News & Views

Member Spotlight: Phil Wilcox - Baritone

Audition Oracle – Mon 26 Aug 2024 @ 9:38

This week's Member Spotlight is giving a very warm welcome to British baritone Phil Wilcox.

1. How do you describe yourself as an artist?

2. What other skills or passions do you have that help shape you as an artist?

3. What has been the most memorable and rewarding experience you have had as an artist?

4. What role, company or performing situation would be a dream come true for you as an artist?

5. What do you like most about being a creative artist?

6. If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

7. Three words that are the pillars you shape your career by:

8. Where can our followers support you next?

Ticket links:

English Touring Opera - Autumn Tour

Opera Brava - La Boheme - Colline - Corfu

Baroquestock -Hampstead

Licence to Ceilidh

Fleet Singers - Musical Director

Chanctonbury Chorus - The Creation - Soloist

Celtic Christmas

Phil Wilcox website

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Member Spotlight: Caroline Taylor - soprano

Audition Oracle – Thu 22 Aug 2024 @ 12:28

This week we are thrilled to announce British soprano Caroline Taylor for our Member Spotlight

1. How do you describe yourself as an artist?

Freelance classical soprano.

2. What other skills or passions do you have that help shape you as an artist?

Meditation, pilates, sleep hygiene...and Spotify Smart Shuffle. I do also love wild swimming and think it must be good for the lung capacity!

3. What has been the most memorable and rewarding experience you have had as an artist?

During my RNCM studies, I created the role of Sara in Ben Kaye and Adam Gorb's opera 'The Path to Heaven'. Ben's libretto was composed using real correspondence from the Holocaust, telling hugely important stories through Adam's one-of-a-kind music. I felt honoured to be a part of it and will treasure the memories.

4. What role, company or performing situation would be a dream come true for you as an artist?

Vixen Sharp-Ears in the National Theatre in Brno, Czechia. Sharp-Ears has become a part of me and nothing would be more amazing than performing her on the Janáčkovo divadlo stage!

5. What do you like most about being a creative artist?

No two performances are ever the same. Each one has a different energy, or different colleagues or ensembles, or venue, or a different way that voices or instruments align in different works; all of these things shape the way things unfold on the day. Being a creative artist means that you can quite literally live in the moment - and I think that is something so unique to this craft. That is the stuff of goosebumps.

6. If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Find a healthy and productive daily routine and stick to it like glue. That includes days off.

7. Three words that are the pillars you shape your career by:

Kindness, Exploration, Devotion

8. When and where can our members support your performances?

At the end of August, I am heading to Austria for the opening rounds of the International Cesti Competition for Baroque Opera. It's my first international competition and I have had so much fun exploring arias out of the mainstream, so I am really excited to take part! I am also driving there from London, which will be exciting in a different way...

Keep up with Caroline's latest news, visit her website https://carolinetaylorsoprano.com. Wishing Caroline every success at the International Cesti Competition for Baroque Opera. Tickets are available here https://www.altemusik.at/en/cesti.

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Member Spotlight: Lucy Farrimond - Soprano

Audition Oracle – Mon 12 Aug 2024 @ 18:54

This week we welcome British soprano Lucy Farrimond as our latest Audition Oracle Member Spotlight

As with so many of our Member Spotlight Artists, Lucy's positivity and charm leaps off the page. We hope you enjoy reading this as much as we have.

1. How do you describe yourself as an artist?

A freelance lyric soprano and composer - proudly hailing from the North West of England!

2. What other skills or passions do you have that help shape you as an artist?

I have always adored languages and am a proud polyglot! Having a good knowledge of languages as a singer is vital, not only for repertoire learning purposes (which is made quicker because of it) but for when you need to work with companies overseas. I would also say that my general passion for travel and discovering new things/meeting new people has happily coincided with the job! I'm a lucky girl!

3. What has been the most memorable and rewarding experience you have had as an artist?

When I was 21, I took part in a performance of Haydn's 'The Creation' at the Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms. At the end of the work, there is a small step-out solo usually allocated to a member of the chorus. After auditioning, I was given the part! I cannot quite put into words just how amazing and career-affirming it was to walk on that iconic stage with the professional soloists and BBC Philharmonic, Live on BBC Radio 3! If 21 year old Lucy knew that this year, she would be singing the soprano solos of that same work in St. John's Smith Square as a professional freelancer - she would be over the moon!

4. What role, company or performing situation would be a dream come true for you as an artist?

It has always been a dream of mine to sing on the stage of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. A true 'dream come true' moment would be to sing the beloved role of Mimi from Puccini's 'La Bohème'.

5. What do you like most about being a creative artist?

Ahh - tough question when there is so much to like! I would say that I love sharing my love and passion for music with other people. In every concert I do, I meet people from all walks of life. For some, they already know the repertoire, and the music I sing may remind them of a core memory from their past, whereas for others (who may not have experienced such music before), it may ignite a new interest and open others to something new - something which I find truly humbling and heart-warming.

6. If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Take your time and believe in yourself. It will work out!

7. Three words that are the pillars you shape your career by:

Dedication. Genuity. Passion.

8. Where can our followers hear you next?

I am very excited to be heading to Luxembourg in late August to cover the role of 'Berta' in Rossini's 'Il barbiere di Siviglia'. During my time in the beautiful Moselle area - I will hop over the border to Germany to perform a Liederabend with pianist Joseph Moog, as part of the Konz Musik Festival. I can't wait!

Ticket links:

Il barbiere di Siviglia: https://ocl.lu/en/evenement/le-barbier-de-seville  
Liederabend with Joseph Moog: https://www.ticket-regional.de/events_info.php?eventID=217650

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Member Spotlight: Pascal Zurek - Bass-Baritone

Audition Oracle – Fri 2 Aug 2024 @ 9:40

Our latest Member Spotlight brings us to German bass-baritone Pascal Zurek

 

1. How do you describe yourself as an artist?

2. What other skills or passions do you have that help shape you as an artist?

3. What has been the most memorable and rewarding experience you have had as an artist?

4. What role, company or performing situation would be a dream come true for you as an artist?

5. What do you like most about being a creative artist?

6. If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

7. Three words that are the pillars you shape your career by:

8. Where can our followers watch you perform next?

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