OPERA GALA

Isabel Garcia Araujo – Soprano

Isabel Garcia Araujo is a Portuguese award winning soprano. She won the 2022 Grange Festival Prize. Some of her operatic roles include: Donna Anna (Don Giovanni, Mozart), Tosca (Tosca, Puccini), Marie (La Fille du Régiment, Donizetti), Masha/ Prilepa (The Queen of Spades, Tchaikovsky), Alice James (The Master, A. Caruso -World Premiere), 2nd Apparition(Macbeth, Verdi), Vitellia (La Clemenza di Tito, Mozart), Lauretta (La Donna di Genio Volubile, M. Portugal), Fiordiligi (Così Fan Tutte). She has been awarded the Best Interpretation of Portuguese Music in the National Singing Contest of the Official Conservatories in 2013 (Portugal) and the 2nd prize in the International Competition of “Cidade do Fundão”(Portugal). In 2020, she finished her Masters at RCS under the tutelage of Elizabeth McCormack. Isabel had the pleasure to have the support of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Trust (UK) and the GDA Foundation (Portugal).

Anna Gregg – Soprano

Winner of the ‘Deborah Voight Opera Prize’ at the BBC Radio 3 Glenarm Festival of Voice, Anna Gregg is the ‘Northern Ireland Opera Young Opera Voice of 2023’. Anna graduated in 2022 with distinction, from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she studied BMus(Hons), MMus and MPerf under the tutelage of Sarah Pring. Since, Anna was thrilled to play the role of ‘Gabriel’ in a staged production of Hadyn’s ‘Creation’ with the Scherzo Ensemble (Longhope Opera), cover the principal role of ‘Elena’ in the world premiere of ‘Elena and Gerardo’ – Bottini, with Random Opera, and play the role of ‘Lucia’ in Britten’s ‘Rape of Lucretia’ with British Youth Opera. Anna has also been fortunate to work with Wexford Festival Opera, Longborough Festival Opera, West Green Opera, Opera Collective Ireland, Sestina Music, Northern Ireland Opera and numerous choral societies in the UK and Ireland. Anna was recently was awarded the Dufferin Prize at the Camerata Ireland Academy 2024 and toured with the ‘Merry Opera Company, performing a role in a staged ‘Messiah’. Last season, she played Papagena in the ‘Magic Flute 2’ (Paris) and Cynthia in ‘The Dowager’s Oyster’ (London). Anna looks forward to playing ‘Gretel’ from Humperdinck’s ‘Hänsel und Gretel’ with Salon Opera and ‘Norina’ from ‘Don Pasquale with Random Opera in the coming season, as well as a series of opera galas with Rogue Opera and Clonter Opera.

Alice Ruxandra Bell – Mezzo Soprano

London-born, half-Romanian and raised in France, Mezzo-Soprano Alice Ruxandra Bell studied in London at the Royal College of Music with Janis Kelly as a scholar of both The Drapers de Turckheim Scholarship and The Countess of Munster Musical Trust. Alice is a British Youth Opera Serena Fenwick young artist and is currently working at Glyndebourne in the opera chorus for the 2025 Summer and Autumn season. Recent solo performances include the role of Suzuki in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at Smith Square and Opera scenes with Sinfonia Smith Square.

Darwin Prakash – Baritone

Darwin Prakash is currently the Principal Baritone at Staatsoper Hannover. There he made role debuts as Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Marcello in La Bohème , Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Conte Almaviva in Nozze di Figaro, Silvio in Pagliacci and Chou En Lai in Nixon in China. He has also sung with Staatsoper Stuttgart, Longborough Festival Opera, Waterperry Opera, London Handel Festival, Opera Holland Park and Royal Opera House Mumbai. Hailing from Delhi in India, Darwin was discovered and mentored by Dr. Robert Alderson. He proceeded to complete his music education at The Royal Academy of Music, London, under the tutelage of Prof. Mark Wildman, graduating in 2019 with the Queen’s Commendation for Excellence Award. Darwin will debut as Schaunard in La Boheme at Glyndebourne in October 2025 and debut at ENO as Guglielmo in Cosi Fan Tutte in February 2026.

Joshua Baxter – Tenor

London born tenor, Joshua Baxter has been singing since he was seven years old and has extensive training as both a soloist and a choral singer.  He is a graduate of both the University of Aberdeen and the Royal Academy of Music where he was awarded a Professional Diploma as well as an MA in Performance.  Joshua has sung in a wide range of operas and operettas across the UK and Europe.  Roles in his repertoire include Laërte (Hamlet), Luigi (Il Tabarro), Harry Benn (The Boatswain’s Mate), Ernani (Ernani), Don José (Carmen), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte). His career has seen him on the stages of renowned companies such as Buxton International Festival, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, The Grange Festival and Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. Joshua is also a very experienced oratorio soloist, and has performed much of the standard repertoire including Verdi Requiem, Handel Messiah, Bach Magnificat, Haydn Nelson Mass, Rossini Petite Messe Sollenelle, Haydn Creation, Bach Christmas Oratorio. Recent engagements include: Laërte (Hamlet) for Buxton International Festival, Luigi (Il Tabarro) for Instant Opera, Kunz Volgelgesang (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg) for Saffron Opera Group, Harry Benn (The Boatswain’s Mate) and chorus and cover of Ernani (Ernani) both for Buxton International Festival, Messa da Requiem for Brockham Choral Society & the title role in Faust for Guildford Opera.

Robin Humphreys – Accompanist

Robin Humphreys is a graduate of the University of Birmingham and a holder of the prestigious Diploma in Professional Performance from the Royal Northern College of Music, where he studied piano accompaniment with David Lloyd. Appearing in concert for over 40 years, he enjoys a successful career as an accompanist and répétiteur (praised as “world-class” by Louise Flind for “Opera Today”), the breadth of his repertoire being reflected in television and radio broadcasts ranging from BBC Radio 3 to Emmerdale! A Principal Lecturer at the RNCM, Robin is a senior music coach within the School of Vocal Studies and Opera, for whom he was also chief répétiteur on the majority of college opera productions from the late 1990s until 2013. He has appeared with the Manchester Camerata in the world première of “A Feast of Fables” by Paul Reade, has been Musical Director for Feelgood Theatre Productions and, from 1990-2000, Opera & Concert Productions (Worldwide) Ltd with whom he toured throughout the Gulf, the Indian sub-continent and the Far East. Robin has a particularly close association with Clonter Opera Theatre in Cheshire, where he regularly works as Assistant Musical Director and Accompanist. For 35 years he was an accompanist member of the British & International Federation of Festivals.

Rebecca Marine – Director

Rebecca is British Stage Director, working in Opera and Theatre. After completing her training at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and as a Trainee Resident Director at the King’s Head Theatre; Rebecca began assisting for the Royal Opera House and at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, where she continues to work as a Staff Director. Rebecca works internationally as an Associate Director to Keith Warner. Her debut short film My Neighbour Figaro was shortlisted as a finalist in the short film competition hosted by Opera Europa. In the Summer of 2025, Rebecca became the Creative Director of Red Pen Productions. She is passionate about immersive theatre, creating innovative theatrical experiences and dynamic audience development in Opera. She speaks English and German. 

Martin André – Music Director

Conductor Martin André divides his work between opera and orchestra repertoire, and has performed in the concert halls and opera houses of over 30 countries during his long career, particularly enjoying the operas of Verdi and Janáček, and the symphonies of Tchaikovsky and Beethoven. He has worked extensively in the Netherlands, Germany and Portugal, further afield in Thailand, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. In Lisbon, he was the CEO of the Portuguese National Opera Company and also the National Symphony Orchestra, managing a huge Company of 350 people. Martin is the Co-Founder of the Islington Festival of Music and Art, which has rapidly become one of London’s most prestigious and recognised festivals for chamber music.