In 2023, Charlotte was involved in bringing her storybook opera project, ‘Down the Rabbit Hole,’ to life after receiving an Arts Council National Lottery fund grant in November 2022. Tasks included producing, fundraising, hiring a composer and cast/creatives: directing and writing the play, hiring BSL consultants and collaborators to learn specific British Sign Language and visual vernacular performance of the songs, devising the movement and interactive educational elements, and administration. Rehearsals began in mid-February, with a dress rehearsal performance in the school where Charlotte and George teach. The performances were scheduled from March 6th to March 29th, with ten hearing schools, including two specialist schools in Winsford/Cheshire and three specialist deaf schools in London/Surrey, with mixed hearing and deaf children participating.  Charlotte received a 5-star review for this project from Fiona Maddocks in The Guardian. 

A concert version of the show is planned for the autumn, with the possibility of a complete performance if funds can be raised; see Easyfundraising or Donation Button for friends and supporters of the project.

Coming up:  A recital and masterclass with George Todica on the 1st November 2023, at Bideford Music Club, Bideford with a program she devised for a recital on Thursday, 18 May, at 14:00 at St James’s Church, Paddington, for the Schubert Society of Great Britain.

In July, she reprised the role of Maria Bertram in Waterperry Opera Festival’s Mansfield Park. She is due to perform the role of Kathy and covering the role of Bertha in a brand new Opera, Bronte, composed by Lisa Logan for Keynote Opera with shows on 13,15,16 September 2023 at the Arcola Theatre, Grimeborn Festival, London.

December a Christmas concert in Grindleford more details soon.

In 2022, Charlotte utilised her ‘Develop Your Creative Practice Award’ from the Arts Council England to take British Sign Language training to the next level, further developed her operatic bel-canto singing training by taking online masterclasses with teachers from around the world and in-person lessons with specialist professor Alison Wells and her long-term coach Andrew Robinson. It has been a busy year with classes at RADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts) in playwriting for actors and clowning/mime. Coaching sessions with YCAT and the Manchester Collective and individual online consultation with Dame Evelyn Glennie to create the story and libretto for her mini-opera production for children, including those hard of hearing or profoundly deaf and families called ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’. In the February half-term, Charlotte put her R&D into a workshop and sketched the opera scenes to push to production, including using new technology such as the Woojer Vest Edge.

The summer was spent touring Scotland with Scottish Opera as Uccelina in BambinO. In autumn, she was Catherine in the French opera Le Loup-garou and cover for Stella in Le Dernier Sorcier, two comic operas by female composers for Gothic Opera directed by Eleanor Burke.

Charlotte performed recitals and weddings with her husband, classical pianist George Todica.In November, she was delighted to be awarded an Arts Council England National Lottery Grant to bring ‘Down the Rabbit Hole Opera’ to life with composer ZOLLINO Music writing an entirely new score to Charlotte’s libretto and touring it to primary schools in Winsford, Cheshire and three specialist deaf schools in Greater London. She collaborated with Nottingham Trent University on their ‘Alice Re-imagined’ project. She created a showreel of the costumer’s talents and got some great ideas for the costumes for her opera.

2021, Charlotte was commissioned by the Mahler Society to record an online concert for its membership. She won 1st Prize in the VI Odin International Music Online Competition, 1st Prize in the Grand Metropolitan International competition ‘in recognition of commitment to music and outstanding performance’, Platinum Medal in the Quebec International Music Competition, 2nd Prize in the Citta Di Massa Xth International online competition and 3rd Prize in The VII North International Music Competition.

Charlotte undertook an exciting project for Improbable, initially in the research and development stage, then to help with the social media marketing of ‘BambinO at Home’ and finally undertook the role of Uccelina in the five live-streamed productions of ‘BambinO at Home’. BambinO was originally devised and co-produced by Improbable, Scottish Opera and MIF. This streamed event also incorporated puppetry and live illustrations from the children’s illustrator Viviane Schwarz.

She was selected to be one of the professional singers for the BBC’s inaugural TV show ‘I Can See Your Voice’, appearing on episode 4 and then featured as a highlight on Gogglebox. She was delighted to be awarded an Arts Council England grant for ‘Developing Your Creative Practice’ this year and has commenced a research and training project; see her weekly blog for updates. She passed her first British Sign Language examination as part of this project. In the Summer, she toured with Scottish Opera in two of Gilbert & Sullivan’s best-loved hits – ‘HMS Pinafore’ and ‘Pirates of Penzance’ taking the audience on an unforgettable journey through the operas’ musical and dramatic highlights. Followed by a Scottish Opera school tour as Bubble McBea, helping children to understand environmental issues on the coasts of Scotland in September. In October, she performed as Pamina in ‘The Magic Flute’ with Arcadian Opera in Stowe, Buckinghamshire.

During the 2020 Covid19 lockdown, coloratura soprano Charlotte Hoather broadcast sixteen once-per-week balcony concerts live-streamed on YouTube with her husband, Romanian pianist George Todica. There were over one million worldwide views collectively and a growing local audience. As a Lied Duo, Charlotte and George perform regular recitals together, the concerts were a fabulous opportunity to perform new arias and song cycles learned during this period. In December 2020, they released a cd recording of balcony favourites called ‘Songs from our Balcony’ available to download or stream on all the premier sites. The Duo were also delighted to be included in the BBC Proms’ introduction of people from around the World making music through the Covid pandemic to share with others.

Before the lockdown, Charlotte’s last live performance was with Skipton Camerata, conducted by Ben Crick, where she performed works by Mozart, JC Bach, and Gluck. During the lockdown, Charlotte created green screen opera performances for Northern Opera, Arcadian Opera, and four one-hour recital programs for music societies. She and George recorded a new song cycle by Tim Benjamin in Manchester once the lockdown eased. Charlotte recorded a film score and prepared an opera role, ‘Pamina’ in English, that she hoped would be staged in 2021. She also passed a B1 German exam at the Goethe Institute.

In 2019, Charlotte toured with three brilliant Scottish Opera ‘Pop-up Opera’ shows for audiences of all ages, especially those new to classical music and opera. A storyteller, two singers, musicians, and a series of colourful illustrations brought each performance to life. Derek Clark arranged the roles of ‘Pappagena’ and ‘Pamina’ in ‘A Little Bit of The Magic Flute’; ‘The Fairies’, ‘Phyllis’ and ‘Iolanthe’ in his adaptation of ‘Iolanthe’ and a ‘Puffin’ in Puffy McPuffer and the Crabbit Canals, by Marion Christie.

Additionally, she enjoyed performing the role of ‘Maria Bertram’ in the five-star return production of Mansfield Park, Dove for the Waterperry Opera Festival in Oxford. ‘Hero’ in Much Ado About Nothing, Stanford at the Leeds Opera Festival with Northern Opera. ‘Pandora’ in Radius Opera’s production of Tim Benjamin’s new work, The Fire of Olympus, touring the North of England in Autumn 2019. ‘Juliet’ in Romeo and Juliet, Gounod, for Arcadian Opera in Stowe, Buckinghamshire; and ‘Christmas Elf’ in The Christmas Elf with Music by Hans Pfitzner for Northern Opera in Leeds.

Following five-star reviews for the lead role of ‘Uccelina’ in the Improbable/Scottish Opera’s BambinO, a first-operatic-adventure for children aged six to 18-month-olds and their carers, which premiered at the Manchester International Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe, and Glasgow, she toured the role with the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, and subsequently the Metropolitan Opera in New York in a series of sold-out shows.

Other roles have included: Frasquita – Carmen Berlin Opera Academy, Zerlina – Don Giovanni Bowdon Festival Opera/Opera Britain, Cunegonde – Candide and The Plaintiff – Trial By Jury both with Surrey Opera, First Witch – Dido and Aeneas RCS AGOS, Gretel – Hänsel und Gretel MAI Trentino, Eve – The Walk from the Garden and Jessie Jnr – The Little White Town of Never Weary for Scottish Opera Education.

Charlotte won first prize in the Pendine International – Voice of the Future at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in July 2018 and sang in concert with Rolando Villazón and Rhian Lois the following year. She also won the audience prize at the 60th Kathleen Ferrier Bursary Award.

Since graduating with a First Class Hons Bachelor of Music Degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) concluding her studies with Judith Howarth. She went on to a Master’s of Music Performance at the Royal College of Music, studying primarily with Prof. Rosa Mannion, Andrew Robinson, and Simon Lepper. Charlotte continues to refine her technique with Professors and Coaches regularly. She has participated in many specialist classes and Masterclasses with experts, including Karen Cargill, Kathryn Lewek, Sally Matthews, Nicky Spence, Lisa Milne MBE, Patricia Hay, and in Brussels W. Stephen Smith.