Opera Prometheus
OUR CAST
THE MEDIUM - GIAN CARLO MENOTTI
Zoe Drummond
Monica
Zoe is the proud recipient of
the 2015 R. J. Hamer Opera
Scholarship with the Dame
Nellie Melba Opera Trust.
Zoe completed a Bachelor of
Music Performance (Voice)
with First Class Honours at Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Here she was awarded the Reuben Scarf Outstanding Voice Award, the Demant Dreikurs Lieder Scholarship, the Geoffrey Rothwell Scholarship, and the Helpmann Family Fellowship from the University of Sydney; and was selected to represent the Conservatorium at the inaugural Estivo Music Festival in Verona, Italy.
Zoe has performed in Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Gounod’s St Cecilia Mass, Haydn's Theresa Mass, Brahms‘ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, and Handel’s Messiah.
Other performing highlights include 'Papagena' in Pacific Opera’s The Magic Flute, ‘Flora’ in Britten’s The Turn Of The Screw with Victorian Opera, and ‘Lucy’ in Menotti’s The Telephone with Penrith Symphony Orchestra.
This year Zoe is performing for the Melba Opera Trust, Voci Stupende, and The Seven Sopranos.
Gerard O'Dwyer
Toby
Gerard uses his profile to
challenge societal stereotypes
and his work includes
dramatic performances in film,
television and theatre. He has
appeared widely as a public speaker and on national television. Gerard’s first film role in Be My Brother earned him Best Male Actor at the Tropfest Film Festival (2009) and he has since appeared in a number of short films, as well as being in production for his first feature film.
Gerard is a co-founding member of 'Ruckus', an ensemble of 6 performers who create and produce new theatre. As an ambassador and advocate, he has been involved with the 2011 Care Careers National Commercial Campaign, the Don’t DisMyAbility National Government Campaign in 2010, and Karelle Life Enrichment Service. Gerard’s awards include the Emerging Leader Award at the National Disability Awards (2012), Best Actor runner up at the Short and Sweet Play Festival (2010), and Best Actor at the ReelheART International Film Festival in Canada for his role in The Interviewer (2013).
Hester Hannah
Madame Flora
Hester graduated from the
Queensland Conservatorium
of Music with a Grad. Dip. of
Vocal Studies and a Grad. Dip.
of Opera Studies. She is an
Associate of The Royal College of Music, a Licentiate of Trinity College London and has an LMusA. While in Brisbane, her roles included ‘Madame Flora’ in Menotti’s The Medium,‘Le Prince Charmant' in Massenet’s Cendrillon, and covering the role of ‘The Witch’ in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel with Opera Queensland. After winning the prestigious McDonald’s Aria award, Hester studied London, where she performed the title role in Donizetti’s Anna Bolena, ‘Miss Jessel’ in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, ‘Dido’ in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Hester has been the recipient of prizes including a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship, the Griffith University Bach Prize, and the Elizabeth Muir Prize. She freelances with Opera Australia, is a member of The Tall Poppeas, and performs regularly in recital with early music ensemble Thoroughbass.
Laura King
Mrs Nolan
Australian-born soprano Laura
commenced her music studies in
piano at age 4. Employment as a
child singer with Opera Australia
instilled in her a passion for singing and operatic performance. Laura has her LMusA in Voice (Distinction), CMusA in Piano, and a BFA, College Of Fine Arts, from UNSW.
This year Laura is a Young Artist with Pacific Opera and performing in their production of Leoš Janáček’s
The Cunning Little Vixen. Recently Laura was a semi-finalist in the MacDonald’s Operatic Aria, Sydney Eisteddfod, as well as being a finalist in the Sydney Eistedfod Opera Awards. Earlier this year Laura performed at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney, as a solo artist in Turkey In Music, which received a 4.5 out of 5 review from the Sydney Morning Herald. In this review her singing was described as “of the highest calibre”.
Other recent performances Include 'Fiordiligi' in Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte with Festival Opera Newcastle, and 'Countess Almaviva' in Mozart's Le Nozze Di Figaro for Pacific Opera.
Paul Smith
Mr Gobineau
Paul Smith is a composer and
singer originally from the
Blue Mountains. This is his
fourth production with
Opera Prometheus. In 2014 he completed a doctorate of creative arts in composition at the University of Western Sydney, where he currently lectures in musicology. Other teaching engagements include music theory and composition at the University of New England and Federation University. Paul's works for piano and toy piano have been performed by Italian pianist Antonietta Loffredo and recorded under the Wirripang label. His recent chamber opera, Fancy Me Dead, is being performed in October by Blush Opera as part of the New Music Network Mini Series after being featured at the Festival of Voices in Tasmania. Future commissions include a new chamber opera, The Spider Maiden and the Runaway Plum Blossom, to be premiered by Singapore based ensemble 'Chamber.Sounds' in 2016.
Jessica Harper
Mrs Gobineau
Jessica Harper is a freelance soprano
based in Sydney. Her most recent
success has been at the Cowra
Eisteddfod where she placed in many
sections, and won the Patricia Fagan
Operatic Aria Championship. She was also recently broadcast on the radio as a Semi-Finalist for the 2MBS Fine Music FM Young Virtuosi Award. Jess is delighted to be undertaking her second year as a Young Artist with Pacific Opera, and as an artist with Opera Prometheus. In 2014, Jess appeared as 'Denise' in Sydney Independent Opera’s production of Offenbach’s Love by Lanternlight, the ‘Icecream Seller’ in Opera Prometheus’ production of Brundibar, and 'Tessa' in Pacific Opera’s production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers: Dream Getaway. Jess was also a Semi-Finalist for the IFAC Australian Singing Competition, winning the Instituto Italiano Di Cultura Award. Jess holds a First Class Honours degree in Classical Singing from the Australian National University.
Gareth Chan
Repetiteur
Gareth first performed with Opera
Prometheus as part of their inaugural
production, Campra's "Tancrede"; he
has performed in several oPr
productions since and prepared accompaniments for "Passione", oPr's first Baroque pasticcio opera. Gareth has also accompanied and arranged for the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir, queer vocal ensemble Door in the Wall and inner-city chamber choir Polyphony, and done occasional chorus-mastering with FAMS Theatre Co. and Rockdale Opera.
