Nicky Spence, tenor: hailed recently by the Daily Telegraph as ‘a voice of real distinction’, Nicky Spence is fast emerging as one of ‘our finest young singers’. An artist of great integrity, Nicky’s unique skills as a singing actor and the rare honesty in his musicianship are steadfastly earning him a place at the top of the profession. Highlights of the 2014-15 season include David in The Mastersingers of Nuremberg at the English National Opera with Music Director Edward Gardner, a Rossini double bill at Welsh National Opera as Rodolphe in Guillaume Tell and Mambre in Mosè in Egitto with Carlo Rizzi, and Francesco in Berlioz’s Benvenuto Cellini at De Nederlandse Opera under Sir Mark Elder. Concerts include recitals with Roger Vignoles, Malcolm Martineau, and The Allegri Quartet and performances of Handel with Tromsø Chamber Orchestra, a new work by Jonathan Dove with the Oxford Bach Choir, and Tippett’s A Child of Our Time with the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand. Nicky Spence also performs in concert at the Barbican, the Purcell Room, and Birmingham Symphony Hall.

Anita Watson, soprano: alumni of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the ROH, Covent Garden, Australian soprano Anita Watson is a winner of numerous international singing competitions amongst them the Australian Singing Competition, the “Queen Sonja International Music Competition” in Oslo, “Neue Stimmen” in Germany and the Plácido Domingo “Operalia” competition. In 2009 she was awarded the 1st prize and the audience award at the international “ARD Music Competition” in Munich and the “SWR Emmerich-Smola Prize” in 2010. She has made her debuts in Opera houses such as La Fenice, Royal Opera House, Welsh National Opera and Opera Australia, Sydney. She has performed at the BBC Proms and at the Salzburg Festival. Recent and upcoming engagements include FIrst Lady (Die Zauberflöte) for the Royal Opera House, Flowermaiden (BBC Proms),  Mimì (La Bohème) for Opera North, Governess (The Turn of the Screw) for Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse, Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) for Welsh National Opera and Anne Trulove (The Rake’s Progress) for Teatro Municipal de Santiago.

Anna Starushkevych, mezo-soprano: Ukrainian-born graduate of the GSMD Opera Course, Anna is  already  earning  acclaim  for  her  rich  vocal  timbre  delivered  in  tandem  with  an  intense  and  engaging  performance  persona.  She has recently  graduated  from  the  International  Opera  Course  at  the  Guildhall  School  of  Music  and  Drama,  studying  with  Laura  Sarti.  She  now  also  has  the  privilege  of  working  on  her  repertoire  with  Dennis  O’Neill  and  Teresa  Berganza.
Anna  is  the  first  mezzo-soprano  to  win  the  Handel  Singing  Competition  2012  in  London,  taking  the  first  prize  (the  Adair  Prize),  the  Audience  Prize  and  the  York  Early  Music  Prize.  This  followed  winning  the  Susan  Longfield  Award  and  third  prize  in  the  Jackdaws  Vocal  Award  at  the  Wigmore  Hall  in  2010.  She  returned  to  the  Wigmore  Hall  to  perform  the  role  of  St  Mary  Cleophas  in  Handel’s  La  Resurrezione  for  the  Handel  Festival  2013.  Future  engagements  include  the  role  of  Rosimonda  in  Handel’s  Faramondo  for  the  Brisbane  Baroque  Festival  2015  and  Ofelia  in  Salieri's  La  grotta  di  Trofonio  for  the  Bampton  Classical  Opera  2015.

James Platt, bass: British bass James Platt was educated at Chetham’s School of Music studied at the Royal Academy of Music and on the Opera Course of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. A member of the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden his roles there this season include Charon Orfeo, Dr Grenvil La traviata and Blansac in Rossini's La scala di Seta. He has been a Jerwood Young Artist at Glyndebourne where he sang the role of Notary Don Pasquale and covered Mr Flint Billy Budd in the 2013 Festival.  He recently made his debut with the Welsh National Opera as High priest of Baal Nabucco. His concert and recital appearances include Glyndebourne’s Ebert Room Recital Series, the Brighton Festival, Bridgewater Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Christ Church Spitalfields and Barbican Hall.  Conductors with whom he has worked include Valery Gergiev, Sir Colin Davis, Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Andrew Davis, Paul McCreesh, Laurence Cummings and Sir Mark Elder.

The Jubilee String Quartet: young and upcoming string quartet under the leadership of Czech violinist Tereza Přívratská was formed in 2006 at the Royal Academy of Music, London. Quartet claim number of important successes to their name: first prize winners of the Val Tidone International Chamber Music Competition 2010 and the St Martin’s Chamber Music Competition 2013, Second prize winners of the Karol Szymanowski International String Quartet Competition 2014, and third prize winners of the Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition 2013. They held a Leverhulme Chamber Music Fellowship at the Academy in 2012-13, the Richard Carne Junior Fellowship at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in 2013-14.

Lada Valešová: pianist and GSMD professor Lada Valešová has impressed reviewers with her recordings of Czech and Slavic music on Avie Records label, Intimate Studies and Dumka. “ You have to take your hat off to someone who can plan a recital CD with the imaginative insight of investigative musicologist and then execute it with such musicianly sensitivity.... ”  declared the International Piano. She continues her musical and musicological explorations with the in-depth programme of music by Pavel Haas: composer, who’s music she admires. She has performed internationally, and in the UK in venues such as Wigmore Hall, St. John’s Smith Square, Royal Opera House, as well as at the number of International Music Festivals. 

Lada Valešová seeks and creates projects “off the beaten track...distinguished by inspired and modern interpretation ”, as observed by the music magazine Diapason.