Scottish soprano Lisa Milne studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. She made her professional début with Scottish Opera where her roles with the company have included Semele, Adèle (Die Fledermaus), Adina (L’Elisir d’Amore), and four great Mozart roles, Zerlina, Susanna, Ilia and Despina. In the 2007/08 season she will create the role of Sian in James MacMillan’s new opera ‘The Sacrifice’ for Welsh National Opera.

Roberto Minczuk is in his second season as Music Director of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra succeeding Hans Graf in that position. He is also the Artistic Director of the Orquestra Sinfonica Brasileira in Rio de Janeiro. Until 2005, he served as Principal Guest Conductor of the Sao Paulo State Symphony Orchestra in Brazil – having completed a nine year tenure as Co-Artistic Director of that same orchestra and a two year period as Associate Conductor of the New York Philharmonic.