Harewood Artists
Each Harewood Artist undertakes a bespoke programme of vocal and language training, is coached by experts in their repertoire and is fully supported through auditions for career-building performance opportunities with ENO, around the UK and abroad.
Current and past Harewood Artists will be either singing or covering roles in all of our 2021/22 productions and will also have opportunities to perform as soloists in recitals at ENO and at other venues in London and further afield.
The programme is led by members of the ENO Casting and Music team who oversee the programme and ensure that Harewood Artists receive a variety of training, including coaching sessions with ENO’s Head of Vocal Coaching & Development, Jane Robinson, consultant coach Michael Pollock, and ENO music staff.
In addition, Harewood Artists may receive dramatic & movement coaching, performance psychology, language coaching, vocal massage, nutrition advice, Alexander Technique and breathwork as well as opportunities to learn from distinguished artists and leading figures from the operatic world, including Ann Murray DBE, Harry Bicket, Sir John Tomlinson, Sir Thomas Allen, John Fisher, Julia Faulkner and Anne Evans.
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The Harewood Artists for 2021/22 are:
Soprano
Soraya Mafi
Alexandra Oomens
Nardus Williams
Mezzo-soprano
Claire Barnett-Jones
Idunnu Münch
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.
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 £240,000 a year to deliver and is funded entirely through individual donations.
Two of our Harewood Artists are generously supported through Fellowships:
- Soraya Mafi – supported by the Bruce Tollis Fellowship
- Benson Wilson – supported by the Nicholas John 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 in October 2019 raised funds for this Fellowship.
We are delighted to announce that the inaugural recipient of the Sir John Tomlinson Fellowship is Claire Barnett-Jones. Sir John presented Claire with the award at the end of the Gala performance.
We would like to thank our generous supporters, whose donations make this programme possible.
Meet the Harewood Artist of 2020/21
Find out a bit more about the 12 Harewood Artists of our 2020/21 season.