Trainees 2009/10

Sopranos
Elizabeth Llewellyn
Sadhbh Dennedy
Anna Devin
Madeleine Pierard
Meeta Raval

Mezzo-sopranos
Sara Gonzalez-Saavedra
Raquel Luis

Tenors
John Pierce
Nicky Spence

Baritones
Gerard Collett

Bass
John Molloy

Repetiteurs
Marie-Elise Boyer
Cameron Burns
Jean-Paul Pruna

Joa Helgesson baritone

Joa Helgesson is currently a trainee at the National Opera Studio in London. Before that he studied at the University College of Opera in Stockholm with Lena Hällström-Färnlöf and at the acting department of the Shanghai Theatre Academy in China.

Operatic roles include Arsamene in Serse, (The Royal Opera in Stockholm, The Drottningholm Palace Theatre), Belcore in L’elisir d’amore (Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg), Samuraj/Son in Moto Osada’s Four Nights of Dream (The Vadstena Academy), the title role of Don Giovanni (Swedish Television), Marcello in La Bohéme (The University College of Opera in Stockholm), Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore (Opera Viva) and the title role of Nikolo Kotzev’s Joel (Alandica, Mariehamn).

Roles at the National Opera Studio include Don Giovanni, Pelléas, Figaro (Barbiere di Siviglia), Tarquinius (Rape of Lucretia) and Silvio (Pagliacci). 

Joa is frequently performing as a concert and oratory singer and has performed at major concert halls in Sweden as well as Scandinavia, Germany and Great Britain. Performances in tv and radio includes broadcasts from the Berwald Hall in Stockholm, Swedish Television, NRK (Norway) and YLE (Finland). Joa has sung with orchestras such as The Swedish Radio Orchestra, The Orchestra of Welsh National Opera and the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra. His concert repertoire includes Bach oratories such as Weihnachtsoratorio, S:t Matthew’s and S:t John’s passion, Requiem by Brahms, Mozart, Biber and Fauré, Händel’s The Messias and Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri.

Joa has been awarded the 2009 Anders Wall Scholarship. He has also received scholarships from the Royal Musical Academy of Sweden, Friends of the Vadstena Academy, Friends of the Drottningholm Court Theatre, Ruud-Wallenbergs Stiftelse and Vera und Volker Doppelfeldt Stiftung. His place at the National Opera Studio is generously sponsored by the Friends of Covent Garden.

Thanks to his knowledge of Mandarin Joa was frequently engaged as an actor and singer in Chinese television.

Future engagements include Demetrius (cover) in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Garsington Opera.