VERDI'S AIDA - IN CONCERT AT THE CAIRD HALL, DUNDEE

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Susan was born in Montrose and grew up taking full advantage of the opportunities provided in the 1980s for young people from all backgrounds to play instruments and join in music ensembles and choirs.  

Susan was introduced to opera as a teenager when she played the cello part in the Angus Schools Orchestra’s performance of Bizet’s Carmen Suite.  She was immediately hooked and sought out recordings of the full opera which led to a complete love of the whole opera repertoire. 

Susan started studying singing and has been fortunate to go on to perform Carmen and many of the great soprano roles for companies in Scotland.  Susan has a wide range and flexible voice and has sung roles as diverse as Queen of the Night (Mozart’s Magic Flute) and Adele (Strauss’s Die Fledermaus), Agathe (Weber’s Der Freischutz) for Opera Camerata and Sesto (Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito) for Edinburgh Studio Opera and Dido (Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas). For Edinburgh Grand Opera Susan has performed Violetta (Verdi’s La Traviata), Lady Macbeth (Verdi’s Macbeth) and Ida in the UK premiere of Ricci’s La Prigione di Edimburgo. Susan has also featured in many of the Edinburgh Players Opera Group performances of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, singing the roles of a Valkyrie, Norn, Rheinmaiden and the Woodbird.  Susan has also appeared on the concert platform with performances as a soprano soloist in a number of choral works and oratorios including Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, Brahm’s Requiem and Vaughan William’s Dona Nobis Pacem.  

In 2014, Susan was delighted to be selected by the distinguished pianist Malcolm Martineau to be one of his Crear Scholars. This fantastic opportunity to work with Malcolm also introduced Susan to fellow Crear Scholar pianist Robert Melling and they went on to present a number of lieder and song recitals in Glasgow and Edinburgh including Strauss’s Four Last Songs.  

Susan is delighted to be part of this inaugural Opera Festival Scotland concert and applauds its aim to educate, engage and inspire new audiences and performers. Live opera is one of the most thrilling, life enhancing and thought-provoking art forms and the opportunity to experience it should be available to all.  

Hailed for his 'rich-toned voice and impressive vocal range', New Zealand born tenor Shaun Dixon studied at Auckland University , the Royal College of Music, National Opera Studio and with the late Luciano Pavarotti. 

He currently lives in the UK and works freelance internationally having appeared with some foremost UK companies and orchestras including RPO, ENO, WNO, OHP and Scottish Opera . Also within New Zealand the NZSO , APO, CSO, Canterbury and NZ Opera . His debut in La Boheme with Opera Holland park London had rave reviews stating “ As Rodolfo, Shaun Dixon's easy-going persona was coupled wi th a firm, high-lying tenor with plenty of squillo. ” (Opera Magazine); “ ...is all twinkly-eyed virility and gleaming high notes “ (Guardian). “ ..thrillingly sung by Shaun Dixon “ (The Observer) . 

Roles include: Alfred in Die Fledermaus , Rodolfo in La Bohème, Alfredo in La Traviata and the Duke in Rigolet to for Welsh National Opera; Manrico in Il Trovatore and Don José in Carmen for Zomeropera , Belgium; Idomeneo (Title role ), Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly , Radames in Aida , Cavaradossi in Tosca for Opéra de Baugé , France. Alfredo La Traviata ,Des Grieux Manon (Opera Unwrapped) Scottish Opera, Tenor in Gogmagog (English National Opera Commission) , Lensky in Eugene Onegin (Stanley Hall Opera, BYO, WNO cover), Gonzalve L’Heure Espagnole, Alfred Die Fledermaus (RCM) , Fréderic Lakme (Canterbury Opera) ,Der Steuermann in Der Fliegende Holländer , Rodolfo in La Bohème , Borsa Rigolet to (NZOpera), Arbace in Idomeneo (Auckland Opera Studio) , Bellarmino Galileo ( Auckland University) , Nirenus Giulio Cesare (Auckland City Opera) . Oratorio includes: Verdis’ Requiem, Gounod Messe Solennelle, Dvorak Stabat Mater, Handels’Messiah , Haydns' Seasons, Puccinis’ Messa di Gloria ,Mendelssohns’ Elijah , Beethovens’ 9th Symphony with the Royal Philharmonic at Cadogan Hall ,Coleridge-Taylors’ Hiawatha, Bachs’ St Matthew and St John Passion, Schuberts’ Mass in G, Beethoven Mass in C, Andrew-Loyd Weber Requiem. 

Shaun has been broadcast on radio and television in both New Zealand and for the BBC having been the audience winner of TVNZ talent show “Showcase” 1998 . He has partnered crossover artist Hayley Westenra on record and has regularly accompanied her in concert since 2001. He is the featured soloist for the sound track to ' No.2 '(Movie) , EMI (2006 Winner at Sundance film festival) also featured in London Film Festival 2007. 

Simone is a mezzo-soprano and theatre-maker, passionate about work that brings joy, and reflects and affects the world we live in.  

Recent performance highlights include Grace, Opera Mums (BBC Four); Mami Wata (Cairo Opera House, Pegasus Opera, Royal Opera House); Passepartout, Around the World in 80 Days (West Green House Opera); Jo, Dead Equal (Summerhall); and small roles in Porgy and Bess (English National Opera, Dutch National Opera, Theater an der Wien). 

This year, she looks forward to performances including: Melissa, La liberazione di Ruggiero (Longborough Festival Opera); Amneris, Aida (Opera Festival Scotland); The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (Bishopsgate Institute); O King (London Sinfonietta); Earth Song Cycle (Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment); and Four AfroCuban Songs (Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra).   

She is a published playwright, and has been engaged to direct and write for professional, emerging artist, and community companies across the UK. Engagements in 2022 include releasing her and Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong’s “wild, witty and painfully perceptive” (The Stage) Shuck ‘n’ Jive on Soho Theatre On Demand; writing/directing a concert play for Glyndebourne Touring Opera, and a jukebox opera for Opera North; directing The Aspern Papers for Pegasus Opera; and directing workshops of true stories on stage for Multi-Story Orchestra and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.   

Simone trained at the University of York and Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she recently completed a fellowship on artist-activism. She is honoured to have been named a BBC Radio 3 Next Generation Voice 2019, and a Women of the Future Awards-winner 2020. She co-founded Hera, celebrating and sharing music and stories by equity-seeking artists.

Scottish Baritone Ross Cumming is currently studying at the Alexander Gibson Opera School (RCS) under the tutelage of Scott Johnson. He recently graduated his MMus in Vocal Studies from the Royal Northern College of Music.  

Operatic roles include : Agatha - Viva La Diva (Buxton International Festival); Lord Enrico Ashton - Lucia di Lammermoor (GUO Opera); Killian - Der Freischütz (Random Opera); Guglielmo - Così Fan Tutte (Cumbria Opera Festival); Don Giovanni - Don Giovanni (ALLO Opera); Le Baron de Pictordu - Cendrillon (Buxton International Festival); The Forester - The Cunning Little Vixen (RNCM); Sir Thomas Bertram - Mansfield Park (RNCM); Le Marquis de la Force - Dialogues des Carmelites (RNCM); Simone - Gianni Schicchi (Random Opera); Macheath - The Threepenny Opera (UOA Opera).  

Furthermore, Ross has performed in various contemporary opera commissions with Tête à tête Opera, Scottish Opera and FlatPack Opera.  Ross also performs as a Young Artist/Scholar with ensembles such as the Dunedin Consort, Genesis Sixteen and VOCES8. 

 The Irish mezzo-soprano has left the professional field of opera since settling in Edinburgh. Her studies have included a Masters in Opera at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She studied under a full scholarship and was awarded the prestigious Honorary Diploma for Excellence in Recital.   

Debora has performed roles all over Europe and is no stranger to the concert platform. She has performed many of the major oratorio works and song cycles. Her concert engagements have included Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn, Vienna, Messiaen's Poemes pour Mi and Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder for Lyric FM, Ireland, Brahm's Ziguenerlieder and Weber arias with Sir Trevor Pinnock, London.   

She has worked privately with renowned musicians such as Malcolm Martineau, Julius Drake, Sir Trevor Pinnock, Susan Bullock, and Janet Baker. In competition, Debora's accomplishments include the Mary Brennan Award and Vocal Bursary, the Dramatic Cup and Tony Quigley Award for her portrayal of Magda Sorel in Menotti's The Consul and the prestigious Eva Turner award for young dramatic voice.   

Currently, Debora is working towards a Master's in Social Work but enjoys singing and enjoying music as much as possible.