Let’s start simple – who are you, and how would you introduce yourself to someone new?

I grew up in the West Country with a very artistic and theatrical father and a very down to earth and practical mother. My father went into law and became a judge which allowed him to dress up and be theatrical but have a better salary! His interests instilled in me a love of the arts, of theatre and a lifelong love of words and music, though which comes first I’ll leave to Richard Strauss…. And my mother always kept my feet on the ground.

I would like to think that over the last twenty years I have helped people discover classical music in ways that feel welcoming and impactful. Whether I’m performing as an accompanist, coaching young singers, devising programmes or engaging in the community I’m always interested in the connection music can create between all kinds of people.

2. What does a typical day look like for you, and where how does this project fit into your life?

No two days are the same. One day I might be coaching principals or young artists at Glyndebourne; or taking postgraduate performance classes at the Royal Academy of Music; directing opera scenes at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire or adjudicating a song prize; playing Bach at 415 (baroque tuning down a semi-tone from concert pitch) for John Eliot Gardiner’s Constellation Choir; devising and delivering a workshop in a primary school; sitting on an audition panel; attending a Board meeting with ETO (where I’m a trustee); devising a 3-year funding strategy for the Springhead Constellation (where I’m Development Lead); or planning the next season at West Green House Opera Festival (where I’m the new Artistic Director) One of my favourite things to do is programme and rehearse a concert – particularly if I get a brief for a theme and have to weave a story around that theme. I was first approached by Mid Wales to host their annual Friends’ concert about 12 years ago and I’ve loved every project since. You also might find me on the floor of our house playing ‘cars’ for an hour with my two boys… I’m not sure what’s more hard work!

3. What first drew you to get involved in these type of projects?

I’ve always believed that opera belongs to everyone. Early in my career I realised that some of the most rewarding moments happened not on stage but when someone encountered opera for the first time and/or discovered something that moved or surprised them. Grand opera is one glorious aspect of opera but it’s not the whole picture and its preconceptions might impede someone from attending or indeed enjoying a performance. Certainly, as a point of entry, if these preconceptions are broken or removed it can help make one’s first experience of this wonderful artform immediate, accessible and removed of artifice or ‘insider information’. I’ve just got back from a series of concerts in Austria where there was a gentleman in the audience who had been brought by his friends, seemingly against his will! He’d repeatedly informed them that he didn’t like opera and that he couldn’t get on board with it. At the end of the concert, he came up to us deeply moved confessing that we had ‘completely and utterly converted him!’

4. Tell us a bit about the people (or animals!) you share your life with outside of this work.

I’m outnumbered at home by boys: my husband and our 2 sons, Gabriel (aged 8) and Raphael (aged 3), named in the hope of nominative determinism but I’m yet to see the results… My husband is a member of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, which is very family oriented, so our children have already been to several concerts at Symphony Hall, although I rather ambitiously tried to take Gabriel to the Resurrection symphony when he was 3… Gabriel sings in the CBSO children’s chorus so has sung at Symphony Hall many times with his Daddy playing the violin. Both Gabriel and Raphy love dressing up and singing, so it’s a very noisy household. They have an honorary grandmother, Caroline, who took over looking after them after my mother suddenly fell ill 2 years ago. And they have a wonderful fairy godmother in Fflur Wyn, a Welsh celebrity!

5. What’s a moment from the last 12 months that really stands out to you in a positive way?

Last year our Mid Wales Opera Gala theme was The American Dream and I focussed on the mass European migration of musical talent to America in first half of the 20th century. At the close of the concert, an elderly gentleman approached us visibly moved. In a soft American twang, he confessed that he hadn’t known what to expect when he bought his ticket but what he experienced was deeply personal. Having emigrated to America at the age of 13 he said the performance had ‘spoken directly to his story’. It touched him in a way he hadn’t anticipated, drawing out emotions and memories he hadn’t revisited in years. His response really struck me and was a powerful reminder of why we tell these stories: to resonate across generations and to connect art with lived experience.

6. And on the flip side, what’s been a tougher moment, and how did you navigate it?

Like many people working in the arts, particularly in the UK, I’ve felt the pressures of balancing work and home life, especially when there are little people involved. I’ve had to adapt what I do where and when. Before I had children I would often take on several operas a year, many of which were rehearsed for months on end far away from home. When you factor in children that’s just not feasible, either practically, emotionally or economically. Luckily, I’ve always been a doer and tried my hand at many things. That flexibility, whilst using transferrable skills, has allowed me to build a portfolio career. I’m slowly learning not to be afraid to ask people for advice or assistance. The next thing I need to learn is not to be at the constant beck-and-call of emails, texts or voicemails. It’s hard to establish boundaries when you’re a freelancer but necessary if you want family and friends still to talk to you!

7. What keeps you motivated when things feel challenging, either in life or within the project?

Music. It’s a constant love and source of energy, support and inspiration. Also, people. Whether sharing concerns with colleagues, seeing participants grow in confidence, hearing audience members talk about what a performance meant to them, or watching a young singer discover their voice reminds me why the work matters. Music is also a collaborative sport so sharing ideas and creating with others is a great motivator, mentally and physically!



8. Is there someone you admire who has shaped the way you approach what you do?

My husband, who not only plays the violin beautifully but also is the fairest and most thoughtful person I know. I’m certainly less impulsive and more considered since meeting him. My children, who are fearless and full of energy and laughter. My parents who gave me an ‘anything is possible’ attitude along with a sense of joy and adventure. In the profession I’ve been fortunate to work with many inspiring musicians, educators and creators over the years, like many of us in this country and abroad. The artists who share their knowledge freely and make others feel valued have influenced me the most.

For 20 years I’ve had the privilege of working closely with John Eliot Gardiner on over 40 projects from Monteverdi to Percy Grainger, with a couple of operas thrown in for good measure. He’s a super brain with an endless stream of wonderful stories and insights, as well as an intimate knowledge of several languages, which he casually slips in and out of during rehearsals. His commitment to making performances feel alive as if the music has just been printed, even if it happens to be centuries old, is unstoppable and unbeatable. Nothing is prosaic or predictable. It’s why his musicians are so loyal.

9. If you could instantly gain one ability to make a difference in your community, what would it be?

I’d love the ability to remove every artificial or practical barrier that prevents people from engaging with the arts – whether that’s cost, confidence, transport, or simply feeling that something isn’t ‘for them’. (Rather selfishly, as I live in Birmingham, I’d also like to wave a magic wand over the Council, giving them a pot of money to reinstate the recycling bin collection, improve local services, and fill in the potholes…!)

10. What’s something small (or simple) that brings you a lot of joy?

My husband brings me a cup of tea in the morning and SOMETIMES I get to drink it in peace before a small person comes in and disturbs us….
Our garden in full bloom; we have a music room at the end of the garden so it’s lovely to look out and see the roses when I’m practising or coaching.
When either of our children say something unexpected or funny!
Also, a good rehearsal: there’s something magical about a room full of people breathing together and creating something larger than themselves.
It seems obvious but small acts of kindness. They’re very rare these days.
When I drive home to Somerset, as soon as I see the rolling green fields my heart is filled.

11. When was the last time something made you laugh far more than it should have?

I was playing in a concert a few weeks’ ago. We’d been told there was going to be a grand piano but in the end the promoters had hired an electric grand…. Halfway through the end of the Magic Flute finale the ‘beat’ button came on and it took all our resources not to descend into fits of giggles as Mozart’s genius was reduced to an 80’s power ballad!

12. If we gave you complete freedom and an unlimited budget, what would you love to create or make happen with Mid Wales Opera?

Financial stability so that they can continue to create a year-round programme that reaches every corner of Wales and ensures that every creative and administrative member is renumerated properly. For many communities touring productions are the only way they can engage with the arts, which is crucial to their wellbeing, but that shouldn’t mean companies or artists are out of pocket or subsidising this vital work.

13. What’s your favourite opera scene or piece to produce / perform / watch and why?

I’m sure it’s a huge cliché but I don’t think there’s anything better in opera than The Marriage of Figaro (with Don Giovanni a close second). Either of the Act II or Act IV Finales are masterful in terms of pace, timing and invention. Every time I encounter them I find something new.
There’s always one moment in a Handel opera where he adds an aria that just stops you in your tracks for instance Credete al mio dolore in Alcina or Se pieta in Giulio Cesare and you know life won’t quite be the same afterwards.

The Rosenkavalier Act III trio, obviously, because it’s sublime and heartbreaking in equal measure.

The one theatrical experience where I’ve been terrified out of my own skin was when the braying Suffolk townsfolk scream ‘Peter Grimes’ at the audience. Thrilling and petrifying at the same time.

14. If you suddenly found yourself representing your country on a world stage, what would you want it to be for?

Well, firstly I’d be quite concerned about what had happened to the various people who’d be more suited to representing their country than me. Then when that had been fully explained, I would want to fly the flag for arts education and cultural participation. I believe creativity isn’t an optional extra; it’s a vital part of how communities thrive, and young people learn. I also firmly believe that it doesn’t need to be trivialised or diluted to appeal to people or appear relevant. Nearly all the subject matter in opera is universal: love, hate, jealousy, fear and lust, death and revenge. It’s often the trappings that get in the way.

15. Music can be powerful, is there a piece of music that you always come back to, and why does it matter to you?

Oh, that’s a tricky question, there are so many pieces that connect me to people, places and events in my life. My father introduced me to classical music, and fast cars, when I was very young. I remember him zipping me through the verdant Somerset countryside with Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis playing at full blast. It was powerful and exhilarating. It’s a piece that continually connects me to home and my childhood.

16. A bit of fun – which kind of TV challenge do you think you’d secretly excel at? Survival, singing, talent, cooking etc.

I’m always happy to be back in Scotland so I’d give Traitors a go, if only for the breakfasts and Claudia’s style tips. But I’d have to be a faithful. I’m a terrible liar!

17. If you could invite any four people for dinner, who would make the guest list and what would be on the menu?

Aristotle, Jane Austen, P.G.Wodehouse, and either J. S Bach or Giacomo Puccini. I can’t decide which, but I would have no expectation that either of them would behave themselves. (Can I also have Sarah Vaughan and her band to entertain everyone after dinner??)

The menu would be:

Martinis or Gin and Shellfish to start. Beef Wellington, fennel gratin and champagne.
Cheese. Crêpes Suzette flambéed at the table for extra theatre, and plenty of lively conversation.

19. Is there a place that feels particularly meaningful to you, somewhere you return to, or think about often?

Somerset and the Mendips in particular, where I grew up overlooking the sea, holds a special place in my heart, full of family, folklore, agriculture, salty air, and wonderfully kind human beings. I miss Edinburgh, where I lived for 5 years, and always have a ‘pinch me’ moment when I return. I lived in London for 10 years and miss its vitality and acceptance for the out-of-the-ordinary: I always get a thrill when I step off the train at Marylebone. When I drive up to North Wales through the Elan valley to Betws-y-Coed my heart skips a beat as I look up at the dramatic landscape. I adore how powerful the nature appears and how small and insignificant it makes you feel: a healthy reminder, in this day and age, of the natural order of things.

20. Finally, what has being part of this project meant to you so far or what impact have similar projects had on you?

I’m very drawn to the creative experience of being given a brief and a list of chosen arias/songs and then conjuring up ways to turn those things into a new, compelling story. I often must write a script or continuous narrative so projects like this absolutely get my synapses firing. But more importantly projects like this remind me that opera is fundamentally about people. They create opportunities for connection, learning and shared experience that go far beyond the performance itself.