Harewood Artists

History of the programme

The programme was established in 1998 as a means of providing a full-time training and performance scheme for talented singers at the beginning of their careers. This allowed them to continue their technical development within the professional environment of a repertory opera company.

Former Harewood Artists include Sophie & Mary Bevan, Allan Clayton, Nicky Spence, Elizabeth Llewellyn, Elizabeth Watts, Iain Paterson, Leigh Melrose and Sarah Tynan.

The name honours the long-standing support and leadership of the company by Lord Harewood, whose work at ENO spanned over 40 years. He made a huge contribution to ENO, and opera in general, during his remarkable life as Managing Director, Chairman and latterly President of ENO, and in overseeing the creation of Opera North.

Funding the Programme

The programme costs over £250,000 a year to deliver and is funded entirely through individual donations.

Four of our Harewood Artists are generously supported through Fellowships:

• Matthew Durkan – supported by the Nicholas John Fellowship
• Soraya Mafi – supported by the Bruce Tollis Fellowship
• Rowan Pierce – supported by the Mills Williams Foundation Fellowship

Sir John Tomlinson Fellowship

In 2019, a new fellowship named after Sir John Tomlinson has been founded. This new Fellowship will support our singers with dramatic, movement, performance psychology and language coaching, as well as opportunities to learn from distinguished artists and leading figures from the operatic world.

Each year, Sir John himself will select an ENO Harewood Artist as the recipient of this fellowship.

The Mikado: Gala Performance on 28 October 2019 will raise funds for this Fellowship. You’ll be able to watch Sir John himself play the role of The Mikado of Japan. He says that he is “still studying singing to this day, on a daily basis” and we know that he is an inspiration to many.

Tickets purchased for The Mikado: Gala Performance will include a donation to the Fellowship and a glass of bubbly on arrival.

We would like to thank our generous supporters, whose donations make this programme possible.