Last Updated on March 24, 2026
Discover the Royal Opera Jette Parker Artists in a laid-back Jukebox Performance
Every year the Jette Parker artists do a “jukebox” which consists of a preliminary matinee show, followed by a main stage evening performance. In the matinee, the artists perform three snippets of songs and the audience votes on which of the three to hear in full in the evening performance. Its an extremely laid back, interactive and personal feeling show.
Each of the snippets is performed on a blank stage, out of costume and with only a piano accompanying. The stripped-back setting in the intimate Linbury theatre allows the astonishing talent of the singers to really shine, unstressed by fighting a full orchestra. While many of the songs are traditional operatic repertoire, each of the Jette Parker Artists (JPAs) performed one folk song from their country.
In between songs, the artists introduce themselves to the audience and give some information about themselves. This also allows the audience to see some of the artists who are less in the spotlight. This year that included stage director Sophie Gilpin, assistant director on the recent Berstein double bill, who spoke about the challenges of working in the Linbury. We also met conductor/ répétiteur Peggy Wu and repetiteur Richard Fu. Richard Fu recently accompanied Anja Mittermüller to win the Wigmore song contest.
This year’s matinee opened with baritone Grisha Maritosyan. Maritosyan is one of two Armenian singers currently in the JPA, both of whom were discovered by the Royal Ballet and Opera during active work in the country to scout out new talent. Maritrosyan gave a solid rendition of Largo Factotum but ultimately the audience opted for Massanet’s Vision Fugitive.
Next came Jamie Woollard, who recently performed in Eugene Onegin on the main stage. Woollard’s sonorous bass made short work of his pieces and eventually, Vaughan Williams’ ‘Whither Must I Wander’ was picked.
The first of the new tranche of JPAs to perform was Chinese mezzo soprano Jingwen Cai. Cai’s impressively full lower range combined with stunning projection and dynamics at times seemed to make her voice whip around the auditorium. The audience opted for the Chinese song ‘I love this land’ by Zaiyi Lu.
Second of the Armenians in order, but by no means in quality was Soprano Marianna Hovanisyan. Hovanisyan recently performed Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro after on only a few hours’ notice. Given the performance she gave in the Linbury, I have no doubt her Barbarina was flawless. Each of the snippets was remarkable and the audience pick was the Armenian folksong ‘Crane’ by Komitas.
All of the artists’ introductions were interesting but Ossian Huskinson was noteworthy even for the richness of his speaking voice. It was hard to hear him talk without thinking “Ah yeah this is a singer.” Massively orotund and powerful, those same strengths flowed into his pieces.
Polyglot South African Baritone Siphe Kwani was frankly staggering. In his Andrea Chenier ‘Nemico della patria?’ there were irresistible surges of power and passion which just as easily dropped away to delicacy. Kwani also chose to sing the Xhosa song ‘How Beautiful You Are Africa’ which oozed firey richness.
The only tenor in the group is the Welshman Ryan Vaughan Davies. Davies sang beautifully despite being the only singer unlucky enough to be lumped with a mainstream repertory piece, ‘Lunge da lei… De Miei bollentie spiriti’ from La Traviata.
Transylvanian soprano Valentina Puskás spoke poetically of the pleasure of performing a less-known piece, thanks to not having the “breath of 1000 sopranos down your neck.” The audience choice was Ravel’s ‘Deux Melodies Hebraiques, Kaddish.’
Finally came Cameroonian/Ugandan-American mezzo soprano Veena Akama-Makia. The star of last year’s Larmes de Couteau/Full Moon in March. Makia gave a stunning rendition of each of her snippets and ultimately performed Verdi’s ‘O Don Fatale.’
Jukebox Matinee was a free performance at the Royal Ballet and Opera, performed yearly and a fascinating insight into international stars of the future who will be working with the Royal Opera for 2024/5. The Jette Parker Artists will perform together in a production of Telemann’s Pimpinone next year in addition to appearing in performances on the main stage throughout the year
For more events like this do check what’s on via the Royal Ballet and Opera Website
Royal Opera House,
Covent Garden,
London WC2E 9DD
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