Guildhall School of Music & Drama presents the world premiere of alumnus Lliam Paterson’s The Angel Esmeralda commissioned by Scottish Opera

Monday 24, Wednesday 26, Friday 28 February, Monday 2 March 2020, 
Silk Street Theatre, 7pm 

Commissioned by Scottish Opera
Adapted from the short story by Don DeLillo 
Music by Lliam Paterson 
Libretto by Pamela Carter 

Dominic Wheeler conductor
Martin Lloyd-Evans director
Gregor Donnelly designer
Robbie Butler lighting designer

Guildhall School’s award-winning Opera department presents the world premiere of alumnus Lliam Paterson’s The Angel Esmeralda, a new opera commissioned by Scottish Opera. 

Described by The Telegraph as “a name to remember” Lliam Paterson is former Scottish Opera Emerging Artist Composer in Residence, named ‘Best Musical Artist’ at the Sunday Herald Scottish Culture Awards 2017 for his work with the company. The opera’s librettist Pamela Carter is a playwright and dramaturg who has worked with the National Theatre of Scotland, Traverse Theatre, the Young Vic and Malmö Opera House, amongst others.

The production receives its first performance at Guildhall School’s Silk Street Theatre on Monday 24 February and runs for three performances thereafter. The opera in two acts is conducted by Guildhall’s Head of Opera Studies Dominic Wheeler and directed by the School’s Resident Producer Martin Lloyd-Evans. It will be performed by singers from Guildhall School’s Opera Course and Guildhall School instrumentalists.

The Angel Esmeralda is based on Don DeLillo’s captivating short story of the same title, described by the New York Times as “a dazzlingly told tale of despair and ruination, the dream of redemption and the testing of faith”. Set in the economic despair of the South Bronx of the 1970s, the story focuses on a mysterious girl, witnessed clambering across the ruins of the fire-ravaged district, who dies… or does she? The opera’s presentation and design aims to offer the audience a thought-provoking, immersive experience, with music reflecting its 1970s setting.

Dominic Wheeler, Guildhall School’s Head of Opera Studies says: 

“We are so enjoying working on this marvellous piece. Lliam was a repetiteur and piano accompaniment student at Guildhall before he was the Emerging Artist Composer at Scottish Opera, and the time he has spent in the theatre working with singers shows so strongly in his wonderful vocal writing, his sensitive setting of words and the fantastic sense of drama and theatre in his music. It’s a compelling, moving and very topical story...!”

Composer Lliam Paterson, who graduated from Guildhall School in 2014, says:

“It is a joy to return to my alma mater with this opera specifically created for a wonderful cast of Guildhall musicians. Pamela Carter has brought DeLillo's moving story to the stage with a masterful libretto, through which I have created a score which projects an internal struggle of faith and the intense energy of the 1970s South Bronx. Martin Lloyd-Evans' innovative and striking production perfectly captures the world of DeLillo's tale, and brings the audience up close to this world of sacred ritual, towering housing projects and apparent miracles...”

24 & 28 Feb

Elsa Roux (Sister Edgar); Harriet Burns (Sister Grace); William Thomas (Brother Mike, Muerte & Pentecostalist Leader 2); Damien Arnold (Ismael); Robert Lewis (Pentacostalist Leader); Observer 1 (Sian Dicker); Lara Marie Muller (Observer 2 & Pregnant Woman); Collin Shay (Observer 3 & Tour Guide); Matthew Palmer (Observer 4); Andrew Hamilton (Observer 5)  

26 Feb & 2 March

Ema Nikolovska (Sister Edgar); Eline Vandenheede (Sister Grace); William Thomas (Brother Mike, Muerte & Pentecostalist Leader 2); Robert Lewis (Ismael); Damian Arnold (Pentacostalist Leader); Observer 1 (Sian Dicker); Lara Marie Muller (Observer 2 & Pregnant Woman); Collin Shay (Observer 3 & Tour Guide); Matthew Palmer (Observer 4); Andrew Hamilton (Observer 5)  

Chorus: Josephine Lockwood; Manon Parry; Elsa Rosengren; Chloe Todd; Matina Tsaroucha; Frederick Buchanan; George Curnow; Robert Martin; Innocent Masuku; Joshua Saunders; Lydia Haynes; Astrid Joos; James Leadbeater; Katie MacDonald; Aina Miyagi Magnell; Alexandra Meier; Maximilian Battefeld; Charles Broad; Alaric Green; Jia Huang; André Soares; Leif Tse 

Dominic Wheeler has a wealth of experience conducting both at conservatoires and with major opera companies, including ENO, Opera North, Opera New Zealand, English Touring Opera and Scottish Opera. In 2014 he made his BBC Proms debut conducting the BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Singers in the Pet Shop Boys Late Night Prom. Wheeler became Head of Opera at Guildhall School in 2012, where his conducting credits include The Rape of Lucretia (Spring 2016), the world stage premiere of Arnold’s The Dancing Master and the UK stage premiere of Donizetti’s I pazzi per progetto (March 2015). Other productions at Guildhall School include Mavra and Iolanta in 2016, the world premiere of Julian Philips’ The Tale of Januarie in March 2017, Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites in March 2018, Così fan tutte in November 2018 and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in February 2019. 

Martin Lloyd-Evans is Resident Producer at Guildhall School and is internationally recognised as a director, teacher and coach. Martin’s work in the development of young professionals, notably at the School, has seen many productions including the UK premieres of The Aspern Papers (RPS award nominee) and Jonathan Dove’s The Little Green Swallow. His ongoing association with British Youth Opera includes The Rape of Lucretia and the London premiere of Jonathan Dove’s Flight, amongst many others. His production of On London Fields for Hackney Music Development Trust, composed by Matthew King, won an RPS award. He is also a regular guest coach for the Jette Parker Young Artists programme at the Royal Opera House. In March 2017, he joined Wheeler to direct Guildhall School’s production of The Tale of Januarie, Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites in March 2018, Così fan tutte in November 2018 and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in February 2019. 

Guildhall School of Music & Drama is provided by the City of London Corporation.

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