Kyla & Franz - Soprano and Bass-Baritone

Biography

Kyla Lingley - Soprano

Kyla

Kyla was born in Saint John, the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. She began her music journey with organ lessons at the age of six following in the footsteps of her mother. Kyla was an active child and apart from playing the recorder and yukele, she was also a keen gymnast and enjoyed diving. At Saint John High School (Canada's oldest publicly-funded high school), she was always involved in the choir, but her love for singing was clearly demonstrated when she wanted the lead in the musical Grease. This prompted Kyla to take private voice lessons with Patrick Munch when she was sixteen.

Kyla continued her vocal studies at Cambrian Music College, Ontario under the guidance of Marion Harvey and received several vocal prizes during her time there, including the prestigious "Inco Search for Excellence Award". Her singing teacher was an avid opera lover and Kyla's interest in that art form blossomed. She graduated in 1996 with Honours and made her professional debut with the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra singing Norina's Cavatina from Don Pasquale by Donizetti.

She continued her vocal studies in Toronto with Henriette Asch and performed at her Opera Studio. She also participated in Masterclasses with Bernard Diamant and Jonathan Hinden. Apart from opera, Kyla loves musicals with Les Misérables and Grease among her favourites. In fact, she sees herself as a musical actress and is passionate about understanding the character of any role she undertakes. She believes that this is the only way that she can truly bring that character to life and in the process paint a believable story for the audience.

In 1999, Kyla relocated to London and now studies privately with Hilary Fisher and Neil Semer. Her roles include with Morley Opera: Heidi (Ten Belles Without a Ring Suppe) and Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier). Other roles include Musetta (La Bohème), Susanna (Marriage of Figaro), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Mrs Fiorentino (Street Scene) and Polly (The Beggar's Opera). Even though she considers Puccini to be her favourite composer, two roles from operas written by Menotti are dear to her because the challenge of bringing those characters to life gives her tremendous joy. The roles are Monica in The Medium and Lucy in The Telephone and these operas were written in 1946 and 1947 respectively.

Franz Hepburn - Bass-Baritone and Composer

Franz

Franz was born in Nassau, The Bahamas and started his formal music training at age seven with the piano. He received an AABA degree in Banking & Finance for the College of The Bahamas; a BBA degree in Marketing & Finance from Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada; and an MBA degree from the University of Warwick in Coventry, England.

He was transferred from The Bahamas to the UK by the Bahamas Government in October 1990 to work at the Bahamas Tourist Office London. He worked at the tourist office from 1990-2004.

Franz made his operatic debut in the world premiere of Our Boys, first Bahamian opera by Cleophas Adderley with the Julliard School of Music Orchestra in 1987. Some of his operatic roles include Sarastro (Magic Flute), Publius (La Clemenza di Tito), Trulove (Rakes Progress), The King (Aida) and Sparafucile (Rigoletto). As one of the six finalists (selected from 2,500 entrants) on Channel 4's award winning Operatunity programme, he was interviewed and performed live on BBC Radio 3's In Tune programme in February 2003. Operatunity was aired on PBS in America and also on Australian and Italian television.

Franz is also a composer and many of his works have been performed by choirs and soloists in The Bahamas, Caribbean, North America and Europe. In 2003, on the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of Independence in The Bahamas, a special concert of music by Franz Hepburn was performed by JoAnn Deveaux-Callender, soprano at All Souls Church, Langham Place, London. The concert featured the world premiere of two song cycles - Introspection and Four Words. On 8th June 2004, as part of the 275th anniversary of Parliamentary Democracy in The Bahamas, JoAnn Deveaux-Callender performed the world premiere of Five Pertinent Questions, another of his song cycles in a concert at St George's Hanover Square, London. The following day to continue the Bahamas' anniversary celebrations, Franz gave his first recital with pianist Lee Callender at St James's Piccadilly, London where he sang Bahamian songs and spirituals.

Franz had the great honour of singing the role of Bridgetower Senior at LSO St Luke's, London in July 2007 for the world premiere of Bridgetower - A Fable of 1807, an opera by jazz supremo Julian Joseph and writer Mike Phillips. The work was commissioned as part of the City of London Festival to commemorate the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade. He went on a UK tour with the opera in October and November 2007 with English Touring Opera.

He was the Minister of War in the world premiere of a new musical interpretation of The Burial at Thebes by Seamus Heaney at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London in October 2008. The composer was Dominique Le Gendre from Trinidad (first female composer to be commissioned by the Royal Opera) and directed by Derek Walcott (Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992).


Home Biography Performances Albums Charities Gallery Shop Contact	Biography Kyla Lingley - Soprano Kyla was born in Saint John, the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. She began her music journey with organ lessons at the age of six following in the footsteps of her mother. Kyla was an active child and apart from playing the recorder and yukele, she was also a keen gymnast and enjoyed diving. At Saint John High School (Canada's oldest publicly-funded high school), she was always involved in the choir, but her love for singing was clearly demonstrated when she wanted the lead in the musical Grease. This prompted Kyla to take private voice lessons with Patrick Munch when she was sixteen. Kyla continued her vocal studies at Cambrian Music College, Ontario under the guidance of Marion Harvey and received several vocal prizes during her time there, including the prestigious "Inco Search for Excellence Award". Her singing teacher was an avid opera lover and Kyla's interest in that art form blossomed. She graduated in 1996 with Honours and made her professional debut with the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra singing Norina's Cavatina from Don Pasquale by Donizetti. She continued her vocal studies in Toronto with Henriette Asch and performed at her Opera Studio. She also participated in Masterclasses with Bernard Diamant and Jonathan Hinden. Apart from opera, Kyla loves musicals with Les Misérables and Grease among her favourites. In fact, she sees herself as a musical actress and is passionate about understanding the character of any role she undertakes. She believes that this is the only way that she can truly bring that character to life and in the process paint a believable story for the audience. In 1999, Kyla relocated to London and now studies privately with Hilary Fisher and Neil Semer. Her roles include with Morley Opera: Heidi (Ten Belles Without a Ring Suppe) and Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier). Other roles include Musetta (La Bohème), Susanna (Marriage of Figaro), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Mrs Fiorentino (Street Scene) and Polly (The Beggar's Opera). Even though she considers Puccini to be her favourite composer, two roles from operas written by Menotti are dear to her because the challenge of bringing those characters to life gives her tremendous joy. The roles are Monica in The Medium and Lucy in The Telephone and these operas were written in 1946 and 1947 respectively. Franz Hepburn - Bass-Baritone and Composer Franz was born in Nassau, The Bahamas and started his formal music training at age seven with the piano. He received an AABA degree in Banking & Finance for the College of The Bahamas; a BBA degree in Marketing & Finance from Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada; and an MBA degree from the University of Warwick in Coventry, England. He was transferred from The Bahamas to the UK by the Bahamas Government in October 1990 to work at the Bahamas Tourist Office London. He worked at the tourist office from 1990-2004. Franz made his operatic debut in the world premiere of Our Boys, first Bahamian opera by Cleophas Adderley with the Julliard School of Music Orchestra in 1987. Some of his operatic roles include Sarastro (Magic Flute), Publius (La Clemenza di Tito), Trulove (Rakes Progress), The King (Aida) and Sparafucile (Rigoletto). As one of the six finalists (selected from 2,500 entrants) on Channel 4's award winning Operatunity programme, he was interviewed and performed live on BBC Radio 3's In Tune programme in February 2003. Operatunity was aired on PBS in America and also on Australian and Italian television. Franz is also a composer and many of his works have been performed by choirs and soloists in The Bahamas, Caribbean, North America and Europe. In 2003, on the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of Independence in The Bahamas, a special concert of music by Franz Hepburn was performed by JoAnn Deveaux-Callender, soprano at All Souls Church, Langham Place, London. The concert featured the world premiere of two song cycles - Introspection and Four Words. On 8th June 2004, as part of the 275th anniversary of Parliamentary Democracy in The Bahamas, JoAnn Deveaux-Callender performed the world premiere of Five Pertinent Questions, another of his song cycles in a concert at St George's Hanover Square, London. The following day to continue the Bahamas' anniversary celebrations, Franz gave his first recital with pianist Lee Callender at St James's Piccadilly, London where he sang Bahamian songs and spirituals. Franz had the great honour of singing the role of Bridgetower Senior at LSO St Luke's, London in July 2007 for the world premiere of Bridgetower - A Fable of 1807, an opera by jazz supremo Julian Joseph and writer Mike Phillips. The work was commissioned as part of the City of London Festival to commemorate the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade. He went on a UK tour with the opera in October and November 2007 with English Touring Opera. He was the Minister of War in the world premiere of a new musical interpretation of The Burial at Thebes by Seamus Heaney at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London in October 2008. The composer was Dominique Le Gendre from Trinidad (first female composer to be commissioned by the Royal Opera) and directed by Derek Walcott (Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992).
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