British-Irish soprano Hazel Neighbour is a recent graduate of the Royal Academy of Music opera studio. She has worked for companies including Glyndebourne, Wiener Festspiele, Mid Wales Opera and Grimeborn Festival and is an alumna of British Youth Opera, Dartington International Festival, and the Franz-Schubert-Institut. Her operatic roles include Contessa Almaviva Le nozze di Figaro, Micaëla Carmen, Governess The Turn of the Screw and Gretel Hänsel und Gretel. A passionate exponent of contemporary music, Hazel created the role of ATALYA in The Butt, adapted from the celebrated book by Will Self at the contemporary music festival Musiktheatertage Wien in Austria.
Only a few months ago we thought Mid Wales Opera was finished. Now, thanks to a funding lifeline from Powys County Council, we are within touching distance of having a sustainable plan to keep on producing live and local opera across Wales for at least three years.