Joshua Furtado-Mendes is in the first  year of his Masters of Arts as a scholar of the Royal Academy of Music. He has studied with vocal professors including  Mark Wildman, Nuccia Focile and the late Ryland Davies. 

Joshua made his operatic debut as Malcolm in Verdi’s Macbeth with Uncovered Opera Company, and has since sung roles including Gastone de Letorières in Verdi’s La Traviata with Instant Opera and Don Basilio in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro with Ensemble OrQuesta. During 2024, he sang the title roles of Aeneas in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas  and Tito in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito with the Croatian Opera Academy.  

He was the Friendly Sentry for Royal Academy Opera’s production of Martinu’s  Comedy on the Bridge and has since (with the Royal Academy of Music Vocal faculty) sung the role of Edgardo in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor in February 2025. 

In concert he has appeared with the Chineke Foundation in a televised broadcast of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the BBC Proms, and featured in the world premiere of Brian Lobel and Gweneth-Ann Rand’s show 24 Italian Songs and Arias at Battersea Arts Centre.

He has performed operatic and song repertoire  in recitals at the Romanian Cultural Institute and Brentwood Cathedral. His oratorio solo repertoire currently includes Handel’s Messiah and Sing unto God, Nielsen’s Fynsk Foraar and Mendelssohn’s Elijah.

Stefan Weidner is a final year Year Masters student at Trinity Laban Conservatoire studying with Professor Douglas Finch.

Born in Stockport, Stefan began playing piano at the age of 6 under the tutorship of Miss Susan Bettaney and continued to study with her when he joined Chethams school of Music at the age of 12.  After Miss Bettaneys’ retirement, Stefan carried on his studies with Miss Gemma Beeson.

During his time at Chethams, Stefan was given the opportunity to participate in numerous events and competitions which helped in his development as a pianist.

Stefan started his undergraduate degree, awarded with the Alfred and Therese Kitchen scholarship, at Trinity Laban in 2020, under the guidance and support of Professor Douglas Finch.

In 2021/2022, he performed twice at the Romanian Cultural Institute/Embassy in London, giving debut performances of works by Romanian composer David Balica, and performed Franz Liszt’s Vallée d’Obermann and Hans Werne Henze’s Toccata Mistica.

In January of 2023, Stefan won the Longmire Beethoven competition at Trinity Laban with his performance of Beethoven Piano sonata no.32, Op.111 in C minor, and was invited to perform In the Beethoven Society of Europe Intercollegiate Piano Competition final.

Stefan has participated in the New Lights Contemporary Music Festival at Trinity Laban, performing works such as Leaps and Flows 26 – Out of the bath and into the oven, by English composer Allan Moore and Sonatina No.3 (The Pembrokeshire Coast Path) at a concert in memory of Trinity Laban Professor Anthony Green.

Stefan continues to enjoy not only his solo work but also collaborating with singers. He performed Schumann’s Dichterliebe and Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte Lieder cycles with tenor Joshua Furtado-Mendes, a student of the Royal Academy of Music, at Brentwood Cathedral.

Stefan is carrying on with his studies under Professor Douglas Finch, having been awarded The Beverley Creed scholarship fund for his Masters degree in performance.

In July of this year, Stefan performed Mozart Piano Concerto 18 K.456 alongside Professor Martino Tirimo as one of 14 students selected to perform Mozart’s concertos during a concert series at Trinity Laban.

Teyfik Kamal is a Turkish-British baritone currently pursuing his Master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music.

Recent highlights include: Colline in La Bohème with New Aquarian Opera; Masetto in Don Giovanni with North Wales Opera Studio; and performing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the Philharmonia Chorus at the Royal Albert Hall for ‘Lord of the Rings in Concert’ and ‘Video Games in Concert’ with the Cantus Ensemble.

He has recently worked in masterclasses with renowned singers Will Liverman, Nicky Spence and Sir Thomas Allen.

Competition successes include winning the Elizabeth Hampshire Singer Under 22 Years Award (2023) and first place at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod Vocal Solo 16-19 class (2022).