Can you tell us about your role at OHP this year?

I am playing the role of Fiorello, the servant of Count Almaviva. Being a servant, I guess most of my work is carried out in the background, facilitating the count’s plans, but I get the honour of opening the show in the first scenes, full of fun and beautiful music!

You performed in the OHP Chorus in 2023 in Rigoletto. What is something you learnt from that experience that you hope to bring to the Young Artists programme this year?

What struck me most last year was how welcoming everyone was. Everyone made those of us who were newcomers feel welcome and treated us as if we’d all been part of the ‘family’ as long as them. That’s something I’m determined to do myself this year!

You trained in three different European countries. What influence, if any, do you feel that has had on the way you work?

I think it helps me remember that there are a lot of ways of doing things (in general, not just within the world of opera). This awareness makes me more patient and respectful of different traditions or ways of working, but it also spurs lots of ideas and a wish to share my experience of how things are done elsewhere with others!

Do you have a favourite OHP memory from last year?

Not a specific one, but the general feeling of being on the main stage at OHP was amazing! It’s such a cool venue with a lot of possibilities. The way the auditorium is constructed is quite unique, and when we were on stage I could really feel the impact that the space had on the contact you got with the audience!

What do you enjoy about working on a comic opera in comparison to something more ‘serious’?

As a performer I really feed off the energy from the audience. One of the things I like about comedy is that you tend to get a very spontaneous and immediate reaction from the audience. You still need to work extremely hard, but you get a lot of help from the instant kick of energy that you feel coming from the auditorium.

Oh, and I also really enjoy how working on comedy gives me an outlet for a lot of creativity in the rehearsal process! It’s just so much fun being silly and trying out different things while also being disciplined (you’ve got to accept that most of your darlings have to be killed)!

What is one piece of advice, musical or otherwise, that you’ve been given that has stayed with you?

Be a good colleague! Definitely on stage, but also to all of your colleagues off stage. Being nice to people helps the artistic process and the end result, but more importantly, you’re taking care of your colleagues and contributing towards a good atmosphere at the workplace. It makes such a massive difference.

 

Find out more about The Barber of Seville here.