TOSCA

One of Puccini’s most famous and best loved operas, Tosca is a story of passion, power and betrayal, where love burns brightly but is ultimately consumed by treachery and sacrifice, set against the political turmoil of Rome.

Taking place over an action packed 24 hours, Tosca is a full blooded drama where we witness the opera singer Floria Tosca attempting to save the life of her lover, the artist Mario Cavaradossi, from the ruthless and sadistic Baron Scarpia.

Every moment is charged with emotion, making it one of the most gripping operas ever written.

Clonter’s production will be sung in Italian with orchestra and English surtitles.

Trigger Warning: The show will contain scenes of abuse of power, attempted rape, physical violence, gun violence with the sound of gun shots, and film footage implying suicide. 

Age recommendation: 12+

The Company

Flora Tosca – Emilie Cavallo – Public Dress Thurs 17th (Matinee), Sat 19th, Tues 22nd, Sat 26th July

French soprano Emilie Cavallo began her piano, flute and vocal studies at the Conservatoire de Toulon followed by a Bachelor in Music at the University of Aix en Provence. She then graduated with a Master of Arts (Distinction) from the Royal Academy of Music in London, under the tutelage of Jennifer Dakin and Jonathan Papp. The following year she gained a place at the Royal Academy Opera where she studied with Nuccia Focile and Ingrid Surgenor. During her studies in London, she won the Very Highly Commended Prize (second prize) at the Isabel Jay Competition. Roles on stage include Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Micaëla in Carmen, Iris in Semele and Brigitta in Iolanta (RAO), Agathe in Véronique by Messager with the Troupe Lyrique Méditerranéenne, Blanche in Les Mousquetaires au Couvent at the Opéra de Toulon and Clizia in Teseo at the London Handel Festival. She also sang Mélisande in Pelléas and Mélisande and Elle in La Voix Humaine with Opera on the Move in London. In 2024 she took part in the The Butterfly House – an original two act play with music, about the life of Puccini – commissioned and created by Clonter, in which Emilie performed the part of Elvira and Puccini’s mother, as well as Musetta, Madame Butterfly, and Tosca, a role she will return to Clonter to perform in full this summer. On the concert platform, Emilie has performed in many concerts across Europe including the soprano solo in Schubert’s oratorio Mirjam’s Siegesgesang at the Opéra de Toulon, Mozart’s concert aria Bella mia fiamma at the Opéra de Toulon, La flûte enchantée from Shéhérazade and L’air de Lia from L’enfant prodigue in Budapest’s Vigadó Hall with the Zugló Philharmonic Orchestra and many concerts of French music including at the London’s Italian Cultural Institute.

Flora Tosca – Isabel Garcia Araujo – Sun 20th (Matinee), Thurs 24th July

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).

Mario Cavaradossi – Konstantinos Akriditis

Konstantinos Akritides is a Greek-born operatic tenor with a deep musical sensitivity and a profound ardour for sharing his craft with his audience. He is currently pursuing his Advanced Diploma in Opera as a member of the Royal Academy Opera. He has appeared in prestigious venues across Europe, including St Peter’s Basilica, the Royal Albert Hall, and the Thessaloniki Concert Hall. Recent concert appearances include Verdi’s Requiem and Mendelssohn’s Elijah with Truro Choral Society, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Bach’s Magnificat at the Royal Academy of Music, Messiaen’s La mort du nombre with Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective, Gounod’s Messe solennelle de Sainte Cécile, and the first panhellenic performance of Saint-Saëns’sRequiem. On the operatic stage, Konstantinos premiered the role of Puccini in Clonter Opera’s newly commissioned production, “The Butterfly House” as well as the role of Jordan in Toby Anderson’s Satyrs. As part of the academy’s opera scenes, he has embodied the roles of Rodolfo from Puccini’s La Bohème, Don José from Bizet’s Carmen, the title role from Massenet’s Werther, and Fritz from Mascagni’s L’amico Fritz. His first role as part of the Opera Company was the potrayal of “Die Knusperhexe” in Humperdink’s Hänsel und Gretel, under the baton of Johann Stuckenbruck and the direction of Jack Furness. He also embodied the role of “Tamino” in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte under the baton of Olivia Clarke and the direction of Jamie Manton. This season, he embodied the role of Misael in Britten’s Biblical Opera “The Burning Fiery Furnace”. During the summer period of 2025, he will be performing Turnage’s Refugee with the Royal Academy orchestra under the baton of Edward Gardner. He will also be returning to Clonter Opera as Cavaradossi in Puccini’s Tosca.

Baron Scarpia – Robin Hughes

Originally from North Wales and recently gained his Master’s Degree at Trinity Laban in Greenwich under the teaching of Professor Robert Alderson. He has been involved in numerous productions, but the highlight is having his first professional contract at the Royal Opera House as cover for ‘Ping’ in their production of Turandot. Other opera credits include: ‘Scarpia (Tosca), Aeneas (Dido’s Ghost), Joseph (Fault Lines), Captain Walton (Frankenstein), Sharpless (Madam Butterfly), Marcello (La Boheme) and Escamillo (Carmen). He is the recipient of the Drapers de Turckheim Scholarship at Trinty Laban for the academic years 22/23, 23/24 and 24/25, the Henry Wood Accommodation Trust Scholarship. He is the winner of the Hearn Foundation Competition at Trinity Laban in March 2024 and also a finalist in the Towyn Roberts Scholarship at the National Eisteddfod of Wales 2022 and 2023.

Baron Scarpia (Cover) – Darwin Prakash

Indian Baritone Darwin Prakash is a member of the Solo Ensemble of Staatsoper Hannover since 2022/23 and has made role debuts as Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Marcello in La Bohème , Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Conte Almaviva in Nozze di Figaro and premiered the roles of Chou En-Lai in Nixon in China, Kostandis in Greek Passion and Silvio in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. He recently made his house debuts at Staatsoper Stuttgart whilst jumping in for the role of Chou En-lai in Adams’ Nixon in China and Longborough Festival Opera as Marcello in La Boheme. An alumnus of The Royal Academy of Music, London, and the Georg Solti Accademia di Bel Canto, he studied with Prof. Mark Wildman and Dr. Robert Alderson. In the UK, Darwin was part of the Glyndebourne Academy 2015, after which he received the Inaugural Gus Christie Award in 2016 and was part of Glyndebourne Festival Chorus in 2019. The same year he won the National Mozart Competition. He received the Queen’s Commendation for Excellence Award upon graduation from RAM and was recently appointed as an Associate of Royal Academy of Music. Future engagements include role debut as Schaunard in La Boheme at Glyndebourne Autumn Festival and house and role debut at English National Opera As Guglielmo in Cosi Fan Tutte.

Cesare Angelotti – Fionn Ó hAlmhain

Bass Fionn Ó hAlmhain studied for his bachelor’s degree at TU Dublin Conservatoire with Robert Alderson and his master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music, where he was a recipient of the Elton John Scholarship. He is now about to start his second year of Royal Academy Opera, studying with Mark Wildman and Iain Ledingham. Recent operatic highlights include Sparafucile in Rigoletto with New Opera Singapore and several roles in Purcell’s The Fairy Queen with the London Handel Players at the Korkyra and Sligo Baroque Festivals. At the Academy, he sang in the Chorus of The Rake’s Progress for Royal Academy Opera and has performed in opera scenes as Inquisitore in Don Carlo, Doktor in Wozzeck and Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore and most recently appeared as Sprecher and 2nd Armed man in Die Zauberflöte and took the lead as the Abbot/Astrologer in Britten’s The Burning Fiery Furnace. He first appeared for Clonter opera in the role of Sarastro the Magic Flute in 2023. Fionn has performed with companies including Irish National Opera, Opera Collective Ireland, Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, Scuola Cantorum Oxford, and Piccadilly Symphony Orchestra. Also a regular concert soloist, his repertoire includes Handel’s Messiah, Verdi’s Requiem and Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri. He is an alumnus of the Glyndebourne Academy where he was nominated for the Gus Christie Award.

The Sacristan/Sciarrone – Sebastian Stride

Baritone Sebastian Stride read music at Edinburgh University and studied voice at Trinity College of Music. Sebastian is also a recent alumnus of Morley Opera School in London. Operatic highlights  to date have been roles as Prince Yamadori/ Commissioner in “Madama Butterfly”, extra chorus in “Parsifal” , chorus in “Tosca/Il Barbiere di Siviglia”, Paris in “Romeo et Juliette ”,  Don Alfonso in  “Cosi Fan Tutte”, Figaro in “Le Nozze di Figaro” The Speaker of the Temple in “Die Zauberflote”,  Leporello/Masetto/Don Giovanni in “Don Giovanni” , Harkekin in scenes from “Ariadne auf Naxos”,  Vater in scenes from  “Hansel and Gretel”  Le Gendarme in scenes from “Les Mamelles de Tiresias”.  Sebastian currently studies with bass Blaise Malaba.

Spoletta – Luke Horner

Irish Tenor Luke graduated with a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance at Trinity Laban London in receipt of the Kathleen Creed Scholarship. He then completed his academic studies in voice at the International Opera Academy Gent, Belgium. He moved back to Ireland in 2024 to perform in the chorus of Irish National Opera and finished the season with their production of Donizetti’s ‘Elisir d’Amore’. He is looking forward to returning to the UK in September as a Tenor Lay-Clerk of Winchester Cathedral. Outside of opera and choral music, Luke is an enthusiastic performer of Oratorio and concert repertoire. As an avid recitalist he particularly enjoys performing in his duo ‘Lekkere Jeans’ with pianist Enric Roda Beltràn. Their focus is to bring art music to audiences in intimate venues throughout Europe where they invite the listeners to enjoy the music in a fun and relaxed manner with the intention of delivering a well polished performance packed full of comedic and dramatic surprises. Their most recent project ‘untitled’ featured a dancer in staged performances of Schumann’s ‘Liederkreis op.39’. This was a reimagined and restructured performance of the song cycle to create a story featuring a fusion of musical genres, dance, poetry and improvisation.

Clonter Sinfonia

Violin 1 – Liz Rossi
Violin 2 – Laura Concar
Viola – Josephine Wells
Cello – Amy Jolly
Bass – Aaron Berrera-Reyes
Flute – Jennifer George
Clarinet – Sarah Masters
Bassoon – Rosie Burton
Horn – Matt Crossley
Trumpet – Graham South
Timpani – Andrea Vogler
Harp – Rhian Hanson
Organ – Philip Sunderland