Saturday 14 March 2026, 4pm
West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge
Dvořák Requiem
Performed by:
Cambridge Philharmonic Chorus
Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Harry Sever
Esther Mallett: Soprano
Miranda Westcott: Mezzo-Soprano
Oliver Johnston: Tenor
Eugene Dillon-Hooper: Bass
Performance – two hours including interval
Dvořák’s Requiem is a towering musical statement that draws us into a world of mystery. Throughout the work, Dvořák sets traditional liturgical text with his unmistakable melodic gift, creating music that moves from sorrow to serenity, from shadow to radiant light.
The choral writing is both dramatic and lyrical, while the orchestra contributes richly coloured textures.
Soloists step forward with poignant lines that feel more like operatic confessions than sacred recitations. The result is a Requiem that feels deeply human – filled with questioning and doubt, and finally, a glowing sense of peace.
Guest Soloists
Miranda Westcott: Mezzo Soprano
Born and bred Devonian Miranda Westcott, read music at the University of Birmingham before attending the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She was awarded a full scholarship to Dennis O’Neill’s Academy of Voice in Cardiff, subsequently being invited to perform in Jersey with Kiri Te Kanawa.
Miranda has covered and performed a variety of roles for the Welsh National Opera, Longborough, Garsington and Raymond Gubbay amongst others. She now sings in the Royal Opera House chorus where recent highlight performances include Rossweise (Die Walküre), Mércèdes (Carmen) and Trine (Festen).
Other roles include Kate Pinkerton (Madame Butterfly) at the Royal Albert Hall; Rossweise (Die Walküre) and Zweite Dame (Die Zauberflöte) for Longborough Opera; Suzuki (Madame Butterfly) for Opera Project in Bristol’s Tobacco Factory; Smeaton (Anna Bolena) Tower of London; Cherubino (The Marriage of Figaro) for Surrey Opera, and Olga (Eugene Onegin) at Richmond Theatre.
In concert she’s appeared at the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, The Sage Gateshead, Oxford Lieder Festival, Sinfonia Smith Square and earlier this week made her debut in St Alban’s Cathedral.
Future plans include a return in June to the English Haydn Festival in Shropshire, Second Bridesmaid (Il nozze di Figaro) for the Royal Opera House and a song recital with Mark Packwood in Watford in July.
Oliver Johnston: Tenor
Praised for his “strong and vibrant tenor” (MusicOMH), British tenor Oliver Johnston is enjoying a flourishing career, both in the UK and internationally.
Recent and upcoming highlights include Red Whiskers Billy Budd for Opéra National de Lyon; Fourth Jew in concert performances of Salome with the London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Antonio Pappano; Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana for Blackheath Halls; Sir Christopher Hatton The Critic for Wexford Opera Festival; Erik The Flying Dutchman for Opera North; Bob Boles Peter Grimes for Welsh National Opera; and a recital at Oxford International Song Festival with Natalie Burch. Future seasons see Oliver return to Blackheath Halls.
Oliver’s roles include Tichon Káťa Kabanová for Opéra National de Lyon; Jenik The Bartered Bride for Garsington Opera; Seemann/Ein Hirt in Tristan und Isolde for Opéra de Rouen; High Priest in Idomeneo for Teatro Real, Madrid and Opera di Roma; Alfredo in La traviata for Opera North; Walther in Blond Eckbert and Damon in Acis and Galatea for the Potsdam Winter Opera/Potsdam Kammerakademie; Miro in Anna for the Grange Festival; Don Jose in Carmen for Opera Holland Park; Italian in Tenor Der Rosenkavalier for Garsington Opera; Jacquino in Fidelio for Opera North; Ein Soldat in Der Kaiser von Atlantis with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Mademoiselle Bouillabaisse in Offenbach’s Mesdames de la Halle for the Glyndebourne Festival.
His concert engagements have included Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius with the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra/Alexander Walker; Vaughan-Williams’ Serenade to Music with the London Philharmonic Orchestra/Vladimir Jurowski and at the The Last Night of the Proms with the BBC Symphony Orchestra/Sakari Oramo; 2nd Nazarene in concert performances of Salome with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/Kirill Karabits; Handel’s Messiah with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/ Sofi Jeannin; Beethoven Symphony No.9 with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra/Edo de Waart and with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Christopher Warren-Green and Mozart Requiem with the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra; Beethoven’s Mass in C with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic/Matthew Hall and Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Philharmonia Orchestra/David Hill.
Oliver is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music and was a participant in the Salzburg Festival’s Young Singers Project.
Soprano Esther Mallett is a graduate of The Guildhall School of Music and Drama where her studies were supported by a scholarship and the VEC Acorn Trust. Prior to this she trained with English National Opera on their Opera Works programme.
She also holds an undergraduate degree in Music from Oxford University.
Over the last two seasons she has covered multiple roles for The Royal Ballet and Opera, Covent Garden, including Rene in the world premiere of Mark Anthony Turnage’s Festen Karolka Jenůfa, 1 st Bridesmaid Le Nozze di Figaro and 5 th Maid Elektra.
Other recent operatic roles have included Midinette Il Tabarro and Suor Osmina (cover) Suor Angelica as part of Scottish Opera’s critically acclaimed 2023 production of Il Trittico; Giannetta L’elisir d’amore with CHROMA; Barbarina Le Nozze di Figaro (Grimeborn Festival); Coridon Acis and Galatea and First Witch Dido and Aeneas (Vache Baroque Festival); and First Bridesmaid Le Nozze di Figaro, Georgette La Rondine and Johanna (cover) Sweeney Todd, all for West Green House Opera.
Recent concert engagements have included Bach B Minor Mass, Cantata No. 51 and Magnificat, Brahms Requiem, Britten Les Illuminations, Dvořák Stabat Mater, Handel Messiah, Haydn The Creation, Mozart Exsultate Jubilate and Mass in C Minor, and Poulenc Gloria. She also participated in in a filmed recording of Handel Dixit Dominus with The English Concert and Harry Bicket, and appeared in Season 4 of the acclaimed Netflix series The Crown.
Passionate about community music-making, Esther has also worked extensively with ENO Opera Squad, taking high quality opera into schools.
For more information, please see www.esthermallett.com
Eugene Dillon-Hooper: Bass
Eugene Dillon-Hooper is a British/Irish Bass, graduate of the RNCM and permanent member of the Royal Opera Chorus. His recent roles at the Royal Ballet and Opera include Servant, La Traviata; Leif, Festen; Second Prisoner, Fidellio; Count Ceprano, Rigoletto; Bohémien, Carmen as well as covering the roles of Mitukha, Boris Godunov; Second Armed Man, Die Zauberflöte; Fiorello, Il Barbiere di Siviglia and the Fauré Requiem Bass soloist for the Royal Ballet. Other recent roles outside the RBO include, Sam, Trouble in Tahiti and Angelotti, Tosca with Opera in Oborne; Swallow, Peter Grimes with British Youth Opera/Cambridge Philharmonic; Colline, La Boheme with various companies and Talpa, Il Tabarro with Opera Camartina, here in Oborne ’24.
In concert Eugene has recently performed Verdi’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah and Samson, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solonelle and at the English Haydn Festival ’24 and ’25 where he recently performed The Creation.
During this season at the RBO, as well as singing in all chorus operas, he will be performing Wolf’s Drei Gedichte Von Michelangelo in the Paul Hamlyn Hall and is also a founding member of an RBO based early music ensemble who perform a wide range of Madrigals.
In his spare time Eugene can be found spending time with his step-children and partner in North London or as an avid Birdwatcher, out in the field enjoying nature.
Tickets
Tickets: from £15 (Student concessions and free carers’ tickets available)
Pre bookable programme £2
Please note that tickets are purchased on a non-refundable basis.
Access: The building is fully accessible to wheelchair users, with wheelchair / companion seating ramps and accessible toilet facilities.
Accessible Seating We offer wheelchair‑friendly seating for all our shows, along with complimentary tickets for carers. If you or someone in your party requires accessible arrangements, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help secure the right seats. Email tickets@cam-phil.org.uk
Click HERE to find out more.
If you require a free carer’s ticket or have additional access requirements, please get in touch tickets@cam-phil.org.uk
getting to west road concert hall
West Road Travel Arrangements
During the development of the Sigwick site there is some disruption to parking arrangements for our audience and performers. Please see the notes below and allow extra time to park should you be traveling by car, or use public transport where possible.
Parking in front of West Road Concert Hall
There is limited parking in front of the concert hall and this is reserved for guest performers. Please do not double park in this area as it is frequented by pedestrians and cyclists as well as drivers, so needs to be accessible and safe.
Cycling – there are bike racks right outside the entrance to the concert hall
Sigwick site parking
The barrier to the Sidgwick Avenue car park will be raised about half an hour before the hall hire begins (from about 5pm). The barrier will remain open until shortly after the concert starts, and will then open automatically for vehicles exiting. This parking is free of charge.
Blue Badge Holders
There are six disabled parking spaces on the Sidgwick Site.
Other parking
The nearest free designated parking location is at Madingley Road Park & Ride, which is approximately a 35 minute walk, or 18 minute journey via the Busway. The Route U bus departs from Eddington Avenue next to the Park & Ride site.
There is limited metered parking on West Road and Sidgwick Avenue, near to the site.
Limited non-metered, on-street parking may be found on Adams Road, Herschel Road and Sylvester Road.
Patrons are reminded that on-street parking is free on West Road and Sidgwick Avenue after 5pm
Pay & display parking on West Road costs £1.40 per 30mins Monday-Sunday from 9am-5pm, max 4hr stay. Please be aware that payment is via cash or app.
The nearest unregulated streets are Herschel, Sylvester and Cranmer Roads, a c.10 minute walk away on the other side of Grange Road. Please note Adams Road currently is closed until June 2026
Public Transport
Busway Route U
The Route U bus departs from Eddintgton Avenue (5 minutes’ walk from Madingley Park & Ride, which has free parking) every 15 – 20 minutes.
Take the bus from Eddington Avenue departing for Addenbrooke’s and alight after 11 stops for the Sidgwick Site, on West Road outside the University Library.
From Cambridge station you can catch the Universal/Route U bus to the University Library stop on West Road approximately 50 metres from the front door.
Here’s a useful site map with bus stops
The Concert Hall is a 10 to 15 minute taxi ride from the main Cambridge railway station.
Park & Ride
Cambridge’s Park & Ride network includes sites at five locations around the city. Please see the Park & Ride website for full details of routes, timetables and prices.
Photo Credits: Bill Hiskett