Harewood Artists

The ENO Harewood Artists programme enables exceptionally British and British-trained talented singers to perform with a major opera company while receiving specialist coaching, support and guidance.

ENO Harewood Artists provides exceptional training and support for the best British or British-trained singers at the beginning of their professional careers.

We give these rising stars the opportunity to develop and learn whilst being cast in roles on the London Coliseum stage. Each singer undertakes a programme of vocal and language training, is coached by experts in their repertoire and is fully supported through auditions for career-building performance opportunities in both the UK and abroad.

The programme has evolved to accommodate the changing needs of singers at this vital stage in their development, allowing a more flexible approach with an individually tailored programme for nine singers across the season.

This allows ENO to nurture a wider group of artists, from those performing small roles and covers through to singers who are already tackling major roles in the world’s most important theatres.

The programme is led by members of the Casting and Music team who oversee the programme and ensure that its members receive a variety of training, including coaching sessions with ENO’s Head of Training Jane Robinson, consultant coach Michael Pollock and ENO music staff.

In addition, Harewood Artists may receive dramatic, movement, performance psychology and language coaching, as well as opportunities to learn from distinguished artists and leading figures from the operatic world, including Dame Josephine Barstow, Joan Rodgers, Graham Clark, Yvonne Kenny, Ann Murray DBE, Stephen Lord, Gwynne Howell, Geraint Dodd, Robert Lloyd, Brindley Sherratt, Gwyn Hughes Jones, Matthew Epstein, Dame Felicity Lott, Diana Montague, Roderick Williams, Kim Begley, Iain Paterson.

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

ENO Harewood Artists makes a vital contribution to the next generation of operatic talent. The programme costs over £200,000 a year to deliver and is funded entirely through donations.

Four of our Harewood Artists are generously supported through Fellowships:

• Andri Björn Róbertsson – supported by the Behrens Fellowship
• Matthew Durkan – supported by the Nicholas John Fellowship
• Soraya Mafi – supported by the Bruce Tollis Fellowship
• David Webb – supported by the Mills Williams Foundation Fellowship

We would like to thank our generous philanthropic supporters, whose donations make this programme possible. Find out more about supporting the ENO Harewood Artists.