Dame Emma Kirkby is one of the world’s foremost interpreters of Renaissance and Baroque music. Celebrated for the purity of her soprano voice, expressive clarity and sensitive musicianship, she helped shape the modern early music revival through an exceptional international career in concerts and recordings. Her collaborations with leading period ensembles and distinguished instrumentalists have introduced generations of listeners to this rich repertoire. Appointed a Dame in 2007, she also received the Queen’s Medal for Music. A committed teacher and champion of emerging musicians, Emma is Co-President of Hampstead Garden Opera, supporting its work in nurturing the next generation of singers.
Howard Williams is a distinguished British conductor whose international career encompasses opera, ballet, orchestral and choral music. He has conducted more than one hundred opera and ballet productions, working with English National Opera, the Royal Ballet and companies across Europe. His concert appearances include the BBC Proms and performances with many of Britain’s leading orchestras. Former Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Hungary’s Pécs Symphony Orchestra, he received honours for his contribution to Hungarian music. A respected teacher of conducting at the Royal College of Music, Howard is Co-President of Hampstead Garden Opera and a committed supporter of young performers.
Philip Sheffield is General Director of Hampstead Garden Opera and Artistic Director of Opera Prelude, a charity supporting young singers. Before moving into arts leadership, he enjoyed a 30-year international career as an opera singer.
He performed with La Monnaie in Brussels, Netherlands Opera, ROB, English National Opera, Opera North, Welsh National Opera, Vlaamse Opera and Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, among many other companies. Career highlights include singing Pelléas in Paris under the baton of Georges Prêtre and Tom Rakewell in The Rake’s Progress at La Monnaie. He now draws on that experience to create opportunities for emerging artists and bring opera to new audiences
Stuart Barker is an opera director with a particular interest in emerging singers and opera creatives. He was Director of Training and Productions for British Youth Opera from 2014 to 2023 and has worked at all the major UK conservatoires. He is currently on the staff of the Royal College of Music, Royal Northern College of Music and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
One of his earliest directing experiences was HGO’s second production, The Magic Flute, in 1991. His later work includes Judith Weir’s A Night at the Chinese Opera and The Vanishing Bridegroom, Jonathan Dove’s The Little Green Swallow, Malcolm Williamson’s English Eccentrics and the UK premiere of Jeremy Sams’s baroque pasticcio The Enchanted Island. He often incorporates puppetry and immersive theatre into his productions. At HGO he helps shape repertoire, select creative teams, cast productions and oversee aspects of the production process.
Patricia Cabredo Hofherr is a linguist and Director of Research at France’s Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), based at the Structures Formelles du Langage laboratory, affiliated with Université Paris 8. Her research examines grammar and meaning across languages, including pronouns, grammatical number, Creole languages and sign languages. Originally trained in mathematics at Münster and Cambridge, she subsequently studied linguistics at University College London and completed her doctorate at Université Paris 7. She co-edited The Oxford Handbook of Grammatical Number, published in 2021, and coordinates academic cooperation with Haiti’s Faculty of Applied Linguistics in Port-au-Prince, supporting international research collaboration.
Kathy trained as a painter and has a longstanding interest in music. She plays the oboe, recorder and viol, and sings with the chamber choir Londinium, whose recordings have received praise. She has worked in arts administration and holds a master’s degree in Arts Policy and Management.
Since moving to Highgate, Kathy has been active in the local community. She established a Twins Club, has exhibited her paintings at the Highgate Gallery and has contributed extensive voluntary work to the Highgate Literary and Scientific Institution. She served as its president during the challenging Covid years and remains an active trustee.
William (Bill) English is a trustee and Treasurer of Hampstead Garden Opera, bringing decades of international business experience to the company’s financial oversight. He grew up in the United States and the Middle East before studying at university in France.
His career took him into electronics and electrical engineering, working with a range of multinational organisations until his retirement in 2016. Since then, he has devoted much of his time to charitable activities. At HGO, Bill helps the company manage its finances and plan for the future, supporting the work that makes each production possible.
Richard Hall is an HGO trustee and member of its Executive Committee. After studying at Oxford, he trained as a chartered accountant and became a partner at a City firm. Based mainly in London, with a two-year secondment to Milan, he worked with clients ranging from major companies to charities. He later served as Finance Director during the redevelopment of the Royal Opera House in 1997–98 and then as Finance Director of Scope.
Since retiring, Richard has written and self-published two novels; Theatres of War won the People’s Book Prize for Fiction in 2013–14. As HGO’s Friends Secretary, he welcomes new Friends, maintains subscription and Gift Aid records, keeps supporters informed and works with fellow Executive Committee members on fundraising.
Elaine Padmore OBE is a distinguished opera administrator, broadcaster and advocate for young artists. Director of Opera at the Royal Opera House from 2000 to 2011, she helped shape its artistic programme and established its Young Artists Programme. Previously, she served as Artistic Director of Wexford Festival Opera and the Royal Danish Opera, following a BBC career that included the role of Chief Producer of Opera. Her experience combines musical scholarship, artistic leadership and a commitment to developing talent. As a trustee of Hampstead Garden Opera, Elaine brings invaluable expertise to its mission of giving emerging singers exceptional performance opportunities.
Caroline McLaren worked for many years at BBC Radio 3 and is a former Chair of the Holst Singers. A trustee of Hampstead Garden Opera since 2023, she brings experience in music broadcasting and charitable governance. She also has longstanding connections with Bodnant in North Wales, serving as a director of Bodnant Garden Nursery since 1997.
Philip Sheffield is General Director of Hampstead Garden Opera and Artistic Director of Opera Prelude, a charity supporting young singers. Before moving into arts leadership, he enjoyed a 30-year international career as an opera singer.
He performed with La Monnaie in Brussels, Netherlands Opera, ROB, English National Opera, Opera North, Welsh National Opera, Vlaamse Opera and Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, among many other companies. Career highlights include singing Pelléas in Paris under the baton of Georges Prêtre and Tom Rakewell in The Rake’s Progress at La Monnaie. He now draws on that experience to create opportunities for emerging artists and bring opera to new audiences.
Stuart Barker is an opera director with a particular interest in emerging singers and opera creatives. He was Director of Training and Productions for British Youth Opera from 2014 to 2023 and has worked at all the major UK conservatoires. He is currently on the staff of the Royal College of Music, Royal Northern College of Music and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
One of his earliest directing experiences was HGO’s second production, The Magic Flute, in 1991. His later work includes Judith Weir’s A Night at the Chinese Opera and The Vanishing Bridegroom, Jonathan Dove’s The Little Green Swallow, Malcolm Williamson’s English Eccentrics and the UK premiere of Jeremy Sams’s baroque pasticcio The Enchanted Island. He often incorporates puppetry and immersive theatre into his productions. At HGO he helps shape repertoire, select creative teams, cast productions and oversee aspects of the production process.
William (Bill) English is a trustee and Treasurer of Hampstead Garden Opera, bringing decades of international business experience to the company’s financial oversight. He grew up in the United States and the Middle East before studying at university in France.
His career took him into electronics and electrical engineering, working with a range of multinational organisations until his retirement in 2016. Since then, he has devoted much of his time to charitable activities. At HGO, Bill helps the company manage its finances and plan for the future, supporting the work that makes each production possible.
Richard Hall is an HGO trustee and member of its Executive Committee. After studying at Oxford, he trained as a chartered accountant and became a partner at a City firm. Based mainly in London, with a two-year secondment to Milan, he worked with clients ranging from major companies to charities. He later served as Finance Director during the redevelopment of the Royal Opera House in 1997–98 and then as Finance Director of Scope.
Since retiring, Richard has written and self-published two novels; Theatres of War won the People’s Book Prize for Fiction in 2013–14. As HGO’s Friends Secretary, he welcomes new Friends, maintains subscription and Gift Aid records, keeps supporters informed and works with fellow Executive Committee members on fundraising.
Shelley brings a valuable combination of project management experience, charity administration and long-standing enthusiasm for Hampstead Garden Opera to her role as Company Secretary. After graduating from the University of Edinburgh, she worked in IT consultancy and as a project manager for Safeway Stores. Following a career break to raise her family, she joined a local charity, where her responsibilities included finance, communications, Charity Commission registration, website management, recruitment and regulatory compliance.
A regular HGO audience member for many years, Shelley is delighted to support the company as a member of its Executive Committee. Her developing role includes organising and reporting on meetings, researching and submitting funding applications, supporting the website and helping with the administrative work that keeps HGO running.
Kathy trained as a painter and has a longstanding interest in music. She plays the oboe, recorder and viol, and sings with the chamber choir Londinium, whose recordings have received praise. She has worked in arts administration and holds a master’s degree in Arts Policy and Management.
Since moving to Highgate, Kathy has been active in the local community. She established a Twins Club, has exhibited her paintings at the Highgate Gallery and has contributed extensive voluntary work to the Highgate Literary and Scientific Institution. She served as its president during the challenging Covid years and remains an active trustee.
