"Fantastic night at the opera..."

Opera Alba...states its aim is "bringing opera to the people of Scotland and beyond".
This it achieves admirably, and much more.

 

"An excellent mix with much to remember..."

The mix of music was excellent. The opening Brindisi from Verdi's La Traviata was a perfect introduction and the music, some familiar, some not so, flowed on courtesy of Dvorak, Moazrt, Bernstein and Puccini, to name but few.

There were many highlights and these included a wonderful Soave sia il Vento from Cosi fan Tutte and the famous quartet from Verdi's Rigoletto.

 

"The style of the evening was fine and the commentary good and appropriate - the performers engage well with their audience."

 

Piano: Derek Clark

 

Derek was born in Glasgow and studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and the London Opera Centre.

He joined Welsh National Opera's music staff in 1977 as a repetiteur and staff conductor, conducting a wide repertoire ranging from Handel and Mozart to Maxwell Davies and Stravinsky.

He is a regular guest coach at the National Opera Studio, the Royal Academy of Music and the RSAMD. As an accompanist he has appeared throughout Britain and he also works as an arranger and composer.

Since joining Scottish Opera as Head of Music in 1997, he has conducted Samson, The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi fan Tutte, Fidelio, Carmen, Rigoletto, La Boheme, Tosca, Madam Butterfly, Dye Vdovy and James MacMillan's Ines de Castro.

In 2003 he was assistant conductor to Sir Richard Armstrong for the Ring Cycle and has also conducted Scottish Opera on Tour productions of La Boheme, Eugene Onegin and Hansel and Gretel, for which he provided a new orchestral reworking.

 

 

 

 

 

Bringing world class singing to the people of Scotland and beyond.