It is always rewarding to watch the careers of British Youth Opera alumni develop, and to see them in productions with the major companies both in the UK and abroad. Here are a few recent and future engagements for just some of the singers from our 1999 and 2004 seasons. If only there were more space we could list more...

FALSTAFF 1999

James Rutherford (Falstaff)
Wolfram von Eschenbach in Tannhäuser for San Francisco Opera;
Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Sally Matthews (Nannetta)
Blanche in Dialogues des Carmélites for Theater an der Wien;
Anne Truelove in The Rake’s Progress at the Royal Opera House

Stephanie Marshall (Meg)
Tessa in The Gondoliers for English National Opera;
Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro for English National Opera

Garrie Davislim (Fenton)
Fenton in Falstaff, Ferrando in Così fan tutte and Rodolfo in La bohème for Landestheater Coburg

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE 1999

Victoria Simmonds (Rosina)
Title role in Jonathan Dove’s The Adventures of Pinocchio for Opera North;
Wellgunde in Das Rheingold for the Aix and Salzburg Festivals with Sir Simon Rattle

Marie Arnet (Berta)
Euridice in Orfeo ed Euridice for Stockholm Royal Opera;
Hanako in Hanjo by Toshio Hosokawa for Opéra National de Lyon

Olafur Sigurdarson (Bartolo)
Ford in Falstaff for Opera North;
the title role in Bluebeard’s Castle for Staatstheater Saarbrücken

James Gower (Basilio)
Currently on the Young Singers Programme at English National Opera where roles include Lord Krishna/Parsi Rustomji in Satyagraha and Mercury in L’incoronazione di Poppea

Nicholas Warden (Cover Basilio)
A Mongolian Soldier in A Night at the Chinese Opera for Scottish Opera

THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN 2004

Lucy Crowe (Vixen)
Drusilla in L’incoronazione di Poppea for English National Opera;
Nannetta in Falstaff for Scottish Opera

David Stout (Forester)
Marcello in La bohème for Mid-Wales Opera;
Speaker in Die Zauberflöte for Welsh National Opera;
Angelotti in Tosca for the Bregenzer Festspiele;
Don Juan in From the House of the Dead for the Teatro Massimo, Palermo

Malin Christensson (Fox)
Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro at Aix-en-Provence;
A Flowermaiden in Parsifal at the Royal Opera House;
Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring for Glyndebourne Festival Opera

Jennifer Johnston (Dog/Woodpecker)
Suzuki in Madama Butterfly for Scottish Opera;
Dido in Dido and Aeneas for Opéra de Lille

SEMELE 2004

Elizabeth Watts (Semele)
Winner of the Song Prize in BBC Cardiff Singer of the World;
Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro for Santa Fe Opera

Ed Lyon (Jupiter)
Telemaco in Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria for De Nederlandse Opera;
Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Opéra National de Lyon

Tim Mead (Athamas)
Ottone in L’incoronazione di Poppea for English National Opera;
the title role in Orlando for Chicago Opera Theater

Anna Stéphany (Juno)
Proserpina in L’Orfeo at Aix-en-Provence;
Dorabella in Così fan tutte for Garsington Opera

Julia Riley (Ino)
Nancy in Albert Herring for Glyndebourne on Tour

THE X-FACTOR

You may also be interested to know that Rhydian Roberts (Cover Grégorio and chorus for Roméo et Juliette and Così fan tutte in 2005) is one of the finalists in The X-Factor (ITV1, Saturday evenings). The music he is singing is not opera, but his performances are certainly very theatrical!

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