Magic of Opera & Abruzzo Italian Wine Tasting in Vauxhall 2026

Dive into a night of enchanting voice & unforgettable opera vibes, with tastings of quality Italian wines, that will leave you spellbound!
About this Event

GS Wines present The Magic of Opera - an extravaganza gala concert featuring our highly talented artistes, who will perform much loved operatic arias and classical songs, including many by great Italian composers such as Puccini and Verdi. PLUS - some classical piano & cello music. PLUS - in conjunction with Consorzio Abruzzo, we are hosting a tasting of excellent ABRUZZO Italian wines from ABRUZZO, central Italy!

Clink

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UPDATE

WED 28 OCT 2026 - NEW Addition: Mini Art Show by artist Sneh Mehra

We are delighted to welcome artist Sneh Mehra MFA who will be showing some of her recent artworks at the Concert Venue, which will include collages and traditional etchings, which are printed by hand from zinc and copper plates (see her Bio below)

WED 30 SEP 2026 Launch of tickets sales! We offer 3 ticket types:

STANDARD £29.50* - includes welcome glass of bubbly, seating facing the altar from Row 3 and above, a glass of quality Italian wine or soft drink plus snack / nibbles during the Intermission, and programme booklet

PREMIUM £34.50* - offer as Standard ticket, except, seating facing the altar on Row 2 (closer to performance area); Welcome bubbly and Premium Italian wines served during the Intermission

SUPER PREMIUM £36.50* - offer as Premium ticket, except, seating in the FRONT ROW (closest to performance area)

*including Eventbrite fee

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The Italian wines to be served at the concert for different ticket types will be revealed via an update here, nearer the time.

Currently we have:

• Francesca Matta, highly acclaimed Italian soprano, who hails from Sardinia, who has performed most of the major soprano operatic roles in Italian opera
• Valerija Iljin, Lithuanian soprano, an alumna of both Trinity Laban & The Royal Academy of Music, who performs internationally
• Tom Lidgley, British spinto tenor, who gained his Masters degree from the Royal Academy of Music
• Inna Huseiva, Ukranian soprano, who trained at the prestigious Pyotr Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine.
• Andrea Rodriguez-Gómez, Puerto Rican soprano with a first-class honours degree in Vocal Studies from the Royal Academy of Music
• Anna Loveday, British mezzo-soprano, who possesses a voice that spans beautiful low to powerful high registers, and has an extensive repertoire
• Caroline Jaya-Ratnam, collaborative pianist, who works regularly with BBC Proms
• Mark Sheridan, cellist who plays with the BBC Symphony Orhcestra and also a highly accomplished soloist

Our singers will draw you into a magical operatic world of passionate emotional highs with their glorious voices and superb technique - accompanied on the BROADWOOD Grand piano by the very best collaborative pianist we know, Caroline Jaya-Ratnam! We will also have the pleasure of some classical solo cello music to be played by highly-regarded cellist Mark Sheridan. Mark will also team up with Caroline to perform a cello / piano duo.

See the Artistes' Bios below.

Songs to be featured in the concert - to be determined (some details to be updated here when available):

(*NB. We are recruiting additional artistes. The exact line-up of singers, pianists and the music programme on the evening are subject to confirmation. Please check Updates Section nearer the time)

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Magic of Opera in Vauxhall 2026 - EVENT TIMETABLE (Approx. timetable)

17:30 Doors open for Welcome glass of sparkling wine (or soft drink)

18:20 Introduction

18:30 Concert Begins (approx. time) - first half of operatic arias

19:15 Intermission for refreshments, including glass of quality Italian wine (or fruit juice)

19:45 Second half of concert of operatic arias

20:30 (approx. time) End of concert

20:45 Close

NB Times are approximate, and we aim to finish by 20:30

From 20:30 - Optional Dinner [at local restaurant - to be decided]

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Our ITALIAN Wines at the concert : (Example below)

The wine-list for "Magic of Opera in Vauxhall 2026" will have a main accent on Abruzzo wines - to be updated: (the list of wines shown below are examples from our 2023 concert, to give an idea of what to expect)

WELCOME

• Torti Casaleggio Sparkling Charmat Rosè NV 12% sparkling, Lombardy Blend of Pinot Nero & Chardonnay grapes. Fully sparkling wine, it has a sweet floral and subtly spicy aroma.
• Rosé 4 you Spumante Brut NV 11% Rosato, Romagna With flavours of plum, red cherries and red berries, this sparkling wine is smooth and refreshing.

INTERMISSION

Selection for PREMIUM Ticketholders

• Vignetti Radica Terre d'Abruzzo Pecorino Bio 2024 IGT 12.5% White, Abruzzo Intensely fruity and well structured wine, with plenty of zesty citrus and white fruit notes.
• Fontana Reale 'Merlonero' Merlot IGT 15% Bio Red, Campania Big, opulent, intensely fruity organic red wine,.bursting with ripe loganberry, raspberry & blackberry fruit flavours, with a hint of liquorice.
• Torti Pinot Noir 2018 IGT 13% Red. Lombardy Delicate perfumes of black cherry, strawberry fl avors and raspberry that lightly dance upon the palate

Selection for Standard Ticketholders

• Scolari Bianco della Casa 12.5% White, Lombardy Soft and mellow, light to medium bodied wine. Some ripe stonefruit, melon and citrus notes, with a hint of pear with a hint of bitterness. Good acidity.
• Cantine Mami Cabernet 12% Red, Campania Medium bodied, soft and fruity wine with some black berry (blackcurrant) and green capsicum notes.

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Artistes' & Artist's Biographies

Italian soprano Francesca Matta graduated in opera singing at the Conservatorio di Musica G.P.L. da Palestrina and continued her vocal studies with renowned international artists such as Giusy Devinu and Bernadette Manca di Nissa. Over the years she performed, both in Italy and UK, roles such as Tosca; Cio Cio San, Madama Butterfly; Gilda, Rigoletto; Mimí, La Bohème; Elisabetta, Maria Stuarda; Contessa, Le Nozze di Figaro; Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni; Fiordiligi, Così fan Tutte. In Summer 2021, Francesca made her debut as Violetta in La Traviata with Regents Opera. She sang in Regents Opera's production of Carmen in 2022. She has also performed the role of Despina in .

is a Lithuanian spinto soprano who recently graduated with a Master of Arts with distinction from the Royal Academy of Music. Valerija holds a Bmus degree from Trinity Laban and a BA theatre degree from VIKO and LCM. Valerija is a member of Dolora Zajick’s Institute for Young Dramatic Voices and American Wagner Project, performed in Leeds Lieder festival as an emerging artist. In 2023, she made her Carnegie Hall and Wigmore Hall debut. Valerija was a semi-finalist of the Kathleen Ferrier Awards 2023 and a runner-up of the Clara Schumann lieder competition. Recent opera and theatre credits include Fiordiligi in Cosi fan Tutte (VOF), Larina in Onegin (HGO), Chrysothemis in Elektra (DVPB), Elsa in Lohengrin (RAM), Norma in Norma (RAM). She recently performed the role of Sieglinde in Wagner's Die Walküre with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.

Andrea Rodriguez-Gomez is an American soprano, who studied with a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music under Nuccia Focile, and gained a First Class Degree in Music. During and preceding her time at the Academy, Andrea has performed a wide variety of repertoire consisting of opera, art song and oratorio. At eighteen years old, she had the privilege of making her debut at Carnegie Hall. She perfromed as a soloist in Muzika! The Grand Strand Music Festival under the baton of Maestro Gregory Buchalter.

Inna Husieva is a London-based Ukrainian soprano and National Opera Studio alumna (2021–22) who served as a Scottish Opera Emerging Artist for the 2023–24 season. Originally from Donetsk, she completed her studies at the Pyotr Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine. She has performed in the Concert for Ukraine at Glyndebourne with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and appeared at Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, and LSO St Luke's. She has performed as Violetta Valéry in La Traviata with Scottish Opera.

is a dramatic mezzo soprano, with a Masters Degree in Performance and trained as an opera singer in London. Her voice has a beautiful low register, described as akin to chocolate, with which she is able to shine in operas such as Carmen. She is, however, unusual in that she also has a very powerful top register which enables her to successfully play parts such as Lady Macbeth (Verdi) and Eboli in Don Carlo (Verdi). She has worked with many opera companies in London and the South East as well as touring for several years with Opera Brava.

Tom Lidgley is a young British tenor who has recently graduated from his Master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music, studying under Adrian Thompson and Janet Haney. Tom also studied with Adrian at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Tom’s operatic experience includes singing Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Bohème (Aquarian Opera Company), Alfred in Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus, Mayor Upfold in Britten’s Albert Herring (GSMD), Chorus & Cover Shallow in Vaughan Williams’ Sir John in Love (BYO), Alfredo in Act 1 of Verdi’s La Traviata (in concert with Aylesbury Opera Company) and various opera scenes and productions at both the Academy and Guildhall. Tom is a former member of the Garsington Youth Opera Company, singing in three operas with them, including the premiere of Roxanna Panufnik’s Silver Birch. Tom has also performed as the Tenor soloist in both Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Handel’s Messiah.

Following her Masters degree in Music (Cambridge University), accomplished concert pianist, accompanist, violinist and singer Caroline Jaya-Ratnam was appointed Junior Fellow at the Royal College of Music. She has appeared on TV accompanying world renowned opera singers including tenor, Rolando Villazon, baritone Bryn Terfel and soprano Danielle de Niese. She has appeared at the Royal Albert Hall in numerous Proms as part of the London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Mark Sheridan studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School and attended the Royal Northern College of Music where he was awarded the Barbirolli prize, and gave several concerto performances with college orchestras. He was awarded the Sir Mark Turner Memorial Scholarship to attend masterclasses with Janos Starker at the School of Fine Arts in Banff, Canada, and later won a Royal Society of Arts Scholarship to study with Arto Noras at the Sibelius Akaktemia in Helsinki. He also participated in masterclasses with Pierre Fournier, Janos Starker, Jacqueline du Pre and Zara Nelsova. Mark is a member of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and has given many chamber music performances with BBCSO players, with whom he performed in Seoul Korea, and the group also recorded for BBC Radio Three.

Sneh Mehra completed her MA in Fine Art: Painting at UEL (University of East London) in 2024. She had also gained a Master's in 2015, at the Central University of Hyderabad, the centre of India. Her works have been exhibited and sold internationally. Her work reflects her surroundings, driven by the fragments of haphazard growth and deterioration, and highlights the objective reality of nature, often neglected due to the dominance of intersubjective realities. See this article which includes a mention of her art practice: “Contemporary Indian Artists defining changes in ecology through their practices”

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Special 'Magic of Opera' POST-CONCERT Dinner - Details to be decided and updated here when available.

Extra special offer for concert-goers - a 3 course sumptious - at a local highly rated restaurant, to be decided. NB This will be an optional extra and not included in the ticket price (separate payment to be made to GS Wines - to be advised).

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FAQs

Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event?

The concert is open to people of all ages. Alcoholic drinks will be served only to those 18 years of age or older - proof of age might be requested.

What are my transport/parking options for getting to and from the event?

The church is only a few minutes walk from Vauxhall train (mainline trains from Waterloo), tube (Victoria line) and bus station (served by a dozen buses).From the station, head south down Kennington lane. St Peter's is about 200 yards down, on the left.

How can I contact the organiser with any specific questions?

You can contact the organiser Gordon Stuteley by email [email protected]