Opera comes to this year’s Festival of Chichester

Coloratura soprano Jennifer Witton; Stephanie Kemball-Read; countertenor Joaquin Sofredini, tenor Philip O'Brien; and bass baritone Aidan Smith will perform celebrated arias and an overture with the 60 Minute Orchestra – to include Puccini's O Mio babbino caro, Franz Lehár’s Lippen, Schweigen and Bizet’s Pearlfisher’s Duet. Tickets £18, under-25s £9 via The Novium.

60 Minutes organiser Roger Clayden said: “Jennifer has taken great trouble to find time in her busy schedule to make this year’s Opera Night in Bognor Regis. This has great meaning for the Opera Night and the Festival of Chichester of which it is part. Having the finest national soloists is so important to all that attend.

“The Argentinian Joaquin Sofredini will be the first countertenor to sing at Bognor's well-established annual Opera Night. He spends part of his year in Argentina and part in London and has performed concerts all over the globe.”

Winner of the prestigious Gold Medal competition at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Jennifer Witton began her career at Glyndebourne. Following small roles with the company, she made her title role debut in Fiona Shaw’s production of Massenet’s Cendrillon for both the Glyndebourne tour and Glyndebourne festival, conducted by Duncan Ward and John Wilson respectively.

In recent seasons, highlights include performing Micaëla Carmen and Adina L’elisir d’amore for Longborough Festival Opera, her debut in Strauss’ Vier Letze Lieder with the Covent Garden Orchestra at St John’s Smith Square, Poulenc Gloria at the Royal Festival Hall, Haydn’s Creation with the London Mozart Players at Eilat Music Festival, Israel and workshops with composers Howard Moody and Mark-Anthony Turnage on repertoire for seasons at Glyndebourne and Royal Opera.

With a passion for theatre, Jennifer debuted performing the role of Juno in The Tempest directed by Gregory Doran at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Barbican Theatre, London. She later toured with a production of Like Madness is the Glory of Life performing poetry, prose and Shakespearean song. She has also played the part of the Narrator in La Boîte à Joujoux (The Toy Box), a ballet score by Debussy touring various venues around the UK.

Joaquín Sofredini is a prizewinning Argentinian composer, actor and countertenor.

From an early age, Joaquín took singing lessons in his hometown Paraná. After his move to Buenos Aires in 2004, a grant awarded by Fondo de las Artes allowed him to study with Ricardo Yost and perfect his vocal range.

He also began chamber music studies with the harpsichordist Monica Cosachov and, in 2007, he developed as a countertenor at the Conservatorio Beethoven with Marilu Anselmi.

In 2009, Joaquín debuted as Orfeo in the Gluck opera Orfeo and Euridice. Since then Joaquin has performed extensively across Argentina taking part in opera and theatre productions and presenting his own shows.