Close Up Classical with Julian Ovenden and Kate Royal
Lineup
About the Event
Close Up Classical returns with one of the UK’s most versatile performers, Julian Ovenden, in conversation and performance with Lizzie Ball and James Pearson. Joined by acclaimed soprano Kate Royal and members of the Ronnie Scott’s Classical All Stars, the evening traces the musical path that has taken Ovenden from the English choral tradition to opera, musical theatre and the concert stage.
A chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral before studying music at Oxford as a choral scholar, Ovenden went on to discover opera and musical theatre, building a career across stage, screen and concert hall. Best known to many for Downton Abbey and Bridgerton, he has also starred in productions from Merrily We Roll Along and Grand Hotel to South Pacific, Sunday in the Park with George and High Society, alongside performances with orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestra.
Kate Royal brings her own remarkable career in opera and recital to the evening. A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and National Opera Studio, she was a winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award, John Christie Award and Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artist Award. Her operatic roles have included the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, Pamina in The Magic Flute, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni and Miranda in Thomas Adès’ The Tempest, with performances at Glyndebourne, the Royal Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opera and the Berlin Philharmonic. She has also appeared at the BBC Proms, Carnegie Hall and La Scala, and tours internationally in recital.
For this Close Up Classical, Ovenden will talk with Lizzie Ball and James Pearson about the music and artists that have influenced him, with performances drawn from Michel Legrand, Schumann, Elgar and Britten, alongside a selection of seasonal music.
“A refreshing and deeply personal way to experience classical music.”
— A Young(ish) Perspective
“From Broadway to the West End, to the dappled light of Downton Abbey, Julian Ovenden has been delighting audiences with acting and song since the age of seven.”
— Musical Theatre Review