THE Mentors

Leo is a director co-founder of Fifty Nine Productions and works as a director, cinematographer, set designer and video designer. Leo’s credits include: Les Miserables World Tour (Cameron Mackintosh), War Horse (NT/Lincoln Center/Princess Of Wales Theatre) and Attempts on Her Life (NT). His recent video design for opera includes: Enchanted Island (Metropolitan Opera), Satyagraha (English National Opera/Met Opera), Idomeneo (ENO), Messiah (ENO),125^th Gala Anniversary (Met Opera), After Dido (ENO/Young Vic) and Dr Atomic (ENO/Met Opera). Leo is leading the 59 team, designing the video elements of the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony, working directly with director Danny Boyle.

Jeremy Sams is a composer, director, translator and librettist. His opera translations include The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute, Così fan tutte, La Bohème and Wagner’s Ring Cycle. Jeremy devised and wrote The Enchanted Island for The Metropolitan Opera, New York. He also provided the lyrics for Michel Legrand’s Tony Award nominated Amour as well as the book for the West End and Broadway Musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. As a composer Jeremy has written and arranged music for over fifty shows for Theatre, TV and film, whilst his work as a theatre director includes Noises Off , 13, The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, Donkeys’ Years, and Spend Spend Spend.

The music of New York–based composer Nico Muhly has been played by eighth blackbird, the Britten Sinfonia, the Chicago Symphony, and the New York Philharmonic, and sung by soloists including David Daniels, Mark Padmore, and Jessica Rivera. In addition to numerous recordings of his own music, Nico has collaborated on projects with Antony and the Johnsons, Björk, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Grizzly Bear, Jónsi of Sigur Rós, and Teitur Lassen. His first opera, Two Boys, premiered at ENO in June 2011. 2012 premieres include commissions from the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and a new collaboration with choreographer Benjamin Millepied for New York City Ballet.