2023/24 Monteverdi Apprentice Mentors
Emily Owen
2023/24 Monteverdi Apprentice Mentor
Having graduated from Durham University with a First Class Honours degree in Music, Emily Owen went on to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, completing an Extended Artist Masters with Distinction in 2017 and becoming a GSMD Ensemble Artist Fellow with early music ensemble Ceruleo in 2017/18. She is coached by Tim Evans-Jones. Emily leads a varied freelance career as a consort singer and soloist, making her solo debut at Teatro alla Scala, Milan playing the role of ‘Iris’ in Handel’s Semele and her BBC Proms solo debut in Dixit Dominus in 2021 under Sir John Eliot Gardiner. She features on two CDs of Purcell Odes with The Kings Consort released in 2020/21.
Emily is a soprano at St Bride’s Church Fleet Street and also sings with the Monteverdi Choir, Academy of Ancient Music, Choir of the Enlightenment, The Kings Consort, a cappella group Apollo5 and Dame Emma Kirkby’s Dowland Works. With her lute and soprano duo Melismata, Emily performs for the charity Live Music Now and Music in Hospitals, taking baroque music into alternative social settings, and as a passionate educator she leads workshops with the VOCES8 Foundation in their outreach work across Europe and is a choral practitioner for the Voices Foundation. She is a visiting singing teacher at Harrow School and Davenies Prep School, holds an AAT qualification in Accounting and is currently training to become a Personal Performance ICF accredited coach with The Coaching Academy. In her spare time she enjoys tending to her allotment and learning new skills!
Graham Neal
2023/24 Monteverdi Apprentice Mentor
Graham Neal is a graduate of the University of Surrey, the Knack opera course at the English National Opera, and Trinity College of Music. He continues his studies with Pamela Kuhn and Arwel Treharne Morgan.
On the operatic stage, Graham has performed at The Royal Opera House, The English National Opera, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, l’Opera Comique, Iford International Arts Festival, and Grange Park Opera.
Graham is an accomplished ensemble singer, appearing frequently in concert, on television, and on recordings. As well as performing with the Monteverdi Choir, he works with The English Concert, The King’s Consort, the BBC Singers, Philharmonia Voices, the Armonico Consort and Cappella Nova. He is also a member of the choir of the London Oratory Church.
For further details, please visit www.grahamneal.com
Image credit: Alex Winn
Christopher Webb
2023/24 Monteverdi Apprentice Mentor
Bass-baritone Christopher Webb enjoys a varied career as a soloist and ensemble singer. In addition to his work with the Monteverdi Choir, he sings with Ensemble Pygmalion, the Dunedin Consort, Polyphony, La Nuova Musica, Philharmonia Voices and The Marian Consort amongst others. He has been appointed recently as a member of the choir of St Paul’s Cathedral. He works with London Voices as a session singer for film and video game soundtracks.
He was a member of the English National Opera’s “Opera Works” young artists’ programme; his operatic roles to date include Dulcamara (Donizetti L’elisir d’amore), Colline (Puccini La bohème), Sarastro (Mozart The Magic Flute), and Il Commendatore (Mozart Don Giovanni) for the inaugural Waterperry Opera Festival. He has sung in productions at the summer Festival d’Aix-en-Provence with Pygmalion. He is in increasing demand as an oratorio soloist.
He has appeared recently with the Monteverdi Choir as a step-out soloist on the “Sacrifices” European tour, including performances at the Salzburg Festival and Leipzig Bachfest. Other recent highlights include his Wigmore Hall debut with La Nuova Musica and solo appearances with The Marian Consort at the Brighton Festival, Stour Music and London Festival of Baroque Music. He was honoured to sing as a soloist at the recent televised service of thanksgiving and remembrance for Her Majesty The Queen at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Chris is delighted to be returning as a mentor for the latest intake of Monteverdi vocal apprentices.