Samling Artists enjoyed a double success at this year’s Ferrier Awards, and we send our warmest congratulations to Hector Bloggs who won first prize and to Eyra Norman who won the song prize. Zheng Jiang was also selected for the final, and Alexandra Achillea, Sebastian Hill and Alfred Fardell reached the semi-finals. Pianist Daniel Silcock appeared in the final, but was not competing.
Chair of the Jury, Christine Jane Chibnall, said: ‘Across all three rounds, Hector performed consistently to the highest standard, showing remarkable versatility in a wide variety of operatic and song repertoire. There is a confidence and ease in the way he charms an audience that shows he is ready to make his way in the profession.’
Pictured: Hector Bloggs and Eyra Norman at Wigmore Hall following the final.
Photos: Emma Black Photography
Congratulations also to Dafydd Jones who won second prize at the Concurs Internacional de Cant Josep Palet in Martorell, Barcelona. He also won the Amics de l’Òpera de Sabadell Award to perform an opera contract in a future season and the Joan Cererols Award for the best interpretation of early music.
BBC Proms
Among all the big season announcements this month, the biggest news is that Nicky Spence will be singing at the Last Night of the Proms, making it two years running that a Samling Artist is leading the festivities.
There are also Samling Artists to be seen across the Proms season:
20 July: Derek Welton is the bass soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Gianandrea Noseda and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra (with TV broadcast)
27 July: Louise Alder sings excerpts from Songs of the Auvergne with Edward Gardner and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
6 August: Nicky Spence takes the title role in Weber’s Oberon, with Charlotte Bowden and Jessica Cale as the two mermaids, in a semi-staged performance conducted by Sir Mark Elder.
9 August: William Thomas is the bass soloist for a programme of works by Haydn and Mozart with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
19 August: Glyndebourne’s visit to the Proms this year is Ariadne auf Naxos, with David Butt Philip as Bacchus and Liam Bonthrone as Brighella.
10 September: Nick Pritchard is the tenor soloist in J.S. Bach’s B Minor Mass with Arcangelo conducted by Jonathan Cohen.
All the Proms will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and of course you can watch Nicky in the Last Night on BBC television.
bbc.co.uk/proms
Royal Ballet and Opera
From the initial cast announcements, we’ve counted twenty-two Samling Artists appearing next season at Royal Ballet and Opera, including house debuts for Beth Taylor as Bradamante, Alcina, Charlotte Bowden in Parsifal and Satriya Krisna in The Magic Flute.
Ginger Costa-Jackson takes the title role in Carmen with Simona Mihai as Micaëla, Ellen Pearson as Mercédès and Sam Hird as Moralès.
In Così fan tutte, Louise Alder is Fiordiligi, a role she is also singing at Wiener Staatsoper next season.
Parsifal: James Platt, Titurel / Charlotte Bowden, First Esquire / Ellen Pearson flower maiden.
Magic Flute: Ellen Pearson, Second Lady / Satriya Krisna, First Man in Armour.
The RBO Ring Cycle directed by Barrie Kosky comes to a close, with Claire Barnett-Jones as Second Norn and Verity Wingate as Wellgunde in Götterdämmerung.
Il trittico: Sam Carl Talpa (Il tabarro) and Betto di Signa (Gianni Schicchi) / Nico Darmanin Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi) and Sam Hird, Guccio (Gianni Schicchi).
Kát’a Kabanová: David Butt Philip, Boris / Nicky Spence Tichon / Benjamin Hulett Váña / Sam Hird, Kuligin
Tosca: Christopher Maltman, Scarpia / Jonathan Lemalu, Sacristan / Sam Hird, Sciarrone
Madam Butterfly: Sam Hird, Prince Yamadori
Elektra: Derek Welton, Orest / Ellen Pearson, Second Maid / Katie Lowe, Overseer
And in the Linbury Theatre, Jennifer France sings in Good Sometimes Queen, a staging of two song cycles by Brett Dean.
rbo.org.uk/latest-news/royal-ballet-and-opera-2627-season
English National Opera
Bethany Horak-Hallett makes her role debut in ENO’s 2026/27 season as Flora La traviata with Carolyn Dobbin as Annina.
Also appearing at ENO:
In the Pulitzer Prize winning Angel’s Bone by Du Yun and Royce Vavrek, Allison Cook takes the lead role of Mrs Xe.
Tosca: Christopher Nairne, Sciarrone
Lauren Fagan is Refka in a rare staging of Adriana Mater by Kaija Saariaho
Iphigénie en Tauride Nick Pritchard, Pylade / Morgan Pearse Thoas
Breaking the Waves by Missy Mazzoli: Andri Björn Róbertsson, Terry
Madeleine Shaw and Jonathan Lemalu appear in The Zoo, an early work by Arthur Sullivan.
Samling Artists in the North East: Royal Northern Sinfonia
Here in the North East, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music and Royal Northern Sinfonia have announced their 2026/27 season.
Benjamin Hulett is the tenor soloist in The Dream of Gerontius with massed choirs and orchestral musicians from the North East, and he returns for Royal Northern Sinfonia’s annual Messiah.
Nick Pritchard is the Evangelist in J.S. Bach’s St Matthew Passion with other soloists including Matthias Dähling.
theglasshouseicm.org/royal-northern-sinfonia/whats-on/
Verbier Festival
At the Verbier Festival, Redmond Saunders is Baron Douphol and Sebastian Hill is Gastone in the Atelier Lyrique production of La traviata.
Recordings
Jonathan Ware joins Timothy Ridout on Alto Appassionato, a programme from fin-de-siècle Paris for viola and piano, including arrangements of songs by Gabriel Fauré.
harmoniamundi.com/en/albums/alto-appassionato/
Cláudia Ribas has released a digital album with pianist André Dolabella of art song from Brazil, available on all major streaming platforms via the link below:
music.imusician.pro/a/MKzR35cG
William Vann appears with Roderick Williams and the Sacconi Quartet on an album of works by Ralph Vaughan Williams newly arranged for chamber ensembles, including Five Mystical Songs and a selection of folk songs.
rvwsociety.com/albion-records/
Nick Pritchard sings Benjamin Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with London Choral Sinfonia, Michael Waldron and Annemarie Federle on ‘Mentor: Britten and Oldham’ an album setting Britten’s works alongside those of his pupil Arthur Oldham.
orchidclassics.com/
Other news
Michael Sikich is pianist and language coach for the world premiere of Medusa by Iain Bell and Lydia Steier at La Monnaie de Munt
Jessica Cale has signed with James Black Management
Philippe Durrant has been selected for Jardin des Voix, the international academy programme for Les Arts Florissants. He will appear with them in a new production of Il matrimonio segreto by Cimarosa.
