Alumni News

If you have any contributions for the alumni news pages, or would like to be added to the alumni mailing list, please contact Megan Peel on alumni@aldeburgh.co.uk. To view the most recent alumni email newsletter, please click here.

Our alumni come back on various courses and in different capacities - so each BPP alumnus/a is represented by the first course that they attended.

AWARDS

Death in Venice has been nominated for an award in the Opera and Music Theatre category in the 2008 RPS music awards. The orchestra is the Britten–Pears Orchestra conducted by Paul Daniel (Hesse, 1977). The winners will be announced on 15 May.

Gerald Finley (Rodelinda, 1985) has been nominated for an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera at the 2008 awards for his performance as Golaud in Pelléas et Mélisande. In addition, he has received two nominations at the 2008 Canadian Juno awards for 'Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance' for his Songs by Samuel Barber (Hyperion) and Schubert Among Friends (Marquis Classics). He is accompanied by fellow alumni Julius Drake (Voice & Piano Duos, 1981) and the Aronowitz Ensemble (Residency, 2007).

Aldeburgh Alumni have done outstandingly well in the 2007 Classic FM Gramophone awards:

Richard Egarr (4th International Academy of Piano Trios, 1985) and The Academy of Ancient Music won the Baroque Instrumental category for their recording of Handel Concerti Grossi (Harmonia Mundi).

Julian Anderson (Contemporary Performance and Composition, 1992) won the Contemporary category for the recording of his 'Alhambra Fantasy' with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Oliver Knussen (Course Director, Former Artistic Director) released on the Ondine label.

And finally, the recital award went to 'Simon Keenlyside: Tales of Opera' with the Munich Radio Orchestra conducted by Ulf Schirmer (Sony Classical).

Luke Bedford (Contemporary Performance & Composition, 2000) is the youngest recipient of the Award for Artists grant from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation with their launch of a new awards scheme for composers. Jonathan Lloyd (Jerwood Opera Writing Program, 2007) was also a recipient of the award.

Julia Benzinger (Russian Song, 2006) has been awarded the 23rd Annual American-Berlin Scholarship for 2007-2008 by the Opera Foundation, Inc. for a year of study and performances at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

Elizabeth Watts (French Song & Chamber Music, 2003) has won the Rosenblatt Recital Song Prize at this year's BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition. Congratulations!

Katherine Broderick (Schubert & Wolf Course, 2005) won the Kathleen Ferrier prize, followed by the Guildhall School of Music and Drama's Gold Medal.

Adrianne Pieczonka (The Rape of Lucretia, 1987) has been named the newest Kammersängerin at the Vienna State Opera. Michael Schade (L'enfant et les sortilèges, 1989) was invested on the same day as Kammersänger.

The Badke String Quartet (29th International Academy of String Quartets, 2005) has won first prize and the audience prize in the 5th Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition. The Navarra Quartet (29th International Academy of String Quartets, 2005) won second prize.

Since the School began in 1972, 31 different alumni have had success at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards. The competition is coming up in March and April for 2008, so our fingers are crossed for the recent BPP alumni. Read the list of previous alumni winners here.

We've also had some success in the Cardiff Singer of the World competition: Elizabeth Watts (Song Prize Winner 2007), Katarina Karnéus (Winner 1995) and Paul Whelan (Song Prize Winner 1993).

NEWS

Ian Storey (Bach, 1989) has just made his triumphant debut at La Scala, Milan in December as Tristan in Wagner's Tristan und Isolde with Daniel Barenboim conducting.

Luke Bedford (Contemporary Performance & Composition, 2000) has been appointed the first ever composer-in-residence at the Wigmore Hall from 2009.

Joseph Kaiser (Mozart & Britten Opera Roles, 1999) made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Roméo in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette in October. The Canadian tenor also starred as Tamino in Kenneth Branagh's film version of The Magic Flute, a role he also sang there in November, for his regularly scheduled debut. 'I guess I was calm,' Kaiser says of the first Met Roméos. 'I was telling people I would be fine, fine, fine - but then I'd have a nervous moment where I wanted to run away to Japan. Of course, the world is too small now. They would find me in Japan.'

Measha Brueggergosman (German Oratorio, 1998) and Roger Vignoles (Study weeks for Singers, 1974) have been touring the USA in recital and she has also recently been signed to Deutsche Grammophone.

Mary Plazas (French Song, 1990) appeared in Jonathan Dove and Alasdair Middleton's new opera The Adventures of Pinnocchio at Opera North, alongside Allan Clayton in February 2008.

Marie McLaughlin (Song & Lieder, 1976), Ann Murray (Guest Teacher, 2003), Greg Fedderly (The Rake's Progress, 1992), Joseph Kaiser (Mozart & Britten Opera Roles, 1999), Philip Langridge (Guest Teacher, English Song 2005), Robin Leggate (Study Weeks for Singers, 1974), Alan Oke (Death in Venice, 60th Aldeburgh Festival), Simon Keenlyside (Rape of Lucretia, 1987) and Harry Bicket are just some of our alumni who are appearing at the Metropolitan Opera in the upcoming season. Gareth Morrell (Song Course, 1980) is an assistant conductor there.

Gerald Finley (Rodelinda, 1985), Diana Montague (Study weeks for Singers, 1974) and Robin Leggate (Study Weeks for Singers, 1974) are appearing in Tschaikovsky's Eugene Onegin at the Royal Opera House in March 2008. Gerald is appearing in the title role.

Wendy Dawn Thompson (Ariadne auf Naxos, 2002) is making her Royal Opera House debut next year in Harrison Birtwistle's (Guest Teacher, Composition course, 1979) The Minotaur. Stephen Langridge (Training for Education Course Director, 2001) will direct it.

Sarah Connolly (French Song 1989) is making her Royal Opera House debut in the title role of Purcell's Dido and Aeneus in 2009.

Susan Gritton (Voice & Piano Duos - Strauss, 1991) will be appearing as Micaela in the Royal Opera House's production of Carmen in 2008.

Ethna Robinson (German Song, 1982) is appearing in Phyllida Lloyd's acclaimed production of Peter Grimes for Opera North alongside Claire Booth (Contemporary Performance and Composition, 2001) and Roderick Williams (Voice & Piano Duos - Schubert, 1994) in 2008.

Here at Aldeburgh, Harry Bicket is conducting Haydn's The Seasons with Katherine Broderick, Allan Clayton & Philip Carmichael in March as the culmination of the Easter Festival BPO course; The Aurora Orchestra, led by Nicholas Collon are performing Mahler's The Song of the Earth arranged by Schoenberg with soloists Jane Irwin and Robert Murray in March 2008 at the end of their Aldeburgh Residency.

James McDonald (Handel Singing Course, 1977) emailed with his memories of the early days:

'I was there as a student at the school in its earlier days. My connection came about because I was fortunate enough to sing at a Masterclass with Peter Pears in Chicago (I still have the score of the piece I sang, Canticle III, with his signature on it!) This led to his invitation to attend the school. Some of my fondest memories, of course, have to do with my meetings with him over the course of the three summers I was in attendance. He was a true gentleman as well as being a great, artistic singer.

'Other fond memories include getting to know Eric Crozier and Nancy Evans, with whom my wife and I sometimes stayed when we were in England, and who visited us in the States on a couple of occasions. They became great friends, and we remember with great joy our times at their home, Church Field Cottage, and later at 4 The Timberyard in Great Glemham. We also remember our sessions talking about and writing poetry with Eric. What great and generous souls they were. I was honored to be asked to be the American representative to speak at his memorial service in Aldeburgh after he passed away.

'Other great memories were meeting John Shirley-Quirk and Gerhard Huesch, both of whom were teachers of the courses in which I participated at the school. One interesting thing was that I had studied German Lieder with Gerhard Huesch when I was in Munich on a Fulbright Scholarship! The final great memory I will share with you was meeting Felicity, Dowager Countess of Cranbrook, whose 'small house' was just up the road from Church Field Cottage. Felicity was a great supporter of the Aldeburgh Festival and the school, and I was privileged to meet her and to stay in her home during one of my visits.

'I can tell you also that my experience at the school, taking the classes and meeting the people I did (Roger Vignoles and Graham Johnson were two more!) made a profound difference in my life, for which I will be forever thankful!'

There are many alumni who will be appearing in this year's 61st Aldeburgh Festival:

BPP faculty alumni include Paul Archibald, Harrison Birtwistle, Imogen Cooper, Nicholas Daniel, Margaret Faultless, Robert Holl, Steven Kovacevich, Oliver Knussen Jonathan Papp and Duncan McTier.

BPP student alumni include Thomas Adès, The Badke Quartet, Ian Bostridge, Katherine Broderick, Mira Claix, Oliver Coates, Miranda Dale, Anna Dennis, Steven Devine, Ralf Ehlers, Lucas Fels, Steven Isserlis, Laurence Jackson, Martin Outram, Joseph Phibbs, James Weeks, Ryan Wigglesworth and Pieter Wispelwey.

Archive Alumni E-newsletters

March 2008 - view newsletter
June 2007 - view newsletter