9 February 2027

Rachel Roper is a British mezzo-soprano and alumna of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. In 2025 she was a Jerwood Artist at Glyndebourne, where she performed the roles of Zweite Knappe (Parsifal), Fekluša (Káťa Kabanová), Hermia (cover, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and Cherubino (cover, Le nozze di Figaro). Rachel is a previous winner of the MOCSA Young Welsh Singer of the Year Award, a recipient of the Marianne Falk Award, and was a Finalist at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards 2026. Alongside opera, she appears regularly on the concert platform and as a recitalist around the UK.

Claire Habbershaw is a distinguished British pianist and musical director, recognised for her expertise in art song, opera, and musical theatre. She has performed internationally, collaborating with world renowned artists at major music festivals and concert halls, both abroad and throughout the UK.

Their programme title is: 'My heart makes songs on lonely roads.'