Enter a rich, dark 19th century world of knights in shining armour, simple minstrels, spirits, and revenge in these lesser-known (but no less fine) Schubert, Schumann and Loewe ballads.

Carl Loewe (1796-1869) was a contemporary of Schubert who outlived him by some 40 years. Enormously popular in his lifetime, he published over 400 balladen and lieder on every possible theme. Bass-baritone Stuart O’Hara presents a selection of them alongside a little Schubert and Schumann, with pianist Ioanna Koullepou.

Part of the Lunchtime Concert Series.

About Stuart O’Hara

Stuart is a graduate of Durham University and the University of York. He studied with Alexander Ashworth (RAM) with additional coaching from Hein Boterberg, Matthew Brook, Arwel Morgan, Nicholas Mulroy, and Susan Young.

He has worked with directors and conductors including Justin Doyle (RIAS Kammerchor), JanJoost van Elburg (Westerkerkkoor, Amsterdam), Mark Elder (Hallé Orchestra), David Hill (with Ikon) Robert Hollingworth (I Fagiolini), Peter Holman (The Parley of Instruments), James MacMillan (with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra), Rory McCleery (Marian Consort), Paul McCreesh (with the Royal Northern Sinfonia), Peter Seymour (Yorkshire Baroque Soloists), Greg Skidmore (Lacock Scholars), and Andrew Parrott (Taverner Consort).

Recent highlights include Awaken! with I Fagiolini at the National Centre for Early Music, and St Martin-in-the-Fields, a tour of French baroque solo cantatas with Canzona, solo roles including Jesus in JS Bach’s St John Passion for the Choir of Westminster Abbey and St James’ Baroque, and appearing as Hobson in Britten’s Peter Grimes at St Endellion Festival, directed by Rory Kinnear. Other projects in collaboration with Ioanna Koullepou include the premiere of a sequence of songs by Yorkshire composers and poets at York Late Music Festival 2022.

Stuart was a lay clerk at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King (RC) for many years and spent two as a songman in the Choir of York Minster before taking up his current position as a lay vicar in the Choir of Westminster Abbey under James O’Donnell. He is a founding member of the Liverpool Bach Collective, directed by Philip Duffy, and regularly returns to his home city to perform the cantatas of JS Bach with them.

About Ioanna Koullepou

Ioanna Koullepou started her music studies at the age of eight in Lyceum Ellinidon Ammoxostou Music School in Cyprus. She is a graduate of Musicology/Music Education from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki while also she got her Piano Degree and Diploma from Philippos Nakas Conservatory. In 2019 she completed her Postgraduate degree in Music Performance Practice under Peter Seymour and Hilary Suckling at the University of York, which was followed by her PhD on Carl Loewe’s songs. She has worked on chamber music with various instrumentalists and singers and participated in piano seminars and competitions. Ioanna has also worked as a piano accompanist for a dancing group, choirs and undergraduate and postgraduate recitals.

Ioanna's various performances as a soloist and as an accompanist in Greece, Cyprus and her professional concerts with Yorkshire promoters left her with exceptional work integrating with new musicians and professionals. A particularly rewarding project is her collaboration with Peter Seymour in the British Song Project as well as Britten Saint Nicolas and Philip Wilby Merry Chris Mouse.