DEBUT returns for their sixth recital at the Royal Opera House of 2019 for what promises to be a wonderful hour of trilling music and fascinating insights into the worlds of both opera and song.
As ever, we look forward to the normal DEBUT format for our recital, we’ll be chatting about the music during the concert as well as meeting guests as you arrive - and encouraging you to come and say hi once the performance ends!
Free admission
Musicians
Alexander Aldren tenor
Lizzie Holmes soprano
Manu Brazo saxophone
Salomé Quartet string quartet
Programme
La Traviata - Libiamo by Verdi - Lizzie, Alex, & Salomé Quartet 3’
Razumovsky Quartet, Op. 59, No. 3, Finale by Beethoven - Salomé Quartet 6’
The Land of Smiles - Dein ist mein ganzes Herz by Lehár - Alex & Salomé Quartet 4’
Die Fledermaus - Mein Herr Marquis by Strauss Jr - Lizzie & Salome 4’
Siete Canciones Populares Españolas by Manuel de Falla - Manu & Salomé Quartet 4’
Nana
El paño moruno
La Boheme - Che gelida manina by Puccini - Alex & Salomé Quartet 5’
La Boheme - O soave fanciulla by Puccini - Lizzie, Alex & Salomé Quartet 4’
Carmen Fantasy by Bizet/Borne - Manu & Salomé Quartet 12’
Biographies
Alex Aldren tenor
Alex Aldren went to Birmingham University to study medicine, but left certain that he wanted to be an opera singer. After working at the Royal London Hospital for 2 years, Alex joined the Royal Academy of Music Opera School, where he performed the roles of Oronte in Handel's Alcina, and Bill in Jonathan Dove's Flight.
Since graduating in June 2019 Alex has covered two principal roles at Garsington Opera Festival and performed the title role in Schubert's Alfonso und Estrella for Opera de Baugé, for which he received glowing reviews; 'Alexander Aldren possesses a voice of great elegance, rich in colours in the middle and equipped with a luminous and heroic top... his performance is a revelation at the heart of this rarity.' - Forumopera.com
In September Alex will cover the role of Desparadieu in Gerald Barry’s The Intelligence Park, for Music Theatre Wales and will perform the role of Alfredo in La Traviata with Hampstead Garden Opera at the MRT Opera festival in November.
Alex is passionate about sharing great music with as wide an audience as possible and enjoys performing oratorio, art song and collaborating with artists from different genres.
Lizzie Holmes soprano
British soprano Lizzie Holmes was born in Dorset and grew up in Ethiopia, Hong Kong and Australia. Praised for her “infectious smile and creamy soprano” her recent roles have included Cunegonde in Candide for Bernstein at 100 at the Minack Theatre in Cornwall, Laurette in Bizet’s Doctor Miracle for Wexford Opera in Ireland, Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel for Grange Park Opera, Destino in La Calisto for Longborough Festival Opera and both Mimi and Musetta in the Olivier Award nominated ‘Best New Opera’ La bohème at the Trafalgar Studios for King’s Head Theatre in the West End.
After reading English Literature at Warwick University, Lizzie was offered places at all 5 top conservatoires in the UK. She graduated from London’s Royal College of Music with Distinction straight into her West End debut in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre in 2014, a year later she founded DEBUT. Recent solo recitals include the Royal Opera House, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Royal Albert Hall, and Cadogan Hall with the Bands of the Household Division. Lizzie makes major concert hall debuts across the UK as the Soprano Soloist for Raymond Gubbay’s Johann Strauss Gala Tour, including the Viennese New Year’s Eve Gala 2019 at the Barbican Hall. Next year she returns to Longborough Festival Opera as Gianetta and cover Adina in The Elixir of Love directed by Cal McCrystal.
Manu Brazo saxophone
Manu, whose performance was described as “100% colossal and amazing” when he appeared on Classic FM has recently performed solo at Downton Abbey Live and as the opening act for Cliff Richard in front of more than 7000 people. Manu made his concerto debut in the UK with Guildford Symphony Orchestra in 2016 and since then he has performed with the London Sinfonietta, Croydon Symphony Orchestra and London City Orchestras amongst others.
Manu has been selected as one of the Making Music's Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artist and was also appointed BBC introducing Artist. He has performed at Radio 3's in tune, for the BBC South and as a soloist at the Royal Opera House, Victoria and Albert Museum, St Martin in the Fields, King's Place, Newbury Festival, Teatro de la Maestranza (Seville), St James’s Piccadilly, the Royal Academy of Arts, as well as at the Kammermussikkfest in Risor, Norway and the Aegean Arts Festival in Crete.
Manu was selected to take part in the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme for 2018 which saw him perform at the Snape Maltings Proms conducted by Marin Alsop. In 2017 Manu won the Royal College of Music’s Saxophone Competition and the Guildford Symphony Orchestra Competition for Young Soloists, later that year he was also selected to take part in the London Sinfonietta Academy.
Manu studied Master in Performance and Artist Diploma at the Royal College of Music of London. Manu is a Tillet Trust, Talent-Unlimited and Concordia Foundation Artist.
Salomé Quartet string quartet
Salomé Quartet was formed in 2016 by four prizewinning students of the Royal College of Music in London: Haim Choi (South Korea), Ines Delgado (Portugal), Kasia Ziminska (Poland) and Shizuku Tatsuno (Japan). The musicians have performed worldwide in venues including Muzikverein (Vienna), Mozarteum (Salzburg), Unesco Hall (Paris), Lutoslawski Concert Studio (Warsaw), as well as Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, Barbican Centre, Southbank Centre, Royal Albert Hall and Cadogan Hall in London.
The quartet are RCM String Quartet Competition winners, Helen Just & Susan Cornell Prize and the Sacconi Quartet Prize receipients, and have held Artistic Residency at the Oundle School, and currently Leighton House Museum. They received coaching from Sacconi, Fitzwilliam, and Harlem Quartets, amongst others.
Previous ROH recital with Kieran Rayner, Lizzie Holmes, Somi Kim & Ben Smith
Founded by soprano Lizzie Holmes in 2015, DEBUT celebrates the UK’s brightest musicians through intimate and alternative classical concerts and events. Their internationally renowned monthly concert series ‘DEBUT at Shoreditch Treehouse’ has showcased over 150 musicians and has been featured in Opera Now and Classical Music Magazine as ‘a great introduction to some of the best talent’.
Recent performers include saxophonist Manu Brazo (BBC Introducing Artist); baritone Julien Van Mellaerts (New Zealand representative for Cardiff Singer of the World 2019) and pianist Sunny Li (Steinway Artist). DEBUT has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, Proms on the Roof, Royal Academy of Arts, Victoria & Albert Museum, St James’ Piccadilly, the Old Operating Theatre and runs a private music series for the Birley Clubs in Mayfair. From Autumn 2019 they launch a new series at the Cutty Sark, supported by The Carne Trust.