The performers
Simon Oliver Marsh (tenor) is principally an opera singer (he has recently sung in Britten’s Peter Grimes for Grange Park Opera) but he is also a gifted recitalist. Simon is passionate about performing in his native county, Devon, and regularly returns there to undertake roles such as Aeneas in Red Earth Opera’s production of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (2014). Crossing Dartmoor developed out of a request from Simon to compose a song cycle about Dartmoor and has been written for his voice.
http://simonolivermarsh.com
Alexandra Kremakova (piano) is a London-based pianist and harpsichordist from Bulgaria. An accomplished and adventurous musician, she is very interested in experimental music. A prizewinner in over 20 national and international competitions, in 2013 Alexandra was the winner of Trinity Laban’s Soloist’s Competition, performing Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the conservatoire’s orchestra under Martyn Brabbins. In 2014, Alexandra collaborated with Caitlin on a new work for piano, More or Less, an unusual set of variations which gained both performer and composer Highly Commended awards in Trinity Laban’s annual John Halford Prize that year.
http://alexandrakremakova.com
Ashley Blasse (guitar) is a classical guitarist from South East London. A recent graduate of Trinity Laban Conservatorium of Music and Dance, Ashley has studied with Graham Devine, Mark Ashford and Tim Pells. Having placed second in The Lennox Berkeley Guitar Award at the Oxford Music Festival in 2013, in 2014 he won this competition and also placed second in the Alison Stephens Competition at Trinity Laban. Ashley gave his first concerto performance, in Bitche, France, performing Vivaldi’s Lute Concerto in D Major (RV93) with the Russian Chamber Orchestra Octavio, conducted by Phillipe Villa.
http://ashleyblasse.co.uk/
Omar Shahryar directed the performances of Crossing Dartmoor at Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival, King’s Cross in 2015. Omar directs, composes and leads creative learning projects for national opera companies and community arts organisations who seek to develop new audiences. Omar directed Caitlin’s Breadcrumbs for 2014’s Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival at Kings Place – as well as directing and conducting his own short work, Sweeper of Dreams, in the same festival.
http://omarshahryar.info/