Short biographies
Bryan Kesselman
Bryan studied singing and piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has made many appearances on stage with various professional opera companies as principal baritone, and has musically directed a number of productions of operas and musicals. He divides his time between performing, musical direction, composition and teaching music & singing. Compositions include the music theatre piece Dreyfus: Prisoner of Devil's Island, and a cantata for chamber orchestra and choir Maccabee for which he received a Millennium Award. In March 2011 his work, Voices that Should Be Heard premiered in Harrow to great acclaim. He has musically directed a number of stage productions including The Mikado, Salad Days, Honk!, Little Shop of Horrors, Follies, and The King and I. www.kesselmanmusic.co.uk |
Philip Barnett
Since 2006 Philip has been totally focussed on singing, entertaining, directing choirs and writing. This followed a long and successful business career in IT, business management and consultancy. Philip gained early performing experience in light opera, mostly Gilbert and Sullivan, as well as many concert appearances. Career highlights include creating the title role of Dreyfus in a new musical written by Bryan Kesselman, first performed at St Giles Cripplegate in the Barbican, London. Philip sang in the 2007 Channel 4 recording of the BAFTA winning War Oratorio. He sang in the Royal Gala celebrating the reopening of the Royal Festival Hall (2007) and The Singing Circle in the Paul Hamlyn Hall at the Royal Opera House (2008). http://philipbarnett.weebly.com |
2012 was a special year for Bryan and Philip
In March they were presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth following a performance of one of their pieces, Shifting Sands, sung by choir of 150 representing the London Borough of Harrow. In the Summer their new comic opera, The Time Traveller, received its world premiere at the International G&S festival in Buxton. |