Melinda Hughes, soprano

Cum Laude degree from the Maastricht Conservatory of Music and master’s degree from the Royal College of Music, Melinda Hughes completed her voice studies at the Brussels Opera Studio. She toured with the André Rieu Strauss Orchestra for three years, after-which she pursued her operatic career, which has taken her to more than forty countries. She has sung many lead roles including Madama Butterfly, Aida, Fiordiligi La Contessa, Violetta, Tosca, Mimi, Nedda, Gilda & Pamina. Melinda is a specialist in Weimar Cabaret having released two CDs ‘Smoke & Noise’ and Weimar & Back under the Nimbus Alliance Label. She received critical acclaim at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe for Margo, half woman half beast, a dramatic musical co-written with Jeremy Limb (directed by Sarah Sigal) about the Weimar Berlin cabaret singer Margo Lion. Melinda and Jeremy are best known for their satirical songs and comedy, which have led them to perform regularly on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio London. They have performed at festivals such as Hay on Wye, The Al Bustan Festival Lebanon, Holders Festival Barbados, The Cotton House, Mustique and are regulars at London’s foremost cabaret venue, The Crazy Coqs in Zedel, Piccadilly. Aside from her writing and performing, Melinda curates the winter season of concerts at The Chelsea Arts Club, she is the Artistic Director of a festival in Barbados, encouraging collaboration between local and international musicians and she is currently writing an opera comedy radio series spearheaded by her new comic opera character Clemeniza Von Trunksale with Jeremy Limb and Kevin Day (producer of the BBC satirical show Have I got news for you).

 

 

Jeremy Limb, piano He studied music at Queen’s College Oxford and then spent three years at the Royal College of Music, where he won the Millicent Silver Brahms Prize in 1993 and the Frank Merrick British Music Prize in 1995. He has played in broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 (Young Artist’s Forum concert series) and has given recitals in such places as St James’s Piccadilly and St Martin-in-the-Fields. In 1997, he won first prize in the Robert William and Florence Amy Brant National Piano Competition. He works as a freelance soloist, accompanist, répétiteur, jazz/pop musician, arranger, and musical director. He also writes and performs in comedies, regularly appearing at the Pleasance (Edinburgh Fringe), and has had material used on BBC 1 by Harry Enfield. He was nominated for the 1998 LWT New Comedy Writing Award for his play Play Wisty for Me – The Life of Peter Cook (toured the UK and Melbourne Comedy Festival 2002). Jeremy has recorded for Naxos and Nimbus labels. He regularly writes and performs with Melinda.