Who is WHO?
Founder: Geraldine Roche
White Horse Opera, based in Devizes, was founded in 1990 by Geraldine and the late Keith Lawley to bring opera to the local community of Devizes and its nearby villages.
Since then WHO has performed over 30 operatic productions including the big A, B, C of Opera (Aida, Bohème & Carmen).
The main opera is performed in English, fully staged with orchestra usually in the autumn.
Throughout the year we tour with a mobile production performed with piano accompaniment available for hire on a 50:50 basis of ticket sales by any venue raising funds for charity or a worthy cause.
White Horse Opera are always on the look out for new members we rehearse on a Sunday night 7-9pm at St Andrew's Church Hall Devizes why not give us a try?
Musical Director:
Roland Melia
Roland Melia began his wide ranging career as a cellist playing with NationalSymphony Orchestra of Ireland, English National Opera, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, City of London Sinfonia. and the contemporary ensemble Lontano.
Following studies with David Robertson and Ilya Musin he conducted orchestras in Britain such as Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Britten Sinfonia and Royal Ballet.
Abroad he worked with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and St Petersburg Philharmonic as well as Symphony Orchestras in Portugal, Mexico and Chile.
Melia has been the Artistic Director of Leicester Symphony Orchestra and Cyprus State Orchestra.
He has worked in CD production, composed music for theatre, supervised music for film and delivered creative workshops to school children. He has worked in promotion for Pharos Arts Foundation in Cyprus and Cegin Productions in UK for which he is currently Artistic Director.
He teaches conducting technique to all ages.
Patron:
Rosa Mannion
White Horse Opera are delighted that Rosa Mannion has agreed to be its patron.
Rosa was born in Liverpool and studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music. She made her operatic debut in 1984 as Adina in L’Elisir D’Amore with ScottishOpera and for the following 16 years enjoyed aninternational career singing with major opera houses, conductors, orchestras and festivals throughout Europe.
In 1998 illness forced her to end her singing career and she began to teach, building up an enormous private practise aswell as joining the music faculty at Bath Spa University.
She gives masterclasses and workshops throughout the country, adjudicates and examines for the major conservatoires and, as a trustee of Jackdaws Educational Trust, regularly runs residential courses for singers.
President:
Michael Gaiger
Mike Gaiger is a well known retired company director who has strong local connections. He is a member of Devizes Rugby Club and Devizes Sports Club and is grandad to ten.
An ex chairman of WHO, Mike's unceasing support has always been very much appreciated by the company.