Sophie Bevan graduated from the Benjamin Britten International Opera School where she studied as a Karaviotis Scholar with Lillian Watson. During her time there she performed the title role in Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea and Susanna in Mozart's Le Nozze Di Figaro. She was also awarded the Queen Mother Rose Bowl for excelling in music.
Her concert engagements have included the world premiere of Tavener's Sollemnitas in Conceptione Immaculata BMV at Zurich's Grossmünster Cathedral, Haydn's Nelson Mass with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Windsor Castle, James Macmillan's Parthenogenesis with Nicholas Cleobury at Canterbury Cathedral, Handel's Samson at St John's Smith Square and Birmingham City Hall, Mozart's Coronation Mass at Windsor Castle with the London Mozart Players, Carmina Burana, Messiah and Mozart's Requiem at London's Cadogan Hall, St John Passion at St Paul's Cathedral and Portsmouth Cathedral, Mozart's Exsultate Jubilate with the London Mozart Players and Martin André, and Mozart's C Minor Mass at the Royal College of Music with Sir Charles Mackerras. She has performed regularly with the English Chamber Orchestra, including sacred arias in France and Berlioz's L'Enfance du Christ at Dorchester Abbey. Sophie also performs regularly with Cafe Mozart, most recently singing excerpts from their new CD on BBC Radio 3's Early Music Programme.
Her operatic roles include Dido (Dido and Aeneas), Pamina (The Magic Flute), Mabel (The Pirates of Penzance), Cathleen (Riders to the Sea), Clorinda (La Cenerentola), Flora (The Turn of the Screw) and the title role in Rodelinda. She also gave the first London performance of Royer's Zaide, Reine De Grenade at St John's Smith Square. Her most recent operatic roles include Xenia in the new production of Boris Godunov, Despina (Cosi fan tutte) and soprano solos (Messiah) for ENO; Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro (Welsh National Opera); Alinda (Vivaldi's L'Incoronazione di Dario) and her first Susanna for Garsington Opera. Her future engagements include Polissena Radamisto for English National Opera and Pamina for Garsington Opera.
Sebastian Wybrew made his performing debut at the age of 9 in London's Purcell Room as a violinist. At thirteen he began piano lessons and in 2002 was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music in London with Andrew Ball, Nigel Clayton and John Blakely, winning an accompaniment award at the end of his first undergraduate year. An interest in languages led him to work with singers and he has since received tuition from Graham Johnson and Roger Vignoles.
In 2007 he was asked to attend the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme at Aldeburgh and was subsequently invited to perform as part of the Britten-Pears Orchestra and to give Lieder recitals at the 61st Aldeburgh Festival, Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, Académie Européenne de Musique and with Dame Felicity Lott in Alfriston. Most recently he has given recitals with ENO soloist Sarah-Jane Davies for the Festival d'Orpheus et Bacchus in Bordeaux, with Kathleen Ferrier winner Ben Johnson for the Hoddesdon Music Club, with Sophie Bevan for the Petworth Festival and the Sherbourne Festival and with Dame Felicity Lott for Stanley Hall, the Sandringham Estate, Vintners' Hall and the Garrick Club, London. His debut CD with trumpeter Simon Cheney was released in August 2010.
Sebastian is also a founding member of the award-winning group 'Painting Music' which combines London's artistic and musical talent to foster the artistic development of children, particularly those with special needs and autism. They have performed in Steinway Hall, The Victoria & Albert Museum, The National Gallery and La Viande as well as giving workshops in schools throughout England and Scotland. At the Edinburgh Festival in 2007 they were awarded one of 10 prizes, competing against 2000 ensembles, for "Innovation and Excellence". They were most recently employed by the Royal College of Music as part of the RCM Sparks initiative during the Proms season and have given lectures for the Edinburgh Interdisciplinary Discussion Group and The University of Nottingham.