Teresa Cahill first came to prominence at Glyndebourne, where she sang 1 st Lady in DieZauberflote and Alice Ford in Falstaff. She made more than 100 appearances at the Royal Opera House in roles including both Zerlina and Elvira in DonGiovanni. Her many concert appearances have included Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Chicago Symphony under Sir Georg Solti, at whose 80 th birthday concert she performed at Buckingham Palace in 1992. She also took part in Sir Michael Tippett’s 80 th birthday concert of A Child in Our Time in Houston, Texas. Her recordings include Figaro with Klemperer and LaClemenzadiTito with Sir John Pritchard.

Teresa is a professor at Trinity College of Music and has given masterclasses at the Oxford Lieder Festival. She has been an adviser to the Mozart Singing Competition since 1997.

A pupil of David Kelly (head of Singing at the RSAMD), Barbara Dix began her career at Glyndebourne, while gaining wide experience as a contralto soloist in oratorio. As a recitalist she specialised in 20th century classics, notably Webern and Messiaen, and she took a leading part in the first British performances of Cage’s MusiCircus.

For over thirty years Barbara maintained a flourishing private teaching practice in the North-West. In 1975 she founded Mastersingers Opera as a platform for her students, including a number – such as Rosa Mannion and Andrew Slater - who went on to distinguished careers in opera and other fields.

Barbara also taught at the University of Liverpool and various summer schools. With her husband, the pianist and mathematician Alex Abercrombie, she founded the National Mozart Competition (forerunner of the Mozart Singing Competition) in 1987.

Eric von Ibler was the first countertenor to graduate from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He won early recognition as Apollo in Britten’s Death in Venice and as Bernstein’s chosen soloist in Chichester Psalms. He has been involved with the Edinburgh International Festival, appearing regularly there ever since his solo debut in 1973. In 1990 he inaugurated a series of recitals giving a platform to young performers at the Festival. He is also vocal advisor for the Edinburgh International Concerts Series and has been artistic director of Schola Cantorum of Edinburgh since its foundation in 1983.

Eric has been a lecturer in Singing at the RSAMD and currently at Edinburgh University. He continues to give masterclasses throughout Europe, the USA and the Far East. Former students are now principals in opera houses worldwide

A native of Cornwall, Richard Jackson studied with Thomas Hemsley, and became one of the founder members of Graham Johnson’s “Songmakers Almanac”, touring with them in the USA, Europe, and the Far East and contributing to their CD series. He has also appeared in a variety of roles with ENO, Glyndebourne, and Opera North. He sang Christus in Jonathan Miller’s staging of the St Matthew Passion on BBC television and CD. Richard’s extensive involvement with contemporary music includes roles in six new operas for the Almeida Theatre and CDs of works by Michael Finnissy and Bernard Stevens.

Richard is a professor at the Guildhall and also teaches at the RAM, the RCM, and a number of summer schools. He has served several times on the jury of the Mozart competition as well as the Kathleen Ferrier competition.

Mark Wildman has travelled throughout Europe and the USA as a bass soloist in oratorio. In 1976 while still a student, he took a part in a complete performance of Bach’s Church Cantatas. He has since appeared with most of Britain’s leading orchestras, notably at the Promenade Concerts. Recent performances include the Bach Passions, the Verdi Requiem, several Elgar oratorios, Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony and the televised premiere of Giovanna Marini’s Requiem at the Paris Festival.

Mark is a professor of Singing at the RAM, where he was appointed Head of Vocal Studies in 1991: he was elected a Fellow in 1994. Many of his current and former students are now singing principal roles with national and international opera companies. He has served as a jury member at a number of international competitions.

Geoffrey Pratley first came to prominence in the 1960s as a regular partner of Dame Janet Baker, Paul Tortelier, and the violinist Ralph Holmes. He was the pianist for Tortelier’s memorable series of masterclasses on BBC2TV in the 1970s. His arrangements of British folksongs – many of them created for Dame Janet - and realisations of Baroque songs and arias have become widely used.

He was made a Fellow of the RAM in 1977 and taught there until his retirement in 2005, one of his last contributions being a “Warlockathon” in which all 123 Warlock songs were performed on the composer’s 111 th birthday. Geoffrey continues to coach singers at Trinity College of Music and to perform in a piano-duet partnership with Anne Applin, specialising in composers’ arrangements of their own works.