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about us
Longhope Opera is a delightful annual event held on the Longhope Estate in Newton Valence, Hampshire. Every Summer since 2015, Mr & Mrs Janson have welcomed several hundred friends to their charming home. Guests take walks around the grounds and peruse the various events on offer before they are entertained with a comic opera from Scherzo Ensemble and enjoy a picnic dinner overlooking the South Downs.
Guests at Longhope have previously enjoyed several gala concerts, The Marriage of Figaro and The Barber of Seville and Il turco in Italia . This summer, having wowed thousands of guests since 2018, Scherzo Ensemble returned with their fifth production. To deliver Longhope Opera, Scherzo assembles an entire company (performers, creatives, technical staff and management) of emerging professionals. The central aim is to help young practitioners gain professional experience and build confidence, with the associated aims of fostering deeper respect and understanding between theatrical departments. These operas at Longhope have become the centre-piece of their annual professional development programme for young artists and this year on the 1st and 2nd of July they will present Rossini's La Cenerentola.
Aside from their work with Longhope Opera, Scherzo Ensemble have several projects and performances throughout the year.
the team
Matthew O’Keeffe
Artistic Director
Matthew is the Director of Longhope Opera and Scherzo Ensemble,
which he founded in 2015 whilst studying music at King’s College
London. He is based in South London and works as a singer,
conductor, producer, arranger and composer. During his degree, he
was a countertenor Choral Scholar and studied singing with
Michael Chance at RAM whilst at the same time seizing every
opportunity to conduct and manage music projects within the university.
Soon after graduating with a 1st in 2017, he founded Lunchbreak Opera
which stages accessible and digestible shows in the City of London which fit
within the working day, offered for free. Shows have included Suor Angelica,
Prima la Musica, Gianni Schicchi and A Dinner Engagement. Matthew works
very hard to share his love of classical artforms with new audiences –clearly
visible in his work with the Brixton Chamber Orchestra, which he founded in
2018. BCO is an innovative ensemble of young professional instrumentalists based in Lambeth. The Orchestra champions informal classical performance in community spaces, and also engages fully with the diverse musical cultures of Brixton. On the side, Matthew also directs the Trouvere Collective (Medieval troup) and is choirmaster at St Thomas’
Church, Fulham, and The Centre for Young Musicians. Matthew arranges music for all his ensembles and his compositions have been premiered on BBC Television and in Westminster Cathedral.
Stephanie Waldron
General Manager
Stephanie studied music at King's College London before pursuing further
studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama where she completed
her MMus in Music Performance and MA in Advanced Opera Performance.
Stephanie is currently working in the UK as a freelance singer on both the
opera and concert platforms, however, throughout her studies and beyond
she has found a real passion for the planning, management and marketing side
of opera. Alongside her role at Longhope Opera, Stephanie works for the
Choir of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge as their PR and
Communications Assisstant.
Trustees
Peter Nutting (Chair)
Hamish Janson (Host of Longhope Opera)
Fergus Slinger (Host of Longhope Opera)
Nicholas Thomas (Treasurer)
Tim Jones (Artistic advisor)
