Opera at The Athenaeum

Our first Presidential event after the Summer break looks to be one we’ll remember, as the Club plays host to a night of Opera, featuring four first-class artistes.

‘The Voice of Liverpool’, award winning and internationally renowned mezzo soprano, Danielle Thomas, will  be joined by the founder and director of  Liverpool Italian Opera Co, Nick Hardy (tenor), former Royal Opera House baritone David Ellis, and on piano Jason Ellis, an accomplished concert pianist regularly found performing at the Liverpool Empire. This stunning line up will be performing a range of classics in the unique surroundings of our Newsroom, at an event which includes a two course meal at the interval. An unbeatable price to an unmissable event!!!

The event schedule, along with the impressive biographies of the Artistes’ can be found below.

Event Schedule

Arrivals – 6:30 for 7.00pm

Performance – 7:00-7:45pm

Supper – 7:45-9:00pm

2nd Act – 9:00-10:00pm

Staffed Newsroom Bar – 10:00-11:45pm (Last Orders served between 11:15 and 11:30pm)

Building Close – Midnight

Danielle Thomas

Award winning Mezzo Soprano Danielle Thomas performs throughout the UK and internationally, and is known as ‘The voice of Liverpool’ and also the Cities ‘Singer in Residence’

Danielle began training at the very young age of 9 with a local teacher Mr Gerald Hunt before attending the junior school of The Royal Northern College of Music studying Voice and Piano.

At the age of 11 she made her television debut on BBC’s Songs of Praise where she sang Rick Wakemans arrangement of ‘Morning has broken’ accompanied by Rick himself, after being scouted by a producer from the BBC.

At the age of 17, Danielle made her debut at The Liverpool Philharmonic hall performing with the RLPO in the renowned ‘Spirit of Christmas concerts’ under the direction of Professor Ian Tracey.

Danielle is very proud to perform at Civic events for the City which have included past performances for Lord Heseletine, our Armed forces, and the late Everton legend Dave Hickson to name a few. Other events have included performing for the final visit of HMS Liverpool, the final visit for HMS Illustrious, the historic 3 Queens event which saw the three Cunard ships on the river Mersey at one time, the Cunard building centenary concert, and supporting Russell Watson at the International Mersey river festival.

In 2013 Danielle was honoured to perform with the band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines at the Philharmonic hall Liverpool, for the commemoration concert for the 70^th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic. This also included a service held in Liverpool cathedral which was broadcast live on BBC one with HRH the Princess Royal in attendance.

2016 was a significant year for Liverpool as the city held a vigil for the 96 Hillsborough victims after the families of the 96 finally got the justice they deserved. The city came together outside St Georges hall and it was a moment that will go down in history as the whole of Liverpool sang ‘You’ll never walk alone’ The vigil was broadcast live all over the world including Sky news, ITV, and BBC one.  Danielle sang a stirring rendition of ‘Abide with me.

Danielle is in great demand as a soloist locally and Internationally for concerts and corporate events.  Performances over the years have seen her travel to New York, Japan, Italy, France, Barbados, and also the Middle East.  Most recently, Danielle was privileged to be the guest soloist for the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Portsmouth in their concerts at Cadogan Hall, Philharmonic Hall, and Bridgewater Hall.

Jason Ellis

Jason was born in Yorkshire and is a graduate of Leeds college of Music, and Liverpool University where he trained in classical and romantic piano performance, composition, orchestration, and arranging.

Jason has been involved with choral music since accompanying the Liverpool University singers during his studies, and in 2013 Jason founded the Mersey wave choir. He works with several choral groups across Merseyside including the Magull based Georgian singers, and Wirral based Cappriccio singers.  Since 2010 he has been accompanist to the Froneysyllte Male voice choir.   Since 2014 Jason can be regularly found at the piano in the Liverpool Empire theatre and was recently accompanist for the Rainhill Music festival.

Jason performs regularly on the concert platform as a soloist and accompanist, composes and creates musical arrangements and transcriptions on a freelance basis.   Jason is a session musician at Industrial Music studios and has an active piano/theory music tutor practice.   He is also a member of the Music and staging committee for the Llangollen International Eisteddfod.

Nick Hardy

Nick Hardy (tenor)  made his Royal Opera House Covent Garden debut, in September 2017 as a member of the borghesi in Richard Jones new setting of La Boheme with Sir Antonio Pappano conducting, a production which was screened live in cinemas throughout Europe and shown later worldwide.  As a freelance singer he has appeared with the choruses of English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Opera North, and Wexford Festival Opera.   For Scottish Opera and Buxton Festival Opera he has performed chorus roles and covered major roles.  For London Festival Opera he has appeared as a principal in opera galas in Italy, Germany, and Spain.

His roles in oratorio have taken him throughout the UK and to France.  With small local companies he has performed more than twenty major opera roles including, Rodolfo, Canio, Turridu, Don Jose, Nadir, Manrico, Cavaradossi, Renato, Duke of Mantua, and Radames.    His principal teachers after studying at the Royal Academy of Music were Joan Carlyle and Colin Iveson.   He lives in Liverpool and is the founder and director of Liverpool Italian opera Co.

David Ellis

David Ellis (Baritone) studied singing at the Royal Northern College of Music.  During his last term at college, David was a regular guest at Iceland Opera where he sang the role of Silvio-I Pagliacci.  On leaving the RNCM David was invited to join Glyndebourne chorus and to cover the role of Guglielmo- Cosi Fan Tutte.  Following Glyndebourne David was invited to sing the role of Sid-Albert Herring for English Touring Opera followed by Don Giovanni –Mozarts  Don Giovanni.

Following his time at Glyndebourne David joined Scottish opera to cover the role of Marcello-La Boheme and was fortunate to actually perform the role on one occasion, he also covered Sharpless-Madam Butterfly.  During his time with Scottish opera, David sang regularly as part of their Concert tour along the west coast of Scotland. Whilst performing Don Giovanni David was invited to join Royal Opera House Covent Garden where he sang such roles as Morales-Carmen, Nachtigall-Die Meistersinger, Marullo-Rigoletto,Sylvano-un ballo in maschera, and Sonora- La Fanciulla Del West.  David sang the role of Ned Keene-Peter Grimes for the Royal Opera in Sicily.

Whilst on contract at the ROH  David was invited back to Scottish Opera to sing the role of Talbot-Maria Stuarda.

Following his time at the Royal Opera, David decided to take a career break and peruse other business interests, later returning  to Opera North to sing the role of Lord Mountjoy-Gloriana.  This was then made into an international Emmy award winning film adaptation.

David is currently appearing in concerts and running his own corporate entertainment business in the North West.

Menu 

Main Course

Paupiette of Plaice, salmon and tarragon mousseline, prawn and chive sauce

Panache of vegetables, cheese and onion potato croquette.

Dessert

Salted Caramel Opera, Seville Orange sauce

tea, coffee & mints