Masterclass: Professor Janis Kelly, FRCM, DRSAMD.

Friday 25th November 2022, Victoria Hall, Sheffield.

7pm – 9pm

Programme

Bethany-Louise Howe
Vedrai Carino – Don Giovanni (Mozart) – link to translation
Lorelei (1843) (Clara Schumann) – link to translation

Lucy Farrimond
Ten lásky Sen – The Bartered Bride (Smetana) – link to translation
Sea Air – A Streetcar Named Desire (Previn)

Matt Seacombe
Avant de quitter ces lieux – Faust (Gounod) – link to translation
Sweeter than Roses (Purcell arr. Britten)

Rosa Sparks
Frère, voyex – Werther (Massenet) – link to translation
S’altro che lagrime – Clemenza di Tito (Mozart) – link to translation

Born in Glasgow, Professor Janis Kelly studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and at the Royal College of Music, where she was an opera scholar, a Ferrier finalist and winner of numerous awards. She studied with Lyndon Van der Pump at the RCM and continued with world-renowned soprano Elisabeth Grümmer. In the same year Janis made her Wigmore Hall recital debut and her opera debut with English National Opera where she continues to sing principle roles. Subsequently her teachers have included Dame Felicity Palmer in London and Jutta Vulpius in Berlin.

Having made her MET debut in 2010 as Pat Nixon in Nixon in China, Janis recently appeared with Los Angeles Opera, Royal Opera House and Opera Toulouse. She is known for her acclaimed portrayals of roles such as Violetta, Marschallin and Rose in Street Scene along with many Britten roles, and has recently added Christine in Intermezzo (Strauss), Mrs Lovett in Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd for Welsh National Opera and Bertha in Barber at ROH and Glyndebourne. In Autumn 2020 Janis returns to the ROH as Marcellina and in 2021 appears in Falstaff at Grange Park Opera and Der Rosenkavalier at ENO.

In repertoire from Handel to Sondheim, Janis has performed and recorded with major orchestras on TV and radio in the UK, Europe and the USA including the BBC Proms, Aix-en-Provence, Liceu, and Virgin Classics. Recordings for television include Inspector Morse and Lewis, also appearing in Hollywood film The Life of David Gale. Janis works closely with composers Patrick Doyle, Iain Bell, Barrington Pheloung and Rufus Wainwright.

Janis is in demand as teacher, vocal consultant, in masterclasses and young artists’ programmes worldwide. Having joined the RCM vocal faculty in 2008, her notable students, including Sarah Jane Brandon, Soraya Mafi and Rosie Aldridge are now establishing themselves as soloists on the international stage and in the recording industry.

Janis’s knowledge and vocal technique, drawn from the Bel Canto teachings of Martienssen-Lohmann is at the heart of her singing and teaching. She also incorporates Feldenkreis, Alexander techniques alongside psychology of performance training into her Holistic approach.

Her directorial debut was with Grange Park Opera in a much-acclaimed Cosi Fan Tutte followed by Iolanthe. With the support of the RCM, Janis initiated the series History of Vocal Teaching with a film tracing the lineage of her technique directly back to Manuel Garcia followed by Singing in English – a session with Catherine Lambert and is about to launch a new film about the accompanist Robert Sutherland who played for Maria Callas on her final tour.

About the Artists

Bethany-Louise Howe is a British Soprano, born in Merseyside. Bethany Howe in her earlier years received a scholarship to study at the Junior Royal Northern College of Music. Following on from this , Bethany successfully auditioned and received a place to study at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Bethany began her vocal tutelage at Trinity Laban with Neil Baker then continued her studies with Joan Rodgers CBE. In 2020, Bethany graduated from Trinity Laban. Bethany was involved in various concerts, opera scenes, recording live for BBC Radio 3 and fortunate enough to take part in a selection of Vocal Masterclasses with vocalists; Nicky Spence, Louise Crane, Ruby Philogene, and Charmain Bedford. In September 2022, Bethany Howe began her postgraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music with vocal tutor Linda Richardson. Bethany has just been selected as one of RNCM Songsters for 2022-2023. Bethany will perform her debut at the Bridgewater Hall at the end of this month, working alongside The Halle Orchestra.

Lucy Farrimond is a young lyric soprano based in Greater Manchester, UK: currently studying for a master’s degree at the Royal Northern College of Music under the tutelage of Jane Irwin. Lucy has performed at esteemed venues throughout the UK and abroad, including: The Royal Albert Hall, The Bridgewater Hall, Snape Maltings and The Embassy of the United Kingdom in Paris.  Recent competition success includes: winning the first prize of ‘The George Shirley Vocal Competition’ international category (2022) and winning first-prize in four categories at the ‘Chester Competitive Festival of Performing Arts’ (2022).  Lucy has been the Event Manager of the ‘National Student Opera Society UK’ since March 2020 and is passionate about sharing her love for opera with fellow young musicians globally.  Since being appointed at the organisation, Lucy has hosted interviews and masterclasses alongside top industry professionals worldwide, with her work being nominated for a ‘360° Opera Award’.  

Matt Secombe’s 2022 engagements have included playing Masetto in Surrey Opera’s production of Don Giovanni at the Minack Theatre, and the role of the Crocodile God in Darren Berry’s opera ‘The Crocodile of Old Kang Pow: Grand Finale’ at the Cockpit Theatre for Tête-à-Tête festival. Matthew was recently nominated for the Offies 2023 for his performance in HGO’s double-bill of Venus and Adonis (Huntsman, bass chorus) and Dido and Aeneas (Sailor, bass chorus) in May. He has also sung in voice-viola-piano trio recitals at the Royal College of Music, and at St Margaret’s Church, Putney, in programmes including Adolf Busch, Josephine Lang and Pauline Viardot. Other solo performances have included Beethoven’s Mass in C with East Cornwall Bach Choir, and Handel’s Messiah at Truro Cathedral. Matthew graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 2020 and currently studies at the RNCM, with an Andrew Lloyd-Webber Foundation scholarship and the Margaret Hunter Award. In December he will perform Eisenstein in Strauss’s Die Fledermaus at RNCM.

Rosa Sparks is currently studying for her Masters at the Royal Northern College of Music, under the tutelage of Elizabeth Ritchie, having recently graduated with a First Class honours degree in vocal studies from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Her operatic experience to date includes Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) and Vitellia (La Clemenza di Tito) in Opera Scenes at RWCMD; Chorus in Die Fledermaus for RWCMD, and most recently she performed with Welsh National Opera in their Young Company’s production of Cherry Town Moscow, directed by Daisy Evans. She also created the leading role of ‘The Soprano’ in ‘Interrupted’, a modern comedic opera, which premiered at the 2022 Atmospheres Festival. Rosa has a keen interest in producing and has founded her own opera company – ‘Opera Sparks’, with whom she produced a fully staged production of Dido and Aeneas and performed the role of Belinda. Rosa has performed in many concerts and masterclasses, the latter most recently with Ilker Arcayurek and Mary Bevan. In March 2022, she won first prize in the John Ireland Song Prize competition, administered by the John Ireland Trust..