Q&A with baritone Julien Van Mellaerts — the Necessary Evil of Competitions

Guest blog by musicologist Genevieve Arkle How do competitions like the Wigmore International Song Competition and Ferrier Awards help young singers? What is their purpose, and how can they help the emerging artist in a world where jobs and opportunities in the world of performing classical music are becoming increasingly more, well… competitive!? Here, we take a look at just a few of the reasons singers enter into the world of competitive performing, and do a Q&A with baritone Julien Van Mellaerts following his recent competition successes.

DEBUT SpotlightLizzie Holmes22 February 2018Julien Van Mellaerts

Loft Party meets Musical Soirée — Arthur's Seat Interview

“DEBUT has been on our radars for over a year, and is definitely a company worth keeping an eye on. A platform for the UK’s finest fresh-faced opera talent, they aim to bridge the worlds of opera and events – as well as hosting monthly nights in Shoreditch (DEBUT at Shoreditch Treehouse) designed to redefine notions of the artform. Felicity caught up with its founder, former Phantom of the Opera performer Lizzie Holmes, to find out more…

A Night at the (Shoreditch) Proms — Feature

Guest blog by musicologist Genevieve Arkle This month, the BBC Proms are being transformed in the heart Shoreditch with DEBUT’s upcoming ‘Shoreditch Proms’ at Shoreditch Treehouse. The Proms have become one of the greatest annual musical traditions here in Britain, proudly taking up the Royal Albert Hall every summer with triumphant flag waving and regular season goers queuing in the sun for tickets to see some of the best classical music the world has to offer. But to save you the wait in the rain (cos’ let’s be honest, it’s England, and it’ll be raining...) DEBUT are bringing the best music from the proms to a venue a little closer to home: the Shoreditch Treehouse. Instead of standing in the gallery…