DAVID SYRUS
David Syrus is Head of Music for the Royal Opera, where he has worked since 1971. For them he has conducted Mozart ["Le nozze di Figaro", "Don Giovanni", "Cosi fan tutte", "La clemenza di Tito" and "Die Zauberflote"], Wagner ["Der fliegende Hollander"], Verdi ["La Traviata" and "Falstaff'], Janacek ["Jenufa" and "Katva Kabanova"], Strauss ["Salome", "Elektra" and "Ariadne auf Naxos"], Smetana ["The Bartered Bride"], Britten ["The Turn of the Screw"] and Tippett ["The Midsummer Marriage"]. At the Spoleto Festival last summer he conducted Zemlinsky's "Eine florentinische Tragodie". In November 2003 he conducted a concert of Handel, Gluck and Mozart with Vesselina Kasarova at the Liceu, Barcelona, following this with a tour to Japan this spring with Kasarova, performing in 4 cities with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Osaka Century Orchestra.

Other conducting engagements have included "The Pearl Fishers" [Opera Box]", Die Walkure" with the Manchester Camerata, Britten's "Let's Make an Opera", Menotti's "Amahl and the Night Visitors" [also recorded with the Opera House Orchestra], and many world premieres of smaller-scale music-theatre pieces, including British premieres of works by Menotti and Henze. Orchestras he has worked with include the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and the London Sinfonietta. 2005 includes concerts in Prague, Brussels and the Schwetzingen Festival.

As a recital accompanist he has played at the Wigmore Hall, London, the Musikverein, Vienna, the Carnegie Hall, New York and many other venues in Europe. His first lieder record with Hildegard Behrens was issued by EMI, and he has played harpsichord and fortepiano continuo in recordings of Mozart and Rossini for Decca and BMG. In October 2003 he accompanied John Tomlinson's first public performance of "Die Winterreise".

PHILIP SUNDERLAND
Philip is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied piano with Ruth Harte, organ with David Sanger and John Scott and conducting with Colin Metters.

After a postgraduate diploma in piano and conducting at the Academy, Philip continued his studies at the National Opera Studio. Philip has been awarded the Laurels of the University of London for his work with the university of London Opera Group and the Goldsmiths' Chorus and was Chorus Master to the London Symphony Chorus on their 1997 Shostakovitch symphony cycle with Rostrapovitch.

In 1999 he was appointed Chorus master at Opera North. He has worked for all five major opera houses in the UK and has conducted The Marriage of Figaro, La Cenerentola, The Pearl Fishers and Daughter of the Regiment for English Touring Opera and Sweeney Todd, La Traviata, and the Brahms Requiem at York Minster with the chorus and orchestra of Opera North. Also L'Elisir d'Amore for Savoy Opera at the Savoy Theatre, London.

Auditions for the Masterclass will be held on 3 and 4 November 2008, from which 12 singers will be selected. David will then choose the scenes for selected singers to learn before the Masterclass. Please click here to complete an on-line form and submit a CV by email if you would like to be considered for audition.

Below are just some of the other well known, highly respected opera professionals working as tutors with The Opera School Wales. We are indebted to them for their time and dedication.

FRASER GOULDING
Fraser Goulding's early studies as a pianist and accompanist, with a thorough grounding in church music, led to a conducting career spanning more than 25 years. Spotted by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, Fraser became their musical director from 1979 until 1982. Since then, Fraser has conducted at all the major British concert venues. He performs with the BBC Concert and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras. He regularly conducts the London and Manchester Concert Orchestras, the Chamber Orchestra of Wales and Anglia Concertante. Fraser's repertoire embraces classical, romantic and twentieth century styles and composers from Mozart, Verdi and Puccini to Britten and Rodgers & Hammerstein. In October 1999, he conducted the world premiere of Alun Hoddinott's Tower, in Swansea for Opera Box. Future engagements include The King and I, orchestral concerts and choral workshops. Keenly interested in encouraging young musicians, Fraser works regularly with Portway School Summer Music, The Opera School Wales, and West Glamorgan Youth Orchestra.

CHARLES KILPATRICK (specialist bel canto coach)
Charles Kilpatrick was born in Scotland and studied at Durham University, The Royal College of Music and The National Opera Studio.He has worked for many Opera companies in the UK and Europe including Wexford Festival Opera, Dublin Grand Opera, Kent Opera, Opera 80, City of Birmingham Touring Opera,,Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, English National Opera, The Royal Opera, Covent Garden, L' Opéra de Lille, L' Opéra du Rhin, Le Théatre de Caen, Le Festival Opus de Gattières, Den Ny Opera and Den Jyske Opera. Charles has participated in many recordings for EMI Classics, Decca, Erato , Opera Rara and Chandos Opera in English.