power and stamina. Poliuto will be sung by the exciting American tenor Michael Fabiano, who debuted in La traviata in Festival 2014. As Paolina, a role often associated with Maria Callas, the Puerto Rican soprano Ana María Martínez returns to Glyndebourne for the first time since her memorable debut in the title role of Rusalka in 2009. This Glyndebourne premiere of Poliuto also marks the opera’s UK premiere. Staged by French director Mariame Clément, returning after her winning production of Don Pasquale , this production of Poliuto cuts to the heart of the opera’s intimate personal drama: a classic love triangle, doomed by the conflicting forces of politics and faith, and played out against a timeless, monumental canvas. Enrique Mazzola returns to conduct the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Sung in Italian with English supertitles Supported by Peter Moores Foundation Jon and Julia Aisbitt Critical Edition by William Ashbrook and Roger Parker Property of Casa Ricordi, Milan (Universal Publishing Srl) By arrangement with G. Ricordi & Co (London) Ltd. ___________ A revival of the 2002 Festival production ‘I have written a work that is all clarity and vivacity, full of colour and melody’, wrote Bizet of Carmen , composed shortly before his sudden death at age 37. He would never know that his tale of a free-spirited femme fatale would become one...
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Happy to report that I was named the winner of the 2014 Michael Head Prize 2014 for English Song at the Royal Academy of Music. Many thanks to my teacher Mark Wildman, Audrey Hyland my coach and wonderful accompanist, Alistair Chilvers! Part of this prize will be a recital in the City of London in the autumn of 2015.
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Luck enough to be part of the last ever vocal recordings of the Hobbit OST. Recorded in Air Lyndhurst studios for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
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It has just been announced that I have been awarded a 2014 Opera Awards Foundation Bursary. The Opera Awards Foundation was founded in 2012 by Harry Hyman and John Allison who recognised that there were many artistically talented individuals whose potential was not being nurtured to development. The Opera Awards Foundation will advance the education of the public in the art of opera in particular by the provision of bursaries or grants to individuals, groups of individuals or other charitable organisations. Bursaries or grants will be made based on financial need to worthy recipients who need further training or other assistance in the development of their careers in opera. Suitable recipients will include singers, conductors and répétiteurs or those operating in associated professions, including directors, set-, costume- and lighting-designers. The Foundation intends to invite applications annually and these will be considered by the Trustees. The primary objectives of the Foundation are to: Recognize the artistic talents of individuals within opera who have a financial need Provide opportunities to develop and display these talents Provide bursaries and grants to the identified individuals Support institutions that promote youth involvement in opera Seek private funds to help meet the Foundations objectives Continue to promote and educate the public in Opera Through the Foundation’s Awards Ceremony provide a showcase for recognition of talented individuals For a full list of winners, please see click here...
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