The Young Squire - Christopher Diffey
Christopher was born in Melbourne and trained at RAM, graduating from the opera course with a DipRAM. Awards include the English Touring Opera Young Artist bursary.
Operatic engagements include Mercury/Orpheus in the Underworld (Scottish Opera), Fenton/Falstaff (Longborough Festival), Talus/Icarus (Tête à Tête, World Premiere) Count Almaviva/The Barber of Seville (Opera Brava, Garden Opera, DISS), Paris/Troy Boy (Merry Opera Company), Borsa/Rigoletto (Bury Court Opera), Ramiro/Cinderella & Rodolfo/La Bohème (OperaUpClose), Young Squire/A Pastoral Messiah (Unexpected Opera), Alfredo/La Traviata (Garden Opera), Second Priest/The Magic Flute (Opera Holland Park), Cyril/Princess Ida & Fairfax/Yeoman of the Guard (Buxton International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival), Lensky/Eugene Onegin (Opera By Definition), Mercurio/Il Medo (Ensemble Serse), Pane/La Calisto and Dardanus/Dardanus (RAO).
Concert experience includes Bach/Christmas Oratorio (Manchester Camerata), Mozart/Requiem (Brandenburg Sinfonia), Bach/Mass in A Major (OAE). www.christopherdiffey.com
The Milkmaid - Katie Bray
Katie Bray is a Karaviotis scholar on the opera course at the Royal Academy of Music, taught by Elizabeth Ritchie and Iain Ledingham, and was awarded First Prize in the Academy's prestigious Richard Lewis Singing Competition this year. She played Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro with British Youth Opera at the Peacock Theatre this summer. During her time as a postgraduate student, Katie was awarded the 2009 Major van Someren-Godfrey Prize for English Song, the 2010 Elena Gerhardt Lieder Prize, the Alfred Alexander Scholarship and the Karaviotis and Sir Thomas Armstrong Awards. She was also the recipient of the Opera Prize and third prize overall in the 2011 Mozart International Singing Competition, the Audience Prize in the 2010 Handel Singing Competition and third prize in the 2010 Jackdaws Vocal Award.
Recent solo appearances include Polly Peachum in Royal Academy Opera's production of Weill's Die Dreigroschenoper, Wu in the world première of Peter Maxwell-Davies' opera, Kommilitonen!, and a lunchtime recital in the 2011 London Handel Festival. Katie is grateful for generous support from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust and the Josephine Baker Trust. Forthcoming engagements include Béatrice in Berlioz's Béatrice et Bénédict at the Royal Academy of Music, conducted by Sir Colin Davis and directed by John Copley and a Countess of Munster Young Artists recital in the Wigmore Hall. Katie is represented by Rayfield Allied.For more information please visit www.katieemilybray.com
