Creative Associates
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Chiara Vinci
Shortlisted in 2017 for Best Female Opera Singer by the Wales Theatre Awards, French-italian Soprano Chiara Vinci’s career highlights include singing the role of Sophie Scholl in Polly Graham’s award-winning production of Kommilitonen! by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. Chiara received praise in The Guardian for her performance with the Welsh National Youth Opera. ” It was Chiara Vinci’s Sophie that stood out, incredibly moving, naturally poised and with a lovely bloom to the voice”.
Chiara recently made her West End debut in the world premiere of TriOperas at The Peacock Theatre, Sadler’s Wells. Her recent roles include Gretel/Hänsel und Gretel; Carolina/Il Matrimonio Segreto; (Pop Up Opera); Bubikopf/Der Kaiser von Atlantis (Loud Crowd); Flora/The Turn of the Screw (Aylesbury Opera); Adina/L’Elisir d’amore (WOW Opera); Serpina/La Serva Padrona (Barefoot Opera); Psyche & Sister (Hanbury & Groves) at Tête à Tête Opera Festival; Unsung Heroes of The Planet at Green Man Festival (Gestalt Arts).
Chiara trained at the Rambert School and the Actors Temple before training in classical singing with Jenny Miller and working intensively with the Barefoot Opera coaches. Chiara’s multidisciplinary background in the arts has steered her career towards operas that focus on devising and creating new roles. Chiara’s future engagements include singing the role of Calisto in La Calisto with the Longborough Festival Opera, touring as Galatea in The Loves of Pygmalion with The Weaver Ensemble and making her Grimeborn Festival debut cast as Giulietta in Bellini’s I Capuleti e I Montecchi.
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Evelyn Nallen
Recorder player Evelyn Nallen has appeared on BBC TV and BBC Radios 1, 2, 3, and 4. Together with harpsichordist David Gordon, she formed the innovative early music/jazz group Respectable Groove their take on Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas integrates improvisation with written compositions. (‘If you like ground-breaking, cage-rattling recordings. this is for you.’ Early Music Today).
Evelyn devised a programme with Respectable Groove and the French baroque dancer Gilles Poirier called Dido’s Got the Blues (‘The whole performance was utterly compelling, a tour de force of baroque dance and jazz music’,Newbury Festival). For The Loves of Mars & Venus Evelyn studied the existing incidental music from the late 17th and early 18th century London stage and from this considerable repertoire, recreated the ballet score which underpins the play.
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Jane Bruce
Jane worked at Longborough Festival Opera in the seasons 2007-11. With Barefoot Opera, she worked on ‘Clash’ for the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings and L’Elisir d’Amore. She also paints, mostly portraits, and has exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery as part of the National Portrait Prize.
Since 2001, Jane has worked with Radiator Arts, both as artist and project manager, creating large-scale theatrical performances in England and France. Typically, these are experimental in nature and take place in unusual sites.
Jane has also worked with MSL Projects on several new media projects since 2013.
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Polly Graham
Polly was nominated in the category of Best Newcomer at the 2017 International Opera Awards. She read English Literature at Trinity College, Dublin, before doing an MA in Text and Performance at RADA. She spent two years as Genesis Assistant Director at Welsh National Opera, where she was mentored by David Pountney and assisted Mariusz Trelinski, David Pountney, Martin Constantine, Pierre Audi and Alessandro Talevi. Her directing work includes Le Vin Herbé (WNO) nominated for Best Achievement in Opera at the UK Theatre Awards, A Christmas Carol (Orchestra Haydn Opera 20.21 and WNO), Simplicius Simplicissimus (Independent Opera), Kommilitonen! winner of Best Opera at the Welsh Theatre Awards, and Unheard Voices: CREW (both at WNO), Mr Punch and Me (Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama), Nighthawks (Yellow Earth Theatre), and Alcina (Barefoot Opera).
Polly was the recipient of an INDEPENDENT OPERA Director Fellowship 2016.
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Monique Klongtruadroke
Monique is a coloratura soprano of Italian/Thai descent. A top graduate in Opera Singing from the Venice Conservatoire in Italy, she has a singing career spanning four continents.
She was invited to sing for the King of Thailand, and in several Thai Royal Command Performances. Praised by OPERA (UK) magazine for singing “her two showpiece arias with apparently effortless ease” as Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Magic Flute, she also created leading roles in various opera World Premieres in Australia and Thailand.
In addition to being Finalist of the Future Classic Women Award 2020 (opera category), she is also active as a classical crossover soprano, with her own singles and recording collaborations with various artists to be released shortly.
With extensive teaching experience at Thailand’s top universities in Classical Voice and Italian Diction, and as Italian Language Coach for various opera companies including Longborough Festival Opera, Monique has recently been appointed as Professor at the London Performing Academy of Music (LPMAM) in both the Opera and Crossover Departments.
Monique is a strong supporter of the Barefoot Opera pedagogy, collaborating regularly both as a performer and as Italian Language coach. After the successful Barber of Seville Tour in 2019 in which she sang the soprano version role of Rosina, she rejoined the Barefoot team as Italian Language coach and libretto translator for the production of Orfeo ed Euridice / Zanetto.
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Nicola Rose
Born in London into a musical family, Nicola began her musical training as one of the founding girl choristers at Salisbury Cathedral. She is a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and she continued working there as a Junior Fellow before completing her studies at the National Opera Studio in London.
As a repetiteur, Nicola has worked with Welsh National Opera, Music Theatre Wales and Barefoot Opera as well as with the education and community departments of The Royal Opera House, Garsington Opera, English National Opera and Opera Holland Park.
Nicola recently received notable critical acclaim for her work as music director of Welsh National Opera’s Rhondda Rips it up! – a newly commissioned work by Elena Langer about the suffragette movement in Wales.
Nicola has a wealth of experience in extending performances outside the mainstream theatres and concert halls, as an alumna of Yehudi Menuhin’s Live Music Now scheme, a current member of Lost Chord and a pianist and conductor of the Forget-me-not Chorus. She has worked as a vocal coach and repetiteur on the Italian Opera Summer School in Southern Italy, at Zurich Opera Studio and at the Indemini Music Festival in Switzerland. She is currently a pianist and vocal coach at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and enjoys working throughout the UK with instrumentalists and singers alike.
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Oscar Castellino
Oscar Castellino used to work as a software engineer in India. When he was 24, soprano Patricia Rozario discovered his baritone voice on her concert tour of India. He was offered a scholarship to move to London and study at the Royal College of Music in 2011.
Barefoot Opera noticed Oscar’s ability on stage and gave him a chance to sing his first role with them as Dancairo in Carmen while he was still an undergraduate. Since then he has returned to Barefoot regularly singing the roles of Belcore in L’Elisir d’Amore and Marcello in La Boheme among others.
Oscar featured in two masterclasses at the BBC Cardiff Singer 2017. He debuted with Scottish Opera in 2018 and Welsh National Opera in 2019 singing the role of George Benton in Dead Man Walking.
Oscar promotes opera in India under the name Operawala meaning opera-seller and he has a keen interest in space travel. His song ‘Rise to Mars’ was selected as Mars Anthem by the International Mars Society. He performed it at St. David’s Hall in Cardiff with a 1500-strong children’s chorus and also at the Mars Convention in California in 2017.
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Lysanne van Overbeek
Lysanne moved to the UK in 2010 to train in Musical Theatre at Trinity Laban, Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Since graduating Lysanne has been performing and directing all over Europe. Lysanne’s directing credits include The Tales of Hoffmann (Opera Integra), Rigoletto (Brent Opera), I Capuleti e I Montecchi (The Arcola Theatre), The Magic Flute (Opera Integra), Lady Of Stavoren (the Pond Productions), A Tune of Two Muses (The Arcola), 2022 (The Bunker Theatre), Pedestal (Hidden Theatre Company), Overcast (The Vaults), A Night Of Theatre, Classics for Parkinson’s, Music for Parkinson’s (Limitless PD)
As assistant director, her credits include: Il Barbiere Di Siviglia (Barefoot Opera), Das Rheingold (The Arcola), Anna Bolena (Longborough Festival Opera), Street Scene (Koln Opera), Carmen (UK tour, Barefoot Opera), The Rape Of Lucretia (The Arcola Theatre), Il Trionfo Del Tempo E Del Disinganno (Die Alte Munze Berlin, Kiez Oper), Measure for Measure (Bath Spa University), Edward II (Lazarus Theatre Company), Hansel & Gretel (Celebrate Voice), The Cunning Little Vixen (The Arcola), Max the Brave (Britten Sinfonia), Tosca (Celebrate Voice), Alcina (Longborough Festival Opera)
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Michael Spenceley
Michael trained at the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, where he won a Wayne Sleep scholarship.
As Movement Director, Michael’s credits include La Forza Del Destino (Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos), I Capuleti E I Montecchi (The Arcola Theatre), Un Ballo in Maschera, La Forza Del Destino (WNO), Max The Brave (Britten Sinfonia), Simplicius Simplicissimus (Independent Opera), Anna Bolena, Ariadne auf Naxos, Alcina, Tannhauser and Xerxes (Longborough Festival Opera), Lady of Stavoren (Over the Pond Productions), Forbidden Love (London tour) and BBC’s Cash in the Attic. He was Dance Captain and part of the creative team for the opening of the Paralympic Games 2012.
As a dancer, Michael’s credits include We had a black dog (Red Oak Theatre), The Loves of Mars and Venus (Weaver Dance Company), La Serva Padrona (Barefoot Opera), Trapped (Experiential Theatre), The National Battle of Somme Commemoration (Somme 100), The Happiness, The Crutch (Karla Shacklock Dance Company), Mapping the Territory (Time Won’t Wait), Haining Dreaming, The Great Train Dance, 5 Soldiers (Rosie Kay Dance Company), Meeting Mr Book (Darren Ellis Dance), Close Distance (Helen Parlor Dance), Wings of Desire, Home (DanceXchange), Dear Body, Happy Together, Ducky Nights (Protein Dance Company)
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Lesley-Anne Sammons
Lesley Anne studied Piano and Flute at Trinity College of Music, The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and The National Opera Studio. Lesley Anne joined the music staff at Scottish Opera, playing for many productions with Sir Alexander Gibson.
Lesley Anne worked at Il Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Amsterdam at De Nederlandse Opera, Glyndebourne Festival & Touring Opera, English National Opera, English Touring Opera, Opera North, Royal Opera House, Grange Park Opera, Opera Holland Park, Longborough Festival Opera, ROH2, European Opera Centre and New Sussex Opera. She is also an Associate Lecturer at Chichester University, teaching, coaching and nurturing young people in Classical Singing, Piano Accompaniment and Musical Theatre.
Lesley Anne has conducted Opera Holland Park with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Madama Butterfly, I Barbiere di Siviglia) and Longborough Festival Opera (Die Zauberflote). In 2019 Lesley Anne arranged La Calisto, Cavalli for Longborough Festival Opera for The Barefoot Band to much critical acclaim.
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Lucy Mulgan
Lucy Mulgan joined Barefoot Opera in 2014 as a double bassist and is part of the creative team for Bloom Britannia as a workshop leader and improviser.
In 2018 Lucy was commissioned by Jenny Miller to compose Red! an interactive opera for 8 – 10 year olds which will be premiered in four primary schools in Hastings in early 2020.
Lucy plays in a variety of music styles from opera to pop, from big band jazz to the avant garde. She has a PhD in Composition (University of York, UK 2003) and a Jazz Performance Diploma (Wellington Conservatorium of Music, NZ 1992).
Her music has been performed by the BBC Philharmonic, NZSO, Northern Sinfonia, juice vocal ensemble, London Gay Men’s Chorus and broadcast on BBC World (TV), BBC Radio 3 & 4, Radio NZ and Concert FM (NZ).
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Andrew Sparling
Clarinettist Andrew Sparling is a member of the new music group Lontano, and has played as guest in many others including the London Sinfonietta at the opening of Tate Modern and in Carnegie Hall. He played for Almeida Opera for 14 years, and also for The Opera Group, on tour and in several departments of Selfridge’s. On classical and baroque period instruments he has been guest-principal of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at Glyndebourne and Covent Garden, and on the BBC TV series “The Genius of Mozart” in which he also acted the role of Mozart’s friend and fellow Freemason Anton Stadler.
Previously for Barefoot Opera he has sung Morales / Zuniga, Dr Dulcamara, Schaunard, and Giove in La Calisto; for other companies roles include Alfio / Tonio, Don Alfonso, Geronte, Talbot, Sir Thomas Bertram and Gianni Schicchi.
[Credit for photo: Lester Barnes]
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Penelope Randall-Davis
A specialist in the dramatic coloratura repertoire, Penelope has appeared as the Queen of the Night with Teatro dell’ Opera di Roma, Opera La Fenice, New Zealand Opera, Opera Atelier and Tafelmusik in Toronto, and with Sydney Symphony Orchestra in concert at Sydney Opera House.
Here in the U.K appearances include those with Welsh National Opera, English National Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera North, Opera Holland Park with Dr Jane Glover and Simon Callow, and recently with Longborough Festival Opera. Other operatic roles include: Soprano Soloist Inquest of Love, La Monnaie; the Bride, Graham Vick’s Les Boreades CBTO; Russian Mother, Glyndebourne Touring Opera’s Death in Venice; and multiple appearances in the Verdi coloratura roles of Violetta (La Traviata),and Gilda (Rigoletto).
Penelope appeared as Alcina at London’s Arcola Theatre in the inaugural performances by Barefoot Opera of Peter Foggitt’s contemporary realization of Handel’s piece. This has been made into a film by well-known film-maker Nichola Bruce; and the production has recently received Arts Council funding to be developed further and taken out on tour.
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Evelyn Miller-Freebury
A movement therapist, consultant and body worker, Evelyn is concerned with the continuum between healthy human development and artistic expression. She trained and performed modern dance in the traditions of Graham, Hawkins and Limon, studied martial arts and received a black belt in Aikido. She stopped dancing due to back injuries, leading to a lifelong interest and pursuit of movement for healing and rehabilitation.
Evelyn has engaged in a long standing collaboration with Barefoot Opera to develop an effective approach which grounds classical singing in supportive and responsive movement.
“Barefoot Opera is a developing a pedagogy and philosophy for working with professional singers in which the whole singer as vocalist and human being is truly nurtured”.
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Nicholas Bosworth
Nicholas is much sought after as an accompanist and repetiteur. His concert and recital work has included performances at various festivals (Wexford, Edinburgh Fringe, Buxton, London Opera) and in diverse locations (the Royal Lodge at Windsor, the Presidential Palace in Malta, and the QE2 for its 50th birthday celebrations).
He has been official accompanist in masterclasses for Thomas Hampson, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Brigitte Fassbaender, the latter as part of the Wigmore Hall’s ‘Master Series’ recorded for the BBC Radio 3. Work with opera companies has included Glyndebourne, Garsington Opera Opera North and ENO. More recently, he has worked for The Grange Festival and Iford Arts, and currently is working for English Touring Opera’s spring season and given concerts with celebrity singers Bryn Terfel and Lesley Garrett.
Nicholas studied at the Royal Academy of Music and at the National Opera Studio. He has been made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in recognition of his work.
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Alexandra Baybutt
Alexandra is a movement artist, educator and researcher. In her work with Barefoot she draws on her skills as a Certified Movement Analyst in Laban Movement Analysis/ Bartenieff Fundamentals and yoga, as well as her work in dance and performance. She trained at Laban, London (2002-05), Goldsmiths (2006-07), Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies, in Canada/USA (2009-10), and with Yoga London (2011, 2015).
She teaches in several contexts for professional artists, adult and Higher education, in London, Edinburgh, Belgium, Slovenia and Italy. She coaches actors for theatre and film, and works privately with artists and members of the public on functional/expressive movement needs. As an artist she collaborates with others on site-based installation performances, notably with Tor Collaboration (Italy, Portugal, UK), with visual artist Moi Tran and musician David Somlo. She is currently an MPhil/PhD candidate at Middlesex University.
Alexandra seeks to find “more choice in how you move, no matter how large or small the movement” and open up “more possibility for expression, communication and experience”.
