Help Musicians — A Night at the Opera

About this event

Join us for a special evening hosted by soprano and Help Musicians Ambassador Lesley Garrett CBE, celebrating the artistry and talent of some of the finest singers working in opera today, while supporting the next generation of musicians through the work of acclaimed charity, Help Musicians. A Night at the Opera brings together an exceptional cast of artists whose careers have been supported by Help Musicians at different stages of their professional development. Through a programme of much-loved opera arias and duets, the evening will showcase not only artistic excellence, but also the transformative impact that sustained support can have throughout a musician’s career. The evening’s programme celebrates some of the most beloved music in the operatic repertoire, featuring a rich selection of arias, duets and ensembles by Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Bizet, Rossini, Bellini, Handel and Sullivan. Performed by outstanding singers who are all personally connected to Help Musicians, the programme journeys through passion, romance, humour and drama, from Bellini’s sublime Casta Diva and Bizet’s fiery Habanera to Verdi’s exhilarating La donna è mobile . The programme also pays tribute to the enduring genius of Gilbert and Sullivan through two delightful excerpts from The Mikado : Yum-Yum’s elegant and sparkling The sun whose rays are all ablaze , and the playful duet Were you not to Ko-Ko plighted , bringing wit, charm and quintessentially British operatic humour to the evening. The evening concludes with one of opera’s most joyful and recognisable finales, Verdi’s famous Brindisi from La Traviata , bringing the full company together in a fitting celebration of music, friendship and artistic collaboration. Lesley Garrett CBE – Host / Soprano Lesley Garrett CBE is Britain’s best-known soprano, regularly appearing in opera, music theatre, concert, on television and CD. For more than 30 years she has enjoyed one of the most successful and idiosyncratic careers of any modern-day, classically trained soprano, winning both critical acclaim and the affection of many fans and music lovers through the breadth and diversity of her work. Internationally Lesley has performed throughout Europe, the USA, Australia, Russia, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. Sophie Bevan MBE – Soprano Sophie Bevan is recognised as one of the leading lyric sopranos of her generation, working regularly with leading orchestras and conductors worldwide.