Apr

Spring and Romance (in Opera and Classical song)

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Spring and Romance

Celebrate Spring! Join us for another of our unique events - combining some of our high quality Italian wines with a gala concert of music and arias about romantic love and the beauty of springtime - in Opera and classical song - and look forward to an evening of sheer enchantment!

Monique Loricchio Klongtruadroke, soprano, internationally famed for her bel canto coloratura singing, joined by emerging young talent - the brilliant Giulia Laudano (mezzo-soprano) and Damian Arnold (tenor) - will draw you into a fantastical world of love and romance with their glorious voices and superb technique as they perform arias from the greatest operas and much-loved songs - including great bravura pieces for coloratura soprano, accompanied on the Steinway Grand piano by highly accomplished collaborative pianist Caroline Jaya-Ratnam!

Son pochi fiori, povere viole, (Just a few flowers, humble violets,)
Son l'alito d'aprile (they are the breath of April)
Dal profumo gentile; (with their tender fragrence;)
Ed è per voi (And for you)

---- from 'Son pochi fiori', Suzel's aria from Act I of the Italian opera L'Amico Fritz by Pietro Mascagni

Featuring arias from best loved operas such as L'Elisir D'Amour (Donizetti), Carmen (Bizet), Così fan tutte (Mozart) and wonderful classical songs including Italian lieder (such as those by Sir Paolo Tosti), this concert will be a treat for music lovers and opera lovers in particular! It will be staged in the beautiful setting of St Gabriel's in Pimlico, which boasts superb acoustics.

Arias expected to feature in the concert include:

'Son pochi fiori' from L'Amico Fritz by Mascagni (soprano solo)
È serbato a questo acciaro..L'amo t'anto from I Capuleti e i Montecchi by Bellini (tenor solo)
Va laisse couler mes larmes from Werther by Massenet (mezzo-soprano solo)
La fleur que tu m'avais jetée from 'Carmen' by Bizet (tenor solo)
Merry widow waltz from 'The Merry Widow' by Franz Lehár (Duet - soprano / tenor)

and many more! (subject to confirmation)

REF: SANDR2019

What a member of our audience said about our last concert ['Love, Betrayal, Death' (in Opera)] (20th October 2018):

"What a successful and wondrous evening you gave us – many thanks. I was delighted to see a packed church and those singers certainly deserved the standing ovation."

Updates:

Saturday 27th april 2019

Concert day! We are ready to welcome music- and wine-lovers this evening! Rehearsal went very well yesterday. We have made a slight programme change because, sadly, mezzo-soprano Giulia Laudana is unable to perform tonight due to a health-related problem, not serious luckily, but it means she is unable to sing tonight.

Fortunately, Zoe Drummond, soprano, will be able to perform an additional two beautiful French songs - one by Debussy 'Apparition', and the other by Gounod, the stunning and famous aria for soprano, "Je veux vivre” (Juliet’s Waltz) from the opera Roméo et Juliette. Not to be missed!

Saturday 13th April 2019

Two weeks to go! We are delighted to announce that Caroline Jaya-Ratnam will be performing a Chopin Waltz on the piano to start off our show, and furthermore, talented young pianist Harry Rylance (see his bio below) has joined the team, and will perform a stunning Prelude by Rachmaninoff - both beautiful pieces which we believe can evoke a sense of 'romance'!

Saturday 30th March 2019

We and singers (in our 'Spring and Romance' Creative Team) have designed a programme of operatic arias, Neapolitan and Classical songs for our audience, to include Olympia's bravura aria from Les Contes d'Hoffmann (and many more beautiful pieces)!

Wednesday 27th March 2019

'Spring and Romance' official flyer design finalised by M. Mattos!

Thursday 21st March 2019

In tonight's 'Opera Scenes' at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the roles of Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore by Donizetti, and Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia by Rossini were beautifully sung and well acted by tenor Damian Arnold.

SICILY's 'Special Operatic Offer' (dinner deal) is available exclusively to our 'Spring and Romance' concert-goers for only £22.50 (payable to the restaurant) - to include a 3-course dinner from a choice of starters, mains and desserts plus a glass of Premium Prosecco! (See below for menu)

Tuesday 19th March 2019

Exciting news! We are happy to welcome young Australian tenor Damian Arnold! An award winner and finalist in singing competitions in his native Australia, Damian has already performed internationally, including recently with the London Symphony Orchestra (see below for more details)

We are also very pleased to announce that we have arranged a special post-concert DINNER offer (as an optional extra) - exclusively for concert-goers to our 'Spring & Romance' event - at the outstanding Italian restaurant SICILY in Belgravia (approx. 7 minutes' walk from St. Gabriel's Church). A specially designed menu for a 3-course dinner including a glass of prosecco will be presented (details to follow).

Tuesday 12th March 2019

We are in the process of signing up an exciting gifted young tenor who boasts an impressive repertoire of arias! We will reveal his identity in a future update.

We are happy and proud to be able to include, for Premium Ticket holders, a rather special 'champagne-style' Franciacorta sparkling wine - La Boscaiola Franciacorta 'La Capinera' Brut DOCG (12.5%)! The full list of wines to be served during the Intermission is being planned (please watch for further update),

We are arranging a special post-concert Dinner deal with a local restaurant for concert-goers. To be announced.

EVENT TIMETABLE

17:45 Doors open for Welcome glass of wine (or soft drink)

19:00 Concert Begins with opening piano piece followed by first half of operatic arias

19:45 Intermission for refreshments, including glass of quality Italian wine (or fruit juice) and snacks

20:15 Second half of concert of operatic arias

21:05 (approx) End of concert

21:15 Close

TICKET TYPES

Standard Ticket £28.50 (£26.00 with 'early-bird' discount) All adult ticket holders are entitled to a Welcome glass of Italian bubbly before start of concert, a glass of quality Italian wine or fruit juice and snacks during the Intermission, programme booklet, plus a £5 voucher towards future purchase of a case of 6 x 75 cl bottles of Italian wine from GS Wines.

Premium ticket £37.50 (£34.00 with 'early-bird' discount) in addition to Standard Ticket offering, entitles ticket holder to seating in front five row seats (closer to the performers), glass of premium Italian wine during the Intermission (e.g. Champagne-style Sparkling Franciacorta), meet the artists in person, and a further £5 voucher (£10 vouchers in total) towards future purchase of a case of 6 x 75 cl bottles of Italian wine from GS Wines.

N.B. Early Bird discount - of £2.50 for each adult STANDARD ticket type or £3.50 for each adult PREMIUM ticket type - applies until 23:30 on 14th APRIL 2019. Concession: childen under age of 18 years, accompanied by adult, £7.50 per cihld.

Please note, wine at our event will be served only to persons aged 18 years and over.

Artists' Biographies

Monique Loricchio Klongtruadroke, who has an Italian / Thai heritage, is a coloratura soprano and a top graduate from the Conservatoire “B. Marcello” in Venice (Italy). She has an international singing career that has taken her to Italy, UK, USA, Australia, Myanmar and Thailand. She sang for the King of Thailand and in other Royal Command Performances also aired on Thai national television. A highlight in her operatic repertoire, the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” received enthusiastic reviews. Monique's repertoire is very varied - covering not just operatic arias but also the genres of sacred, baroque and chamber music, musical theatre, folk and Neapolitan songs. Her great versatility extends to an ability to sing in many languages including French, Spanish, Thai, Hebrew and Russian.

Mezzo Soprano Giulia Laudano is currently studying for her MA at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) having won the Elena Gerhardt Lieder Prize in 2017 and then been awarded the Rhoda Jones Roberts Scholarship in 2018 from RAM. In 2015, Giulia was selected to represent the RAM at the Young Singers’ Kathleen Ferrier Competition. Recent roles include Sesto (Giulio Cesare - Handel) in RAM Vocal Faculty Opera scenes, Dorabella (Cosí fan tutte- Mozart) and Meg (Falstaff- Verdi) in scenes on an Italian intensive Opera course in Puglia. Though at the start of her career, she has already sung in prestigious events in the UK, Austria and Italy.

Damian Arnold, tenor, has recently relocated, from his native Australia, to London to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he is the recipient of the Ewen Balfour Award. A finalist in the 2015 and 2017 Australian Singing Competition, Damian has an impressive repertoire, including many arias for the lyrical tenor. As well as having sung throughout Australia, Damian has also performed internationally, inclduing in Israel, New Zealand and the UK. He has sung with the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle and to cover the role of Eurymachus in the Royal Opera's production of The Return of Ulysses. He has just finished portraying the role of Snout in Guildhall School of Music and Drama’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.

Following her Masters degree (Cambridge University) Caroline Jaya-Ratnam was appointed Junior Fellow at the Royal College of Music. Television appearances have included accompanying world renowned opera singers inclduing tenor, Rolando Villazon, baritone Bryn Terfel and soprano Danielle de Niese. She has appeared at the Royal Albert Hall in numerous Proms as part of the London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Accomplished concert pianist, accompanist, violinist and singer Caroline was awarded her Masters degree in music (Cambridge University). She has appeared on TV accompanying world renowned opera singers and she has appeared at the Royal Albert Hall in numerous Proms as part of the London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Harry Rylance is a young British pianist, currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music with the Academy’s Head of Piano, Prof. Joanna MacGregor. His recent engagements have included performances at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to an audience including the current Prime Minister and four former Prime Ministers, performances at the Royal Festival Hall with the London Sinfonietta and Royal Manson Ensemble, and as a piano scholar at the Heidelberg Lied Academy Festival in Germany. Harry has an international background having studied in Korea, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Hungary, and the USA.

HOW TO GET THERE

By underground or train: Victoria (Circle, District and Victoria lines) or Pimlico (Victoria line). St Gabriel's is a 10min walk from both Victoria and Pimlico stations. From Vauxhall BR station it is 20-25 min by bus or by foot.

By foot from Victoria Station: go along Wilton Road which runs down the left side of the station (as you look at the frontage), past the Apollo theatre, Argos and Sainsbury's, turn right into Warwick Way, left into Belgrave Rd, then right into Warwick Sq.

By foot from Pimlico Station: from Pimlico Station walk along Lupus St past St Saviour's church and turn right into St George's Drive up to Warwick Square.

By bus: No 24 to Belgrave Rd/ Churton St.
Nos C10, 360 to Lupus Street.
Nos 11, 239, C1, 44 to Victoria Coach Station.
Nos 2, 36, 436, 185 to Vauxhall Bridge Rd/Warwick Way.

By car: parking is free after 18:00 on a Saturday [?]

Disabled access: there are toilets in the church, but no facilities for the disabled, although the church is accessible by wheelchair.

SICILY 'Special Operatic Offer' - 3 courses and glass of Premium Prosecco £22.50

(v) = vegetarian

Starters

Salmone Affumicato - Smoked Salmon Tartare with prawns, rocket and cocktail sauce
…
Gnocchi (v) in tomato basil sauce
...
Arancini (v) rice balls, mozzarella, vegetables, tomato sauce

Main course

Pollo Siciliana
chicken breast with olives, capers and lemon sauce
crushed potatoes and grilled vegetables
…
Filetto di Branzino Messinese
Seabass fillet with capers, tomato, garlic & parsley sauce,
served with crushed potatoes
...
Tagliatelle Ragu
thin ribbon pasta with slow cooked beef in tomato sauce
...
Sfoglia (v)
puff pastry case filled with wild mushrooms, chestnuts, and cream, served with Sicilian cous cous

Sides (at extra cost)
Deep fried zucchini 4.75 (v) / Roast potatoes, garlic, rosemary 4.75
Sweet potato fries 4.75 / Mixed green leaves 4.75