RECITALS
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Cello​​ - Sunday 8th February at 4pm
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Free Entry
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Programme
Prokofiev - Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 119
N. Boulanger - Trois pièces pour violoncelle et piano
Vierne/arr. Murgatroyd - Arabesque, Op. 31, No. 15
Artist Bio
Alison Holford was born and brought up in Birmingham. She read music at Huddersfield University and Trinity College of Music, studying with Sue Lowe, Anna Shuttleworth and David Kenedy. At Trinity College of Music she was principal cello in the college Symphony Orchestra and the Contemporary Music Group. Since graduating she has pursued a busy freelance career, both playing and teaching in London and the south-east of England. Her performing work includes: principal cello ofSt Paul's Sinfonia; solo cello in Splinter Cell, a contemporary music group based in Canterbury that aims to mix the most challenging and virtuosic pre-composed music with free improvisation, and collaborate with other art forms including film, visual art and dance; cellist in Bridgetower Music, a flexible chamber ensemble performing anything from piano trios to Pierrot Lunaire; and in France, principal and continuo cello of Opera de Baugé. Recently she has been the solo cello in OperaUpClose’s production of Tosca in the West End and on tour ('Outstanding' The Independent; ‘Cellist Alison Holford’s playing is so sweet that I am called again and again to listen with great attention’ - playstosee.com). With OperaUpClose she has also been the solo cello in La Traviata; solo/continuo in Dido and Aeneas; and solo in Carmen. With King's Head Opera, Alison was the solo cello in new productions of La Boheme and Madame Butterfly. Alison has performed with the Manchester Camerata and Lancashire Sinfonietta. With St Paul’s Sinfonia, Alison has performed the Vivaldi Concerto for Two Cellos (with Helen Neilson), the Brahms Double Concerto (with James Widden, violin), the Shostakovich 1st cello concerto, and the Barber cello concerto. Alison is also a long-suffering supporter of Aston Villa F.C.
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ALISON HOLFORD
Soprano - Sunday 15th February at 4pm
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Free Entry
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Programme
Debussy - Proses lyriques
Strauss - Final scene from Salomé
Wagner - Wesendonck Lieder
Artist Bio
Soprano Claire Filer was born in Auckland, New Zealand, where she began a career that has involved studying and performing in the US, the UK and Europe. Claire holds a Master of Arts with Distinction from the Wales International Academy of Voice in Cardiff, a Master of Music from The Boston Conservatory in the US and a Bachelor of Music with first class honours from The University of Auckland in New Zealand. While at the University of Auckland, Claire was awarded the Kathleen Mary Reardon Scholarship and Postgraduate Scholarship, and upon graduation from The Boston Conservatory, Claire accepted a place in the Gamma Psi chapter of the prestigious American music honours society Pi Kappa Lambda. Claire has also attended the Intermezzo Young Artist Program in Portland, Maine, the Franco-American Vocal Academy in Périgueux, France, and New Zealand Opera School in Wanganui, New Zealand.
In 2023, Claire performed the role of Mimì in Act I of Puccini’s La Bohème in concert with Richmond Orchestra, along with excerpts from Bizet’s Carmen and Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel, and as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with Edinburgh Symphony Orchestra for their 60th Anniversary Concert at Greyfriars Kirk. She then covered the role of Charlotte in Lisa Logan’s Bronte the Opera at the Grimeborn Opera Festival, and made her debut as Ortlinde in Wagner’s Die Walküre with The London Opera Company at St John’s Smith Square.
In 2024, Claire performed the role of Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen with both Arcadian Opera and Rogue Opera, as well as reprising the role of Ortlinde with New Palace Opera. On the concert platform, 2024 saw Claire perform Finzi’s In Terra Pax, Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols and Vaughan Williams’ The First Nowell with The City of London Choir and Britten Sinfonia in Cadogan Hall, Mozart’s Requiem with Sheen Gate Choir, and as the 2nd soprano soloist in Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with Durham Choral Society in Durham Cathedral, as well as appearing in the Mastersingers UK 25th anniversary concert at St John’s Smith Square.
In 2025, Claire performed the role of Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Così fan tutte with Rogue Opera, and on the concert platform, Handel’s Judas Maccabeus with Durham Choral Society, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with Sheen Gate Choir, and with Spelthorne Choral Society, Haydn’s Harmoniemesse, Beethoven’s Mass in C Major, and both Mozart and Salieri Requiem. Upcoming performances include Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem with Blackheath Choir, Handel Dixit Dominus with Walton Voices, and Sieglinde in Wagner Die Walküre (Act 1 Scene 3) in concert.
CLAIRE FILER
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Musical Theatre Singer​​​​ - Sunday 22nd Feb at 4pm
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Free Entry
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Programme
Phantom of the Opera - Carlotta
The Two Svengali’s - I’m The Queen And You’re Not
Second Letter?
Song & Dance - Unexpected Song
Les Miserables - I Dreamed a Dream
Die Fledermaus - Klänge der Heimat (Csardas)
The Curious case of Benjamin Button - Time
The Consel - To this we’ve come (Papers)
Hope - I come to sing a song
Artist Bio
Kelly Glyptis is a Greek-American lyric soprano currently based in London, England on a Tier 1 Global Talent Visa where she performed as Carlotta Giudicelli in The Phantom of The Opera at His Majesty's Theatre in the West End. Miss Glyptis is a highly sought after performer of both opera and musical theater and was most recently seen as Giorgetta in The Lithuanian National Opera's production of Il Tabarro. She headlined the inaugural Virtuoso Series presented by Mark Cortale in Provincetown, MA USA and was the inaugural winner of the Music International Grand Prix. In England, Miss Glyptis has had the honor to create the World Premiere roles of Madeleine (Madeleine) with Surrey Opera and Meesha (Her Day) with Her Day Opera and has performed with Opera on Location as Amelia (Un ballo in maschera). Miss Glyptis has also been seen as Countess Almaviva in Shreveport Opera's The Marriage of Figaro, Aldonza in Opera Saratoga's Man of La Mancha and was on the North American National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof as Fruma Sarah and Golde/Yente Cover. Miss Glyptis performed in Opera Saratoga's World Premier of Vinkensport, or the Finch Opera as Sir Elton John’s Trainer as well as The Foreign Woman/Magda Sorel Cover (The Consul) and has covered the title role in Alcina with Fargo-Moorhead Opera, performed Fiordiligi (Cosi fan tutte) with the Shreveport Opera, Cupid (Orpheus in the Underworld) and Mimi cover (La boheme) at Virginia Opera, Berta (Il barbiere di Siviglia)with The Atlanta Opera, and Suor Angelica (Suor Angelica) with the Virginia ARTfactory. She has also performed with the American Opera Project, the Boise Philharmonic and Opera Idaho, Eclectic Voices in London, OperaDelaware, Baltimore Concert Opera, Brooklyn Metro Chamber Orchestra, George Mason University, and the Manassas Chorale.
Miss Glyptis has had the privilege to sing events and honors for Renée Fleming, Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsburg, and Pope Benedict XVI and has sung at St. Paul's Cathedral for the American Thanksgiving Services. She was a 1st place winner of the Odin International Music Competition, Canadian International Music Competition, Tri-Cities Opera Audience Prize, The Voice of New UK Musicals Audience Prize, and the John Alexander 3rd Place award. She has also been a Semi-Finalist for the Jensen Foundation, Partners for the Arts, Paris Opera, Vincero, and the UK Sing Out competitions and has been a previous winner of the Lorena Bessey Mangin Memorial Award at Shreveport Opera, Hellenic American Women's Council Award, and Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Indiana District.
Along with her performing, Miss Glyptis was recognized by the Society of American Fight Directors as a Certified Actor/Combatant in Rapier/Dagger, Broadsword, Sword and Shield, and Unarmed combat; as well as trained in knife, quarterstaff, single sword, small sword, and whip. She has been a fight captain, consultant, and choreographer for the London Opera in Canada, IU Opera Theater, Pied Piper Theater, Chopticon Players, and Rooftop Productions. Miss Glyptis is also a Director, Teacher, and Stage Electrician having worked in the United States, Canada, the UK and Italy.
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KELLY GLYPTIS
LIZ MEYER & GUY MURGATROYD
Liz Meyer - Flute, Guy Murgatroyd - Piano​​
Sunday 1st March 4pm
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Free Entry
