We're Hiring!
We're currently recruiting for committee members!
Being part of the Oxford Opera Society Committee is rewarding, a great experience and above all a lot of fun!
Interested? Have a look at our open positions below and apply today!
Committee roles:
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SECRETARY
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TREASURER
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MARKETING MANAGER
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SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
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FUNDING OFFICER
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EVENTS MANAGER
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SOCIAL SECRETARY
WHO WE ARE
The Oxford Opera Society aims to bring opera-lovers together and make opera more accessible to students. We arrange affordable trips to world class productions, promote opera productions within Oxford, and put on social events to encourage like-minded people interested in opera to meet and share their interest. We also provide opportunities to both experienced and inexperienced performers through talks, masterclasses, and operatic productions.
Whilst the society is mainly run by and for the student community, many Oxford alumni and non-student residents in Oxford are involved in the society productions. The Society is run by student and resident volunteers, and its activities in any one year depends on the particular interests of its dedicated committee. Since 2018, we have put on a major production every year, alternating between full operas and concerts of fully-staged scenes, as well as gala concerts. Although there are several operatic groups in Oxford, the Oxford Opera Society covers a niche because of its particular ethos of inclusivity, bridging the student-resident barrier and enabling a sharing of knowledge between people of different ages and experiences.
We are a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers, and any proceeds we receive from our projects go back into the Society to make future projects possible. The Oxford Opera Society receives no funding, and it takes donations to keep new and exciting events and opportunities running. Any donations you can give would be gladly received.
Executive Committee
President & Producer
Antonida Kocharova
Tonya has been on the Oxford Opera Society committee since 2017, becoming Secretary in 2018, Treasurer in 2020, and finally being appointed President in 2021. She is an alumna of Oxford University, having studied law at St Hilda’s College between 2010 and 2013, but has continued living and working in Oxford, dividing her time between her work as a barrister and now studying Vocal and Operatic Performance at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Since joining, Tonya has sung in a number of productions and was the co-creator of the now traditional biennial Opera Scenes concerts, and the new Pub Opera Nights. It is her ambition to regain the Society’s reputation as a high quality performing company, while seeking to make it more inclusive to singers and opera lovers of all backgrounds and abilities.
Treasurer
Paige Norton-Edwards
Secretary
Vacant
...
Committee
Social Secretary
VACANT
Responsibilities:
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organise several opera trips;
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organise the ballots for this, communicate with attendants, chase up any late payments and liaise with the treasurer to communicate numbers.
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organise a social event such as a pub quiz night, an opera soiree or picnic in the park at least once a term;
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organise the Society’s participation in the official SU Freshers’ Fair.
Marketing Manager
Vacant
Responsibilities:
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have the overall responsibility of all marketing activities:
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send out a regular newsletter to the mailing list;
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prepare the term card;
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have responsibility for any necessary posters;
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arrange reviews of any performances with newspapers.
Funding Officer
Vacant
Responsibilities:
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organise funding applications to funding bodies;
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approach various organisations to seek sponsorship;
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develop the Society’s funding and subscription models;
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maintain external contacts.
Society Historian
Vahid Nick Pay
Vahid is a full-time lecturer in International Politics at the University of Oxford. Among his diverse array of hobbies, he is also a historian of opera, particularly Italian opera, which has captivated his deep fascination. Driven by an insatiable curiosity, Vahid passionately embarks on unravelling the enthralling narratives of opera's evolution, finding joy in the shared moments with fellow aficionados. At Oxford Opera Society, Vahid serves as a Historian of Opera. In this role, he undertakes the task of curating, categorizing, interpreting, and annotating the rich legacy of the Society's engagement with grand operatic events throughout its storied history.
Social Media Manager
Vacant
Responsibilities:
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maintain the Society’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages;
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devise and implement a social media schedule in collaboration with the Social Secretary and the production team;
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publish ad hoc posts about external partner events when requests come into the email inbox;
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take initiative and develop the creative output on social media posts, i.e. photos, reels, videos etc.
Events Manager
Vacant
Responsibilities:
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Develop performance opportunities;
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Develop and maintain collaboration with existing and potential venues and organisations
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Develop outreach possibilities.
Production Team
Director
Emma Hunt
Emma is a 2nd year music student and choral scholar at Somerville college. In 2020 she played the role of Skylar in an opera called Song Of Our Heartland with Opera North. From that moment she fell in love with opera as an art form. Since coming to Oxford, she has performed in the chorus of Iolanthe, The Golden Cockerel, and most recently she performed as Princess Kalyba in Utopia Ltd at the International G&S Festival, where the Oxford University Gilbert and Sullivan Society were crowned champions of UniFest 2023! After winning the award for Best Director in the OUDS Cuppers Festival 2022, she went on to direct the Gilbert and Sullivan Society's production of Ruddigore in Hilary 2023, and is currently directing their Michaelmas term show The Pirates of Penzance. In her time as Resident Director of the Oxford Opera Society she's looking forward to broadening her directing skills into the wider world of opera.
Assistant Director
Matthew Mair
Coming soon
Assistant Producer (Communications)
John Tatlow
Furloughed from work for most of 2020, Tatlow commissioned professional librettist Lila Palmer to coach him in operatic writing. He has since completed eight libretti, and has teamed with two composers: award winning Spyros Syrmos, and John McCool. In 2023, Tatlow created Everyman Opera fb, an industrial parks model of opera devised to bring affordable, accessible performances to new audiences. New stories by living creators and composers, performed in intimate, casual dress venues. An Arts Council grant will hopefully see the first performance of Tatlow’s creation, ‘In Pursuit of Matka Chai’s Tea with the Taliban’ in 2025 https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnftatlow/. Tatlow is well crafted in the creative process. Songwriting since the age of ten (mainly folk, ballad and blues), he produced and sang on his ‘Mississippi’ album, in 2005. His music is coloured by many genres and life experiences https://soundcloud.com/john-f-tatlow/tracks. Tatlow graduated with an MA Theatre for Development from Winchester University, UK in 2002. He has since worked as a media and theatre workshop facilitator in Kenya on projects improving health awareness in rural communities, and the transfer of tribal indigenous knowledge between generations. In the UK he facilitated workshops and events between host residents and asylum groups to better community relations. Tatlow enjoys sailing. When not on the river Deben, Suffolk quaffing bubbly, he’ll be found at home with partner Fiona, and dog Spog: Osney isle, Oxford, England.
Set & Lighting Designer
Rei Ota
Rei is a second year mathematician at Corpus Christi College, who has been in so many productions he's lost count. He started out by acting in I Will Delete This Story (HT23), then co-directed Spring Awakening and Xiao (HT and TT23). He's also been the lighting director of several shows at the BT during TT 23, AD on Great Gatsby (OP) and stage managed Metamorphosis (Pilch) in this term too. This term, he's stepped into the world of producing, working as a producer on Medea (Oxford Playhouse), Enemy of the People (O'Reilly) and Kin (BT) plus Pursuit (a short film). Plus, he's developed a unique lighting fixture for Night Shift: 300 rgb leds controlled by an arduino, and is working on the set and lights for Twisted. In HT he looks forward to constructing the iconic Grease Lightning for Pembroke College's musical. He also serves as president of the Corpus Christi Owelts, and holds a Grade 8 in Musical Theatre in Production. You can contact him at rei.ota@ccc.ox.ac.uk
Graphics Designer
Anna Rooth
Coming Soon
Lighting Operator
VACANT
Coming soon
Musical Director
Toby Ward
Toby is a conductor, pianist and baritone originally from Edinburgh, and is a second-year Music student at University College. Aside from his role with the Opera Society, Toby is a choral scholar in the University College Chapel Choir, the Co-Conductor of the Fidelio Orchestra, and was the Assistant and Offstage Conductor for the Oxford University Philharmonia’s Trinity ’23 Performance of Gustav Holst’s ‘The Planets Suite’. Toby has also previously conducted Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra, St Anne’s Camerata, OUWO, OUSinf, and the Summertown Choral Society; and played in the Opera Society’s production of ‘The Marriage of Figaro’.
Assistant Musical Director
VACANT
Coming soon
Assistant Producer (Practical)
David Lambert
Coming soon
Costume Designer
Cecilia Forsyth
Coming soon
Repetiteur
Mar Umbert Kimura
Coming soon
Repetiteur
Tsz To Lo
Toto Tsz To Lo is a Hong Kong composer, who is now a master student of music composition at Oxford. His pieces were performed in Hong Kong, Austria, and Scotland. His music has also been recorded by renowned musicians, including organist Ulla Krigul, Berliner Philharmoniker flautist Egor Egorkin, and harpist Olivia Jageurs during composition workshops. As a stage performer, he has participated in multiple productions with the HK Arts Festival, American Ballet Theatre for Whipped Cream, Teatro Regio Torino for Simon Boccanegra, Bayerisches Staatsballett for La Bayadère, Ballett Zürich for Anna Karenina, as well as Turandot, Carmen, Aida led by Opera Hong Kong. During 2017-2018, he played piano for choir performances at the United College, Chinese University of Hong Kong. He also provided piano accompaniment at Carol Bateman School of Dancing.