Puccini treat for opera fans (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Puccini treat for opera fans

OPERA lovers are in for a treat when some of the country's finest performers appear at Malvern for a rare concert of Pure Puccini.

Stars from the Royal Opera House, the English National Opera and Opera North will be highlighting a selection of the composer's greatest works. The show will include performances from favourites including La Boheme, Tosca and Madame Butterfly. Some of Puccini's other works like La Fanciulla Del West and Il Tabarro will also feature.

The concert will showcase some of the brightest operatic talent around, such as baritone Mark Evans. He has performed in a range of roles, most recently completing a successful run in the title role of Mozart's Don Giovanni for Holland Park Festival Opera. He has worked with the Welsh National Opera and English Touring Opera.

Tenor Wynne Evans has worked as a soloist with all of Britain's leading orchestras and performed many solo recitals for events like the Proms. He has also worked at well-known venues including the Royal Albert Hall and Wigmore Hall.

Soprano Naomi Harvey, who also stars in the production, has an impressive list of credits to her name. She has worked with the English National Opera and Welsh National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera and the Wexford Festival. Naomi also makes regular appearances on Radio 2's Friday Night is Music Night.

Distinguished pianist and former Cheltenham School of Music pupil Jennifer Trew will accompany the performance. She went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music, and while there was awarded several prestigious prizes and has been in constant demand since graduating.

The production's mixture of arias, duets and ensembles from Puccini's finest works promises diversity, passion and excitement - combining to create an evening to remember.

Pure Puccini is on at Malvern on Friday, August 13. For details, contact the box office on 01684 892277.