2024 Festival | Allstarsfestival

The Allstars Festival comprises of different events, offering music, cabaret and comedy from a variety of talented artists. The inaugural festival in 2024's opening opera gala featured music by Puccini, Verdi, Lerner & Lowe, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Leonard Bernstein.

The opening opera gala perfomers included -

Michael Volpe O.B.E.

In 1996 Michael formed Opera Holland Park in London, recently retiring from his role after 31 years as General Director. He has published an acclaimed memoir called Noisy at the wrong times covering his early life in his Italian family and his time at Woolverstone School. The book was included on the Sunday Times ‘100 biographies to Love’ list. He has appeared in movies directed by Woody Allen and has made films for Opera Holland Park including "From Footy to Verdi" and Hip Hop to Opera' - both winning international awards. Michael was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Music by Oxford Brookes University in June 2016 and is currently the Executive Director of If Opera.

Tod Wilander

Todd Wilander is one of America’s most sought-after leading tenors. Since winning The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, he has appeared with the company singing Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor , Harry in La Fanciulla del West and Ensemble 15 in The Nose and has covered many roles. Originally from Arcadia, California, he completed a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Business at California State University, Los Angeles; received a Master of Music degree in opera performance and literature from Northwestern University and an Artist Diploma at the University of Missouri, Kansas City Conservatory of Music.

Melinda Hughes

Melinda Hughes graduated with honours from the Maastricht Conservatory of Music, The Netherlands . She completed her studies at the Royal College of Music London, then spent a season at The Brussels Opera Studio. She then toured Europe for four years as the soloist with the André Rieu Strauss Orchestra, frequently appearing on radio and television. She has performed more than twenty operatic roles including Aida, Tosca, Mimi, Madame Butterfly, Fiordiligi, Violetta, Gilda, Frasquita, Nedda & Donna Anna. Melinda is also a Weimar Cabaret specialist and comedian, frequently performing in festivals around the world.

Shantal Martin

Shantal Martin is a Barbadian Born Soprano. She has trained at the Manhattan School of Music where she received her Bachelors (2017) and Masters (2019) in Opera Performance. She has also graced the stage in many leading roles at this institution ranging from Musical Theatre, Opera Scenes and full Operatic productions. Shantal has worked under the baton of many well known and
revered conductors and directors such as Alan Gilbert, Roderick Cox, Tomas Muraco, Dona D Vaughn and Catherine Malfitano to name a few.

Nathan Richards

Nathan Richards is a lover of music, performance, and entertainment. He has under Evelyn McClean - achieved success in practical exams from the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music as well as graduating with an associate degree in Music from the Barbados Community College. Nathan loves to put on a good show and is eager to contribute to this wonderful evening filled with such talented entertainers.

Andre Hoyte

André Hoyte- The Lyrical Tenor has been performing semi-professionally, since 2009. He has taken Master classes with Benjamin Zander acclaimed Conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Acclaimed Soprano Jeanine DeBique and British Soprano Nan Christie. Andre has also worked under the tutelage of Ms. Christie in the OperaGold production of A Midsummers Nights as part of Britten’s centenary celebrations in the role of Lysander. He has also performed in several recitals while at Goldsmiths University of London . He was also student of celebrated Barbadian Soprano the late Ms. Norma Bowen.

Enrique Ali

Pianist Enrique Ali is a graduate of New York University and the Académie d'Étéde Nice, France. Highly regarded and much sought-after as a collaborative pianist, Enrique regularly performs with Trinidad and Tobago's leading classical singers, choirs and instrumentalists. Together with soprano Fritz Nothnagel-Gurley he co-founded Classics at Twilight, the series of open-air classical concerts held for a number of years in Blue Range, Diego Martin. More recently he has presented a series of Musical Soirées at private residences, performing solo repertoire as well as ensemble works with other classical instrumentalists and singers, as well as with the all-male Diamond Chorale which he directs. Enrique has adjudicated the National Panorama Finals on three occasions. He has also adjudicated regionally at the National Music Festival of the National Cultural Foundation of Barbados. He is an official accompanist of the Trinidad and Tobago Music Festival.

The globally acclaimed comedian RICH HALL performed for over 300 people on Saturday 16th March. This was followed up with a workshop for local comedians. Here's a little interview with Melinda Hughes, the festival Director

The award-winning Montana native is renowned for his expertly crafted tirades, quick-fire banter with audiences and delightful musical sequences. Rich fronted hugely successful BBC documentaries, such as Rich Hall's Badly Funded Think Tank, Rich Hall's Fishing Show in 2003, Rich Hall's Cattle Drive in 2006 and Rich Hall’s US Election Breakdown . He also appeared on BBC One’s QI, Live at the Apollo and Have I Got News for You. As close as it gets to a guaranteed good show’Scotland on Sunday‘Blissfully Funny’ The Guardian

The next night brought 'Stars of the Future', a showcase of musical talent performed by graduates from Barbados Community College

Performers

Jessica Rose

The twenty-five year old singer-songwriter Jessica Rose is a ‘power-house’ of talent, endowed with a rich, soulful, jazzy voice. She is presently a lead vocalist in the contemporary vocal ensemble the Marlon Legall Voice Project where she continues to grace each stage with her repertoire of Indie Soul, Alternative and Caribbean Jazz compositions.

Abianna Fenty

Abianna Fenty is a gospel vocalist and musician in the BCC music programme. She uses her gift of singing to minister in church events across Barbados. In addition to being a Grade 8 classical violinist, Miss Fenty specialises in jazz music and has been featured by The Barbados Jazz Society. She received the “Norma Holder Prize for Music” for the highest GPA in her year group and she currently has an all A profile. This is just the beginning for Abianna and as stated by the Associate Times, “eyes will be on her in 2024”.

Marylin Smith

Marilyn is a pianist, organist and accompanist. She studied music at Combermere School, furthering her studies at the BCC, achieving an Associate Degree in Music. She is also an Associate of the Trinity College of London. Marilyn won the first Barbados National Youth Piano Competition, hosted by the National Cultural Foundation and the Brazilian Embassy in 2006, where she was also awarded the Heitor Villa Lobos Prize in the Advanced Category and the Janice Millington award for performing the Best Caribbean Composition. Marilyn sings with the Myriad Singers of Barbados and is Musical Director of the Church of Christ the King. She has accompanied choirs on tour to the USA, Canada and the Caribbean.

Andreen McLean

Andreen is a 28-year-old Barbadian jazz vocalist. She appreciates the genre's intricate melodies and its unique styles. Jazz holds historical importance and thus carries an important message she hopes to convey as she performs.
She's performed in the Grenadines, Thailand and Hong Kong.

Jazria Chandler

The 17-year-old steel pannist had a passion for playing from a young age. She attended The Alleyne School and has graced many stages such as The Humanitarian Awards, The Declaration of Independence Republic Ceremony, The Black Feminist Forum and Pandemonium, just to name a few. She is a lead pannist in the Barbados National Steel Orchestra; the all-female band, Déjà Vu Barbados; and Phoenix Stee.

Darren Watson

Darren is a saxophonist of 9 years who begun his musical journey at the alleyne school where he played the alto saxophone and later picked up the tenor saxophone. He is currently attending the Barbados Community College(BCC) where he is expanding his musical knowledge and talent so that he can become a great and well respected musician in Barbados and hopefully in other islands and countries.

We are very grateful to Digicel for their support of our Stars of the Future Event.

Saturday the 23rd of March brought a comedy night at Cherry Beach, featuring comedians Simon Alleyne, Cindy Williams, Khalil B, Lucia Long, Jason Carmichael and MC Melinda Hughes.

Following an intensive one day workshop with the comedian Rich Hall,Top local comedians took to the stage to present an hour of standup comedy.

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