Opera and more
in Colchester.
Join us for
a fantastic experience.
Venues
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Collaborative artists
Madeline Kirby - Opera Libretto Translator
Musician and linguist Madeline is about to graduate in Modern Languages and Music from the University of Birmingham, where she specialises in translation with research interests in opera. Having lived and worked in both Italy and Germany, gaining experience working at Berlin's Deutsche Oper, Madeline enjoys translating from German and Italian. She is also a trained singer, harpist, and pianist having sung in the CBSO Chorus, BBC Proms Youth Choir and for several opera companies including Associazione Tito Gobbi in Rome. 
Deirdre McCabe - Soprano
Deirdre has performed throughout Ireland and the UK on the concert platform as a guest soloist with choral societies and orchestras. She holds a BA and first class honours in music from National University Ireland, Maynooth. Deirdre secured a scholarship to attend The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire as a postgraduate student. During her time in Birmingham competition prizes include: The Cecil Drew Oratorio Prize, The Ashleyan Opera Prize and second prize in the Edward Brooks English Song competition. She was also a finalist in The Mario Lanza opera prize. Operatic roles to date include: Pamina Die Zauberflöte, Cathleen Riders to the Sea and Adina, The Elixir of Love. Deirdre has also sung solos in Vivaldi’s Gloria and Handel’s The Messiah. After completing her studies in Birmingham, Deirdre was invited to join Glyndebourne Opera chorus for their 2017 festival and tour. Deirdre looks forward to performing Flora La Traviata for New Sussex Opera for their tour of performances in Lewes, East Grinstead and Brighton in June. In August Deirdre will join The Opera Experience for four performances as Gretel in their production of Hansel and Gretel in the magical setting of The Minories Galleries, Colchester. Deirdre is delighted to be performing Zerlina in Rogue Opera’s exciting and imaginative production of Don Giovanni for performances in May, June and November. |
Lorna Rushton - Soprano
Lorna is from Bolton and is a graduate of both the RNCM and National Opera Studio, she has performed the lead in many operas including Madama Butterfly, Violetta (La Traviata) Hanna Glawari (The Merry Widow) Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana) Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus) and Lady Macbeth (Macbeth) Her career has taken her to many diversely wonderful places such as a Bajan plantation, a French vineyard and Sir William Walton's tropical paradise on the Italian island of Ischia. Lorna has an extensive concert repertoire and a private teaching/coaching practice. 
Marrianne Town Smith - Soprano
Marrianne started to sing in 2007 as a hobby and distraction from a fast-paced Marketing management role. In 2015, she successfully auditioned at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and was accepted onto the Advanced Independent Study Programme and then stayed on for a further year, graduating in 2017 with a Postgraduate Advanced Diploma. In 2018 she performed her first full role with Opera in the Meantime as the Witch in Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel”. In 2019 she has an exciting year of new projects: beginning with Midsummer Opera as the cover of Maddalena in “Andrea Chenier” and again performing with them in November in “Les Dialogues des Carmélites” as cover of Madeleine Lidoine and cast as ensemble. She was delighted to be accepted onto the Mediterranean Opera Studio in Sicily to perform the role of Donna Anna in “Don Giovanni”, her role debut with orchestra in July, and to cover both Witch and Mum for The Opera Experience in Colchester. |