Course – Wellington College

Orchestral Performance – Eton College Hall

Date – Sunday 18^th July 1999

Soprano – Susan Bullock

“…one of the most moving and truthfully sung Cio-Cio-San’s in living memory.” Hugh Canning – The Sunday Times

Born in Cheshire, Susan Bullock’s enormous potential was recognised early in her career when she was awarded First Prize in the prestigious Kathleen Ferrer Award in 1984. A graduate of London University, The Royal Academy of Music and the National Opera Studio, she was immediately offered the opportunity to sing principal roles with the English National Opera.

Whilst on contract at the English National Opera Susan Bullock was able to explore fully the roles of the lyric repertoire including Donna Ann (Don Giovanni), Marguerita (Faust) and Alice Ford (Falstaff), before moving into such dramatic roles such as Cio-Cio-San (Madame Butterfly), Desdemona (Otello), Ellen Orford (Peter Grimes), Jenufa and Princess Natalie of Orango in Hanze’s The Prince of Homburg, staged to mark the composer’s 70th birthday.

Further operatic roles include the title roles in Jenufa and Kalya Kabanova and Lisa (The Queen Of Spades) all at Glyndebourne, the title role in the British stage premiere of Strauss’s Die Agyptische Halena for Garsington Opera and the title role in Tosca at the Royal Albert Hall. Notable international appearances include a critically acclaimed Magdad Soret (The Consul) at the Spolato Festival – Italy, the title role in Madame Butterfly for the Oper der Stadt Bonn and for Houston Grand Opera, the title roles in Madame Butterfly and Tosca for Portland Opera, Marguerita (Faust) and the title roles in Jenufa and Madame Butterfly for New Israeli Opera, Hecuba and Andromache (King Priam) at the Batgnano Festival and for Flanders Opera, Ellen Orford (Peter Grimes) for the Royal Danish Opera and Giogetta (Il Tabarro) and the title roles in Suor Angelica and Jenufa all at the Spoleto Festival, USA.

A committed concert and recital artist, Susan Bullock’s appearances include Beriloz’a La mort de Cleopatre with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra under Yan Pascal Tortelier, Hecuba (King Priam) with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Havawi with Iain Burnside at St. Giles, Cripplegate as part of the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Messiaen Festival. The title role in Tosca with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Hindemith’s Sancta Susanna with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra under Tortelier at the Proms. Abroad she has sung Sancta Susanna with the Prague Symphony Orchestra, Mahler’s Fourth Symphony with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under Libor Pesek at the Prague Spring Festival. Rossini’s Stabat Mater and Poulenc’s Gloria at the Spolato Festival in Italy and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis on tour to Vienna, Paris and Aix-en-Provence with Les Arts Florissants under William Christie. Acclaimed recordings of the Consul and Hindemith’s Sancta Susanna and Three Songs, Opus 8, have recently been released by Chandos.

Highlights this season include Magda Sorci (The Consul) at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Verdi’s Requiem with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Hindesmith’s Sancta Susanna and Rossini’s Petite Messe Solonelle with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Arkid Sven Tuur’s Ante Finem Sacculi with the EESTI Konsert and Britten’s War Requiem with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under Richard Hickox at the Three Choirs Festival.

Lead Violinist – Helena Roques

Helena Roques was born in London in 1980. She began playing the violin at the age of four and in 1992 was awarded a DFEE scholarship to study the violin under Richard Ireland at Wells Cathedral School. Since being there she has performed at numerous concert venues including St. Martin in the Fields, St John’s Smith Square and The Barbican. This year her quartet was invited to take part in the Cambridge Symposium for Young String Quartets where she led the combined orchestra. Next year she is continuing her studies at the Royal Northern College of Music where she has been awarded a scholarship.

Programme:

Overture to “Prince Igor” – Borodin

Four Last Songs – R.Strauss

I Fruhling (Spring)
II September
III Beim Shlafengehen (Time To Sleep)
IV Im Abendrot (At Dusk)

The Planets Suite – Holst

I Mars, the Bringer of War
II Venus, the Bringer of Peace
III Mercury, the Winged Messenger
IV Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
V Uranus, the Magician
VI Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity