Carmen July 2013 | Page 5

JESSICA BROAD JAMES ATKINSON ROSALIND O’DOWD Jessica Broad, soprano, studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with Helen Lawson and Clare Shearer. Now in London she is a freelance singer studying with Jennifer Dakin. Recently described as ‘a young singer to watch, with a warm and creamy tone’, she was a recipient of the Jean Highgate Award for most promising singer. Jessica is a regular performer on the opera and oratorio platform as well as a keen teacher of voice. She also performs regularly as a recitalist with her accompanist Peter Yardley-Jones and with her vocal ensemble, Dieci Voices. She will be familiar to Winterbourne Opera audiences having performed the roles of Galatea in Handel’s Acis and Galatea, Dido in Dido & Aeneas and The Countess in The Marriage of Figaro. Future work includes singing with Welsh National Opera, soprano soloist for Dixit Dominus, Mozart Vespers and many engagements with Dieci Voices. The highlight of her year will be getting married to her conductor fiancée Christopher on 17th August! For more details on her singing career please see her website James Atkinson will be beginning his first year at the Royal College of Music as a scholar in September. James’ recent solo work has included a concert with The Wessex Youth Orchestra, singing the role of Joseph in Roger Hewitson’s “The Birth of Christ”, the bass solos in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Winterbourne and the Mozart Requiem Mass with Laudamus, and frequent charity recitals. He has also done performances of Handel’s Messiah and Rachmaninov’s All Night Vigil with the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus. Among the awards James has won are the “Bournemouth Academy of Music Cup 2011”, the “Minn’s Young Musician of The Year Cup 2011”, the “McGowran Trophy 2011” for most promising young musician and “Bournemouth Junior Singer of