John Ramster Joins Vox Integra!
We would like to extend a very warm welcome to John Ramster who will be joining us this year! See our courses page for more information.
John is an award-winning director, teacher and writer, his performed and published work stretching from opera to novels to stage-works. Born in the east of England, he was educated at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, studying medieval and renaissance History. He began his operatic career assisting the late Clare Venables, then joined the Glyndebourne Festival as an Associate and Revival Producer, working on many productions including Peter Sellars' acclaimed Theodora.
Recent productions include: Der fliegende Holländer, Carmen (Bergen National Opera), The Marriage of Figaro, The Pirates of Penzance, Verdi Requiem (Merry Opera Company), The Paper Bag Princess (also BNO), Radamisto (Guildhall) Agrippina (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), Theodora (Royal Northern College of Music); in previous seasons, Le nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte (Turku Festival, Finland), Lucia di Lammermoor (Belgrade National Opera award for Best Direction), Don Giovanni, L'elisir d'amore (Opera Faber, Portugal), Il pastor fido (London Handel Festival/RCM), Ariodante (Cambridge Handel Opera Group); a self-penned pasticcio opera/musical Kiss me, Figaro! (MOC) was nominated for several Off-West-End Awards. His staged Messiah has toured biannually for the last eight years to great acclaim.
A teacher of stagecraft specifically for young opera singers for nearly 25 years, John began his teaching career at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he is currently teaching and directing once more as Associate Head of the Vocal Department. An Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, John was Drama Lecturer and Resident Producer for Royal Academy Opera for fifteen years, directing over twenty productions including Eugene Onegin, L'incoronazione di Poppea, The Lighthouse, The Rake's Progress, Dove's Mansfield Park and Die Dreigroschenoper. He is a visiting tutor for the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at Covent Garden. He is also an occasional contributor to Radio 3’s opera programming and a reviewer for the periodical Early Music.
John’s first novel, Ladies’ Man, was translated into seven languages; he is currently writing a book on acting for opera singers, and an historical murder mystery set in Handel's London called Da Capo. Future plans include Le nozze di Figaro for Icelandic Opera and continued teaching with the Guildhall.
