The Opera Pod
By The Feast Collective
A backstage pass to the world of opera. Stage director and industry insider Nina Brazier interviews guests from all corners of the industry, exploring the influences and obstacles that shaped their journeys, and discovering how they each found a unique operatic voice.
Latest episode
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Ed Gardner OBE – Conductor, Principal Conductor - London Philharmonic Orchestra & the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
From jumping in as a rehearsal pianist at the Salzburg Festival, through taking on ENO at the age of thirty-one, and onto the legacy of the LPO , Ed Gardner gives a refreshingly honest insight into his journey from a young chorister to the multi... -
Lou Platt – Psychotherapist & Artist Wellbeing Practitioner
How can we find balance when our schedules can be so punishing? How can we find meaning in our work in a world that celebrates immediate success? And how can we tackle that unrelenting desire for perfectionism? Returning guest Lou Platt explores... -
Nadine Benjamin MBE – Lyric Soprano, Mentor, Mind Coach, Certified High Performance & Founder of Everybody Can!
What happens when the career you have is not the one that you really want? Do you stay and climb the ladder, or do you take a risk and step into your story? Nadine Benjamin found herself thriving in the world of Finance, but always remembered her... -
Kathleen Alder, Founding Director - WildKat PR
Hailing from the German equivalent of the Von Trapp family with plans to be a solo violinist, Kathleen’s career took an unexpected pivot when she was unceremoniously sacked from her first job and bumped into Richard Branson in the veg aisle in Marks.… -
Tracy Cox – Singer, Artist, Activist
Have you ever been judged on your appearance? Or been on the receiving end of well-intentioned advice that - in fact - turned out to be not that helpful? Nina chats to the Soprano and Fat Politics Activist Tracy Cox on judgement,... -
Kate Valentine – Soprano, Voice Care Specialist & Founder of Valentine Voice Care
For over a decade, Kate was a busy lead Soprano singing across UK opera houses and around the world. However, some worrying panic attacks and serious vocal health issues came to the surface and required swift surgery. During her own long... -
Allyson Devenish – Artistic Director, Music Director, Coach, Recitalist & Teacher
Allyson was surrounded by music in Ottawa as she grew up - from jazz to classical and calypso - and playing the piano was an intrinsic part of her childhood, where she gathered happily with friends at festivals and competitions. She initially planned… -
Anna-Marie Sullivan – Actor
Leaving home at just sixteen to get a place at a London drama school, Anna-Marie needed to support herself, so walking around the Royal Opera House she found her way to a stage door, and was brave enough to ask for a job. Beginning as an usher,... -
Mark S Doss – Bass Baritone
One of Mark’s earliest performing experiences was actually on stage for the Metropolitan Opera in Aida as a supernumerary, or as others might say, an actor, little knowing that he would go on to become a Metropolitan Opera Finalist Winner just a few.… -
Kate Freston-Davy - Head of Stage Management, Opera North
Kate remembers both music and theatre from her Methodist church and her local amateur dramatic society, where many of her family took roles on the stage – and they had to find a suitable place for Kate. So backstage was where she began, and when...
