Fleur Barron and Nardus Williams announced for Dido and Aeneas with guest Conductor Christopher Bucknall
We are delighted to announce two guest artists will be joining us for Dido and Aeneas this September, Fleur Barron as Dido and Nardus Williams as Belinda.
Nardus Williams is one of the most exciting new stars in British opera, and the talented Soprano was recently nominated for the Times Breakthrough Award at The South Bank Sky Awards 2022. British-Singaporean mezzo-soprano, Fleur Barron has been hailed as a “charismatic star” by the Boston Globe and “a knockout performer” by The Times.
Experience the dazzling duo on Friday 2 September for this powerful concert, with the If Opera Chorus, Bristol Ensemble and special guest conductor Christopher Bucknall. If Opera cast include Katherine McIndoe, Helen Maree Cooper, Lorena Paz Nieto, Shakira Tsindos and Matthew Curtis and Britten Pears Young Artist 2021-22 Kieran Rayner takes the role of Aeneas.
In a concert rendition of this gripping story, the course of true love runs far from smooth. Purcell’s famous opera tells the tale of Dido, the Queen of Carthage, who is won over by the Trojan hero Aeneas, but with sorcery at play their story does not end there. Much anguish and betrayal follows as Aeneas is tricked into believing the gods require him to leave Carthage immediately to fulfil his destiny. Can he bear to be parted from his beloved Dido, knowing that she will be heartbroken?
Audiences can escape into an exquisite world of music, and experience one of the most beautiful arias in all Baroque opera - the aria to complete this story - ‘When I am Laid in Earth’ Tickets available here.
Christopher Bucknall
Christopher Bucknall has previously conducted Handel Agrippina, Partenope, Jeptha at Iford Arts, additional credits include Handel Alcina (Den Norske Opera), Cavalli La Calisto (Theater Aachen), Haydn, Il Mondo della Luna (ETO), Purcell, Dido and Aeneas (Queille Festival) and Monteverdi, L'Orfeo (Silent Opera). He has worked as an assistant to Ivor Bolton, William Christie, Laurence Cummings, Christian Curnyn and Ottavio Dantone. On the concert platform he has directed The English Concert, B’Rock (Belgian Baroque Orchestra Ghent), Instruments of Time and Truth, Real Filharmonie de Galicia and the Norwegian Wind Ensemble. Christopher studied at Lincoln College, Oxford and the Royal Academy of Music and has recently been made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. From September 2022 he is Director of Music at Keble College, Oxford.
Nardus Williams
Recent roles include Countess Le nozze di Figaro (Glyndebourne Festival), Anne Trulove The Rake’s Progress (Glyndebourne Tour), Fiordiligi Così fan tutte (English National Opera). Highlights for the 2022/23 season include her return to Glyndebourne Touring Opera as Countess Le nozze di Figaro, Adina L’elisir d’amore (Glyndebourne Festival). She also makes her house and role debut as Helena A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Opéra de Rouen Normandie), and on the concert platform returns to Wigmore Hall, performs Handel with the Dunedin Consort, and Tippet A Child of Our Time with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Williams has recently been nominated for the Times Breakthrough Award at The South Bank Sky Awards 2022.
Fleur Barron
Singaporean-British mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron’s roles in 2022/23 include Mallika Lakme and Bersi Andrea Chenier (Monte-Carlo Opera), the title role in Hasse's Marc'Antonio e Cleopatra(NDR Radiophilharmonie), the title role in Dido and Aeneas(La Nuova Musica) and alto soloist in Mozart’s Requiem (Opéra National de Bordeaux). On the concert platform, Fleur sings the Berio Folksongs with Sir Mark Elder, Bruckner's Te Deum with Vasily Petrenko, and Mahler's Rückert Lieder with the Orquesta Sinfonica del Oviedo. She performs Schubert's Winterreise with Julius Drake in Paris and Germany, and has solo recital debuts with Kunal Lahiry at Wigmore Hall and Oxford Lieder.
