CREATIVE TEAM
DIRECTOR - ZARA FYFE
Zara is currently in her fourth and final year of Undergraduate study at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance under Sophie Grimmer and Alistair Young.
As a member of NYCGB, she has taken part in the BBC proms performing Mahler’s 2nd Symphony under Dudamel and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony under Barenboim and Petrenko. During her time at Trinity Laban she has performed Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, Haydn’s Creation, Carmina Burana and Stephen Montague’s Requiem with Trinity Laban Chorus.
On completion of first year she gained the highest recital mark, and was therefore selected to represent Trinity Laban at the Kathleen Ferrier Society Bursary for Young Singers. Galvanising on this, 2013 enabled Zara to make her operatic debut as Cupid (Orpheus in The Underworld - Offenbach) for Trinity Laban Opera, with Gloria (What Price Confidence? - Ernst Krenek) following In late 2014 and Puck (A Midsummer Night's Dream - Britten) upcoming in Summer 2015. She has also performed in masterclasess with Matthew Rose, Ron Morris & Louise Winter.
Zara took an interest in Directing after working alongside Simon Iorio for Trinity Laban Postgraduate Opera Scenes in March 2014 (Upcoming also in April 2015). Summer 2014 then saw Zara take on the role of Assistant Director and chorus member for a staged production of Handel’s Belshazzar under Emma Rivlin. Lennox Berkeley’s A Dinner Engagement is her full directing debut.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - CAITLIN FRETWELL WALSH
Caitlin is an accomplished professional dancer, with experience in both contemporary and commercial works and practices. Since graduating from Laban, she has toured nationally across the UK, including performing at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, the Royal Albert Hall and Edinburgh Fringe. She is a qualified teacher with the IDTA, having taught ballet, tap and modern techniques to young dancers at Cardwell Theatre School, Manchester. Caitlin has also worked extensively with community dancers and young performers through The Place, collaborating with choreographers Marie Forbes and Sophie Nuzel and fellow artists to create the interactive, site specific, promenade piece The Little Witch.
Caitlin turned her focus to movement direction last year while performing at Glyndebourne in Richard Jones’ production of Der Rosenkavalier as part of the Summer ’14 season. As well as collaborating with Opera Dinamica for A Dinner Engagement with Zara, Caitlin has also assisted at Royal Academy of Music with Simon Iorio in a vibrant and bold set of Opera Scenes including pieces by Mozart, Bizet, Wagner, Beethoven, Handel and Offenbach (Autumn 2014). Caitlin has returned to the Academy this year and is currently working with John Ramster and Victoria Newlyn on their production of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress as movement assistant.
MUSICAL DIRECTOR - SAM JEWISON
Sam Jewison is a vocalist, pianist and conductor, based in London. He studies at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (TL Scholar 2013/14), training as a tenor under Lynton Atkinson and Robert Aldwinckle, on the BMus Course.
After gaining the highest mark in his first year recital, Sam was chosen to represent Trinity Laban at the Kathleen Ferrier Bursary for Young Singers in Blackburn (October 2014). His performance, given with accompanist Nicole Johnson, was certified as ‘Highly Commended’ by the panel of judges and he was the highest ranking tenor of the 2014 competition. Aside from solo work, Sam is a member of Trinity Laban’s renowned Chamber Choir, directed by Stephen Jackson, in addition to singing in external choral projects – most recently, Mahler Symphony No. 8, at London’s Royal Festival Hall, under Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonia Orchestra. As a conductor, Sam recently served as Musical Director for his first opera, A Dinner Engagement (Lennox Berkeley), which was performed at South Kensington’s Polish Hearth Club.
RÉPÉTITEUR - NICOLE JOHNSON
Nicole is a pianist, vocalist and arranger, based in London. She is currently studying at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance under the tutelage of Sergio de Simone, for a BA (Hons) degree in classical piano.
Aside from solo playing, Nicole has a passionate interest in accompanying; this has resulted in working with a variety of ensembles, from choirs and choral societies to theatre groups and large-scale community projects, as well as individual instrumentalists and singers.
Within the past 6 months, she has been involved in such diverse projects as holding the title of repetiteur for Opera Dinamica's production of Lennox Berkeley's 'A Dinner Engagement'; accompanying one of Trinity's two entrants to this year's Young Kathleen Ferrier Competition; and being the youngest duo finalist in the college's English Song competition with the same partner.
Nicole also has a keen interest in vocal studies, and is studying voice under Lynton Atkinson; she is a member of Trinity's Contemporary Vocal Ensemble. From 2009-2012 she was a key member of an all-female a-cappella septet , arranging many of the works performed by the group.
Alongside her studies, Nicole also holds current positions as full-time accompanist for the University of the Arts Choir, and rehearsal pianist for both Mill Hill Amateur Dramatics Society and the Quay Players Amateur Dramatics society. Past appointments include accompanist for Skipton Ladies' Choir (2010-2014), restaurant/hotel pianist (2008-2014), and various private social events.