Dr Nikolas Dickerson: Race Matters: Sport in the time of Black Lives Matter

Sunday 13th March

An evening of Operatic Arias, Duets and Quartets.

  • Free entry (optional donation)
  • Door open 17:30
  • Concert starts: 18;00
  • Concert ends: 19:45 (incl 15 min interval)

We ask people to wear a mask for the comfort of others

Performers:

Natasha Agarwal is a British Indian soprano from Liverpool. She trained at the Royal Academy of Music and was a Serena Fenwick Young Artist with British Youth Opera. Awards include the David Clover Singers’ Platform Recital Prize, North London Festival Recital Prize, Liverpool’s Voice of the Year and runner-up in the Lesley Garrett Opera Prize.

She is currently performing in the chorus and covering Frasquita in Opera North’s Carmen. Previous roles include Sukanya’s Friend Sukanya (London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall), Lapák The Cunning Little Vixen (Opera Holland Park), Selena Apollo’s Mission (Tête à Tête Festival), Carolina Il Matrimonio Segreto and Nerina La Fedeltà Premiata (Royal Opera House Mumbai), Susanna Le nozze di Figaro and Hanna Glawari The Merry Widow (Opera Warwick). Concert highlights include Messiah (Ripon Cathedral), Carmina Burana (Coventry Cathedral), St.Matthew Passion (Royal Academy of Music) and song recitals at the Italian Cultural Institute and Leeds Lieder Festival.

During lockdown, she performed for several online platforms including Bitesize Proms and was a guest soloist for Welsh National Opera’s Creating Change film series. She also sang outside her building every Thursday evening to support the NHS and uplift the neighbours!

Natasha is passionate about using music as a means to help others. She has done several charity concerts in India and has taken part in community projects with English National Opera, Royal London Hospital and the City Lit Percussion Orchestra for adults with learning disabilities.

A versatile artist, Natasha made her Off-West End acting debut in Northern Comedy Theatre’s Doing Shakespeare last year. She is also a trained dancer in styles including ballet, tap, contemporary and classical Indian dance. She was a senior associate of the Royal Ballet School and Northern Ballet Academy and was All England Young Dancer of the Year in 2013..

Natasha returns to Opera Holland Park this summer in the role of Frasquita Carmen and makes her main stage role debuts with Welsh National Opera and Waterperry Opera Festival.

Website: www.natashaagarwal.co.uk

British mezzo-soprano Julia Daramy-Williams is a graduate of the Alexander Gibson Opera School of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), under the guidance of Stephen Robertson, Elizabeth McCormack and Kathleen McKellar Ferguson.

Following the completion of her Conservatoire training, Julia joined the Ensemble of Porgy and Bess formed by English National Opera (ENO) and in collaboration with Dutch National Opera. The critically acclaimed performances of Gershwin’s Opera won the Ensemble the South Bank Sky Arts Opera Award and an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera. Julia subsequently returned to ENO for two seasons, under the Chorus Fellowship.

In recent operatic engagements, Julia gave her house debut as Strawberry Woman (Porgy and Bess) at Grange Park Opera. Previously, she has performed the roles of Young Woman (The Day After), Second Young Nun (The Fiery Angel) Fourth Maid (Elektra), Miss Austin (The Elephant Angel), Iseut (Le vin herbé) and Giunone (Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria).

As a keen interpreter of modern works, Julia notably created the role of Flopsy in Andrew Gant’s opera for children “Tod!”, and gave the world première of The Flannan Isle, a work for voice, brass ensemble and organ by celebrated trumpet player John Wallace. Most recently, Julia has collaborated with composer Shirley Thompson, performing songs from Women of the Windrush. Other notable concert engagements include Ravel’s Shéhérazade under the baton of Rory Macdonald with RCS Symphony Orchestra. Julia is represented by Pegasus Opera Talent.

British mezzo-soprano Julia Daramy-Williams is a graduate of the Alexander Gibson Opera School of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), under the guidance of Stephen Robertson, Elizabeth McCormack and Kathleen McKellar Ferguson.

Following the completion of her Conservatoire training, Julia joined the Ensemble of Porgy and Bess formed by English National Opera (ENO) and in collaboration with Dutch National Opera. The critically acclaimed performances of Gershwin’s Opera won the Ensemble the South Bank Sky Arts Opera Award and an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera. Julia subsequently returned to ENO for two seasons, under the Chorus Fellowship.

In recent operatic engagements, Julia gave her house debut as Strawberry Woman (Porgy and Bess) at Grange Park Opera. Previously, she has performed the roles of Young Woman (The Day After), Second Young Nun (The Fiery Angel) Fourth Maid (Elektra), Miss Austin (The Elephant Angel), Iseut (Le vin herbé) and Giunone (Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria).

As a keen interpreter of modern works, Julia notably created the role of Flopsy in Andrew Gant’s opera for children “Tod!”, and gave the world première of The Flannan Isle, a work for voice, brass ensemble and organ by celebrated trumpet player John Wallace. Most recently, Julia has collaborated with composer Shirley Thompson, performing songs from Women of the Windrush. Other notable concert engagements include Ravel’s Shéhérazade under the baton of Rory Macdonald with RCS Symphony Orchestra. Julia is represented by Pegasus Opera Talent.