Saira Luther to perform at this concert. Saira is a much sought after classical singer who has performed on many stages and venues around the world. She performs with the award winning London opera company ‘Opera Up Close, will be touring around the UK with ‘Mozart by Candlelight’, has performed on the iconic Sydney Opera House stage, performs for large charity Balls such as Children with Cancer and Starlight Children's Charity Ball and performed Christmas Carols in front of thousands at the Melbourne Carols by candlelight.
Saira will be accompanied by Northern Irish Baritone Timothy Connor, who makes his international debuts this season with performances of Liliam Paterson’s ‘Bambino’ with Scottish Opera at the Theatre du Châtelet, Paris, The Metropolitan Opera, New York and later in Germany as Dancairo (Carmen) with Oper Wuppertal.
His recent operatic roles include Angelotti (Tosca) for English Touring Opera, Pulcino (Bambino) for Scottish Opera/improbable, Dulcamara cover (The Elixir of Love) for Scottish Opera, Sid (Albert Herrring), Papageno (Die Zauberflöte) Licaone (Giove in Argo), Hel Helson (Paul Bunyan) and Peter (Hänsel and Gretel) all for RCM International Opera School. He has worked with Lawrence Cummings, Phelim McDermott, Michael Rosewell, Nina Brazier, Peter Robinson, Bill Bankes-Jones, Liam Steel, Lliam Peterson, Blanche McIntyre, Oliver Platt and Will Kerley. He made his barbican debut in Iain Burside’s ‘A Soldier and a Maker’ and last season shared the stage with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Sir Thomas Allen as Frank in John Copley’s production of Die Fledermaus.
Saira and Timothy will both be accompanied by Emily Leather, who will play the piano. Emily graduated as an Opera Coach/repetiteur at the Guildhall and Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. She has since enjoyed a varied career as Music Director, Repetiteur, Animateur and Composer/Arranger in both the US and UK. She was on staff with Cincinnati Opera, Portland Opera and Kentucky Opera as pianist and assistant chorus master and with Opera Manhattan as conductor for Dido and Aeneas. In the UK she has been MD for Opera Up Close in the West End productions of La bohème and Don Giovanni and is currently repetiteur for the Youth Opera Chorus at the Royal Opera House.