ESO Committee 2022-2023:
President: Sebastian Schneeberger
Seb is a 4th year Music student and this is his third year in ESO. This year he is the President of the society. He began his opera career singing as a treble in the children’s choruses of four of Scottish Opera’s productions. As a boy soprano he learned musicianship from his many years in the RSNO children’s choruses. He took a few years out from Opera while his voice changed under the tutelage of Wilma MacDougall. At sixteen he joined the Scottish Opera Young Company and at the same age he joined NYCOS, singing with each of them for two years. Soon after he began lessons with Paul Keohone. In his first two years at Edinburgh University he studied with Peter Thompson. Seb spent his time at university heavily engaged with student theatre, serving as EUSOG’s Treasurer for a year and portraying many roles including: Frederic in EUSOG’s ‘Pirates of Penzance’; David in the 2022 Footlights Fringe production of ‘Company’; chorus/Eisenstein (understudy) for ESO’s ‘Die Fledermaus’ and most recently as Jules in Footlight’s 2023 Fringe show, ‘Sunday in the Park With George’. Seb is continuing his studies with Jamie MacDougall. This year he is so excited to put Handel’s Semele on the stage.
Vice-President: Fiona Macrae
Fiona is a fourth-year Classics student who has been a member of ESO since her first year. She came to opera through the Garsington Opera Youth Company, which she participated in from 2014-2020. Her first role was a Novice in Opera Anywhere's touring production of 'Suor Angelica' by Puccini (2016-19) and a Shepherd in Amahl and the Night Visitors (2019). She was active in many school choirs, and sang the role of the Sorceress in a school production of Purcell's 'Dido and Aeneas' (2020) opposite her sister Ellen, ESO's Publicity Manager. Fiona has also been involved with the chorus for Bizet's 'Carmen' (2019) and Pucini's 'La Bôhéme' (2020) for Oxford Opera, and for Oxfordshire Contemporary Opera's '@emele', a modern feminist reimagining of Handel's Semele arranged and composed by Roger Simmonds and David Willcock. As part of ESO, she sang the role of Dew Fairy in Humperdink's 'Hansel and Gretel' (2022), and chorus in 'Die Fledermaus' (2023) and 'The Remarkable Rocket' (2021). Fiona had her first formal vocal training on the Rodolfus Choral Course in 2019, and private sessions with Julie Cooper until 2020. When she is not singing arias out the window of her flat, Fiona can be found writing articles for Retrospect and procrastinating on her dissertation.
Secretary: Hannah-Rose Laverick
Hannah is in second year studying English literature , and this is also her second year in ESO. Having loved playing as a chorus soprano last year as part of Die Fldermaus , she wanted to become more involved within the committee . Asides from solo and concert opportunities and being part of chamber choir at school , Hannah competed in Perth arts festival” Perform in Perth “and achieved second place in the opera class, this summer she also took part as a chorus soprano in the recent Scot’s opera project production “the seal woman” . Additionally she spent a semester as soprano in a barbershop quartet which introduced her to a new style of singing and some fun performance opportunities. Hannah is currently working towards her ABRSM diploma and is being tutored by Jessica Leary.
Treasurer: Claire Gilchrist
Claire is a fifth year medical student and in her fifth year with ESO. This year she is acting as treasurer on the committee. Claire has had much experience singing in choirs. Most recently she was part of NYCOS and is still involved in the associated chamber choir, as well as previously holding a choral scholarship with Marchmont St Giles. She has a more limited experience in terms of opera but has been involved in the last five ESO productions, taking on roles such as cover for Rosalinde in last years Die Fledermaus and Gretel in the ‘22 production of Hansel and Gretel.
Publicity Manager: Ellen Macrae
Ellen is a 3rd year Religious Studies student, and is ESOs Publicity Manager for a second year. This is Ellen's third year with ESO ('Sandman' in Hansel and Gretel)(chorus in Die Fledermaus), she also sings with Opera Anywhere (The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, Suor Angelica, Amahl and the Night Visitors) putting her creative interests to use designing costumes for their recent productions of the Mikado and Iolanthe. Ellen's first introduction to opera was through the Garsington Youth Company who she sang with for seven years, in which time she also sang with Oxford Opera, Oxfordshire Contemporary Opera, and a number of school productions, including 'Dido' in Dido and Aenaes. She also sings with her a capella group the Edinbellas as part of the Edinburgh University A Cappella Society, where she is on committee as Marketing Manager.
Sponsorship Manager: Lina Turner
Lina is a second-year German and history student at the University of Edinburgh from North Yorkshire. Before coming to university Lina was a member of the St Aidan’s Chamber choir, where she took part in many concerts in locations such as Ripon Cathedral. She was in last year's production of Die Fledermaus as a member of the chorus and busks regularly on the Royal Mile with other ESO members. She has also taken part in other student productions including the play 'Andorra' by Max Frisch in her first year.
Events Organiser: Harry Lempriere-Johnston
This is Harry's second year with ESO. He was Alfred in ESO's production of Die Fledermaus by Strauss last year and had to come back for more this year as Events Organiser! Harry is in his third year studying English Literature. He has always enjoyed singing and ESO allowed him to really pursue this last year. It’s a great opportunity and is a unique experience that allowed him to engage with the Edinburgh theatre scene and broaden his relationships with other music and theatre lovers. This has completely changed his time in Edinburgh for better and has led to many more great opportunities such as singing with Edinburgh University Savoy Opera. He looks forward to tackling Handel’s Semele this year!
Ordinary Member: Madison Cozens
Maddy is a 4th History and Classics student and this will be her second year in ESO. It is also Maddy’s second year as social secretary and first year as EUCO representative. Last year she was the cover for Prince Orlofksy in ESO’s production of Die Fledermaus and absolutely loved it! In 2018, Maddy joined the Scottish Opera Young Company and took part in multiple operas such as Puccini’s Edgar and Gluck’s Orfeo ed Eurydice. She recently took part in a masterclass led by Joan Rodgers and has had lessons with acclaimed professionals such as Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Sarah Fox and Linda Ormiston. In May of this year, Maddy sang the alto solo in Haydn’s the Creation conducted by ESO’s very own Kristine Donnan at Glasgow Cathedral. Last year she started by choral scholarship with Mayfield Salisbury Church as an alto and continue to do so. Maddy has been taught by Margaret Aronson since 2020 and hopes to carry her training onto postgrad vocal performance.
Social Secretary and Cast Representative: Hannah McGuiness
Ordinary Member: Isadora Szymanski
Cast Representative: Aarya Ghambir
ESO Committee 2022-2023
President: Holly Gowen
Secretary: Elizabeth Gibb
Treasurer: Claire Gilchrist
Publicity Manager: Ellen Macrae
Sponsorship Manager: Fiona Macrae
Social Secretary: Madison Cozens
Events Manager: Hester Zijlstra
Ordinary Members: Katarina Keck, Zoe Hutcheon
Cast Representative: Audrey Hogg
ESO Committee 2021-2022
President: Lucy Bridgeman
Secretary: Grace Moran
Treasurer: Claire Gilchrist
Publicity Manager: Giselle Nascimento Dias
Sponsorship Manager: Holly Gowen
Community Outreach Manager: Eleanor Glynn
Social Secretary: Elizabeth Gibb
Events Manager: Fiona Macrae
ESO Committee 2020-2021
President: Holly Gowen
Secretary: Claire Gilchrist
Treasurer: Elizabeth Gibb
Publicity Manager: Eleanor Glynn
Community Outreach Manager: Georgina McNamara
ESO Committee 2019-2020
President: Àine Cassidy
Secretary: Olivia Stevens
Treasurer: Grace Moran
Publicity Manager: Lucy Bridgeman
Sponsorship Manager: Grace Moran
Community Outreach & Alumni Manager: Eleanor Glynn
Social Secretary: Hannah Leggatt
Events Manager: Eleanor Craig-Fisher
Ordinary Members: Holly Gowen (cast representative), Marysia Fijol, Elizabeth Gibb.
ESO Committee 2018-2019
President: Hannah Leggatt
Secretary: Izi Thomas
Treasurer: Patrick Dodd
Publicity Manager: Serena Linley-Adams
Sponsorship Manager: Olivia Stevens
Community Outreach & Alumni Manager: Rhys Inward
Social Secretary: Eleanor Roy
Ordinary Members: Mhairi Brannigan (cast representative), Belle Rockett, Grace Moran.
ESO Committee 2017-2018
President: Flynn Le Brocq
Secretary: Serena Linley-Adams
Treasurer: James Field
Publicity Manager: Moorea Corrigan
Sponsorship Manager: Frederick Hervey-Bathurst
Community Outreach & Alumni Manager: Samantha Redfern
Social Secretary: Alexandra Maliphant
Ordinary Members: Sally Pitts (cast representative), Lewis Gilchrist, Patrick Dodd.
ESO Committee 2016-2017
President: Flynn Le Brocq
Secretary: Samantha Redfern
Treasurer: James Field
Publicity Manager: Lorna Stubbs Davies
Sponsorship Manager: Sasha Holland
Community Outreach Manager: Vasia Passaris
Social Secretary: Alexandra Maliphant
Ordinary Members: Carey Andrews (cast representative), Patrick Dodd, Serena Linley-Adams.