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20th July 2025, 3-4pm Catstrand Castle Douglas:From Operetta to Musical: Claudia Wood and Ailsa Aitkenhead
Opera, operetta or musical theatre?
Join Soprano Claudia Wood and Pianist Ailsa Aitkenhead for a little bit of everything, including music by Lehár, Gershwin, Puccini, and more! This hour-long concert will include a variety of arias from show-stopping operettas, operas and musicals, such as The Merry Widow, La bohème, and Phantom of the Opera.
Claudia Wood, Soprano – www.claudiawood.co.uk
Claudia Wood studied at Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Wales International Academy of Voice, and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. She is currently studying with Professor Susan McCulloch, having previously worked with Dennis O’Neill CBE and Gail Pearson.
Claudia is the founding Artistic Director of Blackbird Opera, a small opera company based in the South-West of Scotland, with the core aim of ensuring that high quality music is accessible to everyone.
Claudia is Chair & Trustee of Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival
Ailsa Aitkenhead, Pianist – www.ailsaaitkenhead.com
Renowned pianist Ailsa Aitkenhead studied music at Edinburgh University and at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where she graduated with Distinction and won the Alex Menzies award for excellence in piano accompaniment. She is in high demand as a pianist for solo performances as well as for accompanying a wide variety of musicians, many of whom are also prize-winning and have international careers. She is also increasingly known for her compositional works.