Conductor Peter Ford works as a music director, coach, and educator throughout the UK and Europe. His early conducting studies were undertaken both privately with Colin Howard and at the Canford Summer School, overseen by the late George Hurst. Subsequent postgraduate studies with Russell Keable at the University of Surrey resulted in an MMus Conducting awarded with distinction.

Peter made his international conducting debut at the opening night of the 2016 Birgitta Festival, Tallinn, conducting Così fan Tutte in a collaboration between the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, The Black Cat Opera Company, and acclaimed Estonian scenographer Lilja Blumenfeld.

As a pianist he has performed at the Tibrà International Festival, Kópavogur, with tenor Ólafur Rúnarsson, and has returned to perform in venues across Iceland.

As the Artistic Director of The Black Cat Opera Company, recent Italian-language productions have included Don Giovanni, Falstaff, Così fan Tutte, and La Bohème.

Peter is principal guest conductor of Rocket Opera, and productions have included Rita, Don Giovanni and The Mikado at Berwick Festival Opera. 2018 productions include The Beggar’s Opera, Ariadne auf Naxos, and HMS Pinafore.

Passionate about Italian-language repertoire, Peter was a student on the very first Melofonetica courses before joining the team as a member of music staff. He is a regular coach at Melofonetica events in the UK, and coaches and conducts on the Veneto Opera Summer School in Italy. As an arranger and orchestrator, Peter has produced scores for award-winning UK festival Celebrate Voice and provides orchestral reductions for our orchestra on Veneto Opera Summer School.

Pianist Julie Aherne studied at Royal Holloway, University of London, with James Kirby, and later with Matthew Stanley. Her interest in opera and vocal music led her to attend the first Melofonetica courses in 2014. She has since returned on numerous occasions as a pianist and coach, including at the Veneto Opera Summer School.

A co-founder of The Black Cat Opera Company, Julie has worked as répétiteur and producer on productions of Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte, Carmen, Falstaff, and La Bohème, as well as appearing as accompanist for gala evenings and high-profile corporate engagements. In August 2016, the company was invited to take their production of Così fan tutte to the Birgitta Festival, Tallinn, with Julie playing harpsichord continuo alongside the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.

Recent freelance work includes musical direction for Acis and Galatea with Opera Cameratina in association with The Mastersingers, orchestral piano for Opera Della Luna’s acclaimed touring show Tales of Offenbach, répétiteur and orchestral piano for Rocket Opera’s production of Donizetti Rita, and a recital programme including Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and Prokofiev’s Visions Fugitives.

In addition to her work with Melofonetica, Julie works as an accompanist for the Association of British Choral Directors, Berwick Festival Opera, Rocket Opera, and at Royal Holloway, University of London. A keen advocate for community singing, she also directs Bisley Ladies Choir, Surrey, as well as working as a rehearsal pianist for other choral societies in Surrey and Hampshire.

Bernard is an award-winning collaborative pianist, vocal coach and répétiteur. He graduated from University of Michigan, USA, with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree mentored by the world-renowned Martin Katz.

While in the UK, Bernard completed a Master of Music Degree in Collaborative Piano with distinction from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, studying with Robin Bowman, and won a number of awards including the John Ireland Accompanist Prize and Hester Dickson Prize. He also created the Italian romantic song project Amore e Morte, which he directed, coached and played.

Bernard’s work on operas has seen him appointed as a répétiteur on productions in the US, Canada, Italy and Malaysia. Currently, Bernard serves as a senior lecturer at the Conservatory of Music at UiTM, Malaysia, and a vocal coach and répétiteur at Kuala Lumpur City Opera.

Alessandra is an Italian language coach and mezzo soprano living in the UK. She studied Classical Singing at the Conservatorio di Musica Benedetto Marcello in Venice and the Conservatorio Francesco Venezze in Rovigo, Italy, where she graduated with merit.

Alessandra first studied with Matteo Dalle Fratte in 2016 and has been using the Melofonetica Method in her coaching since then. She currently works as an Italian coach and Italian professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Royal College of Music and the National Opera Studio in the UK.

Alessandra also coaches for some of the UK’s major opera companies including the Royal Opera House, Opera North, Longborough Festival Opera, Grange Park, Opera Holland Park, Grange Festival and Nevill Holt.

Alessandra supports students and professionals in mastering their pronunciation of the Italian language, and in interpreting character and repertoire, with special attention to communicating drama through the sung language.                     

Madeleine is a lyric soprano and a singing and yoga teacher. As a singer, she is known for her breadth of range and versatility performing opera, oratorio, musical theatre and song. Madeleine has a diverse teaching practice that includes preparing students for concerts and stage work, and coaching choral and community singing groups. She is a visiting vocal tutor at Morley College, The Actors’ Richmond Centre (ARC), Benslow Music Trust and Dartington International Summer School. Madeleine's holistic approach to teaching and coaching is underpinned by her training in yoga. As a 400-hr trained yoga teacher, she takes a particular interest in building creative confidence and nurturing authentic voice. Greatly influenced by Feldenkrais, Madeleine's practice focuses on developing inner awareness, quality of breath connection and joyful integrity of movement. Read more.

“The ever-resourceful, positive and encouraging teacher.”
“A wonderful artist.”
“The most compassionate approach to the practice.”

Jamila oversees the strategic growth and daily operations of Melofonetica, managing global academic partnerships, course development and communications. As the lead for digital resources, she ensures the Melofonetica Method’s seamless delivery to conservatoires and vocal professionals worldwide. Drawing on over a decade of experience with leading global firms, Jamila combines strategic marketing expertise with a strong linguistic background. She holds a First Class BA (Hons) degree in Italian and Spanish from the University of London, along with professional qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Chartered Institute of Linguists (DipTrans CIOL). Jamila is also a board director for Rogue Opera Outreach, a not-for-profit organisation bringing opera education and experiences to under-served communities.

Samuele is an editor, multimedia specialist and musicologist, and works closely with Melofonetica on the development of our courses and materials.

Since 2010, he has worked as Digital Project Manager for Edizioni Curci, Italy’s leading music publisher, where he leads interactive digital educational projects. He also ensures the correct rendition of Italian in translated works and promotes user engagement through social media channels.

Prior to this, Samuele worked as a member of the marketing and promotion team at Carosello Records, Curci’s sister company. During his university years, he collaborated with Matteo Dalle Fratte and La Fenice in Venice, on a project called Studenti all’Opera (‘Students at the Opera’), a series of activities designed to offer students an immersive, first-row opera experience.

Samuele achieved a Laurea cum laude in Italian Literature and Musicology at the University of Padua, with a thesis on Greensleeves, one of the oldest tunes in music history. His study, spanning from the tune’s cultural roots in Elizabethan England to its contemporary jazz renditions, was later published and adopted by Prof. Luca Cerchiari for his course in African-American Music Culture at the University of Padua.

Passionate about both music and technology, particularly in an educational context, Samuele constantly seeks new ways to bring the best of music heritage to the next generation of music professionals and lovers.