Madama Butterfly Cast

Linda Richardson Butterfly
Linda Richardson was born in Cheshire and studied at RNCM and at the National Opera Studio.  As an ENO Principal‚ her roles have included Virtue The Coronation of Poppea‚ Fiordiligi Così fan tutte‚ Lauretta Gianni Schicchi‚ Micaela Carmen‚ Gretel Hansel and Gretel‚ Gilda Rigoletto‚ Zerlina Don Giovanni‚ Sophie Der Rosenkavalier‚ Mimi La Bohème‚ title roles The Fairy Queen and Alcina‚ Violetta La Traviata‚ Woglinde Rhinegold‚ Helena A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Donna Anna Don Giovanni. Elsewhere she has sung for Opera North‚ Garsington‚ Clonter Opera‚ Barcelona‚ Netherlands Opera and Opera Holland Park.

Dwayne Jones Lt Pinkerton
Dwayne Jones entered Opera Australia’s Young Artist Programme where he sang La Bohème, La Traviata, Les Pecheurs de Perles and Carmen.  At ENO he made his debut in La Vestale and also sang Alfredo Traviata, José Carmen, Rodolfo La Bohème, Pinkerton Butterfly and Arturo Lucia di Lammermoor.  He also sang Radames Aida in Dublin, Bohème in Bremen, Laca Jenufa for ETO and Carmen in New Zealand.    He sang Don Jose Carmen for LFO in 2009.

Craig Smith Sharpless
Craig Smith was born in Bolton and gained his degree from Manchester University in Chemistry, which he taught for almost ten years. He then retrained at RNCM and in 1993 made his professional operatic debut at the Buxton Festival as Cecil in Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda. In 1994 he entered the Zurich International Opera Studio and joined the ensemble the following year. Since then he has sung roles including Scarpia in Tosca, Rigoletto, Ford in Falstaff, Musiklehrer in Ariadne auf Naxos, Nabucco, Tonio in Pagliacci, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Don Alfonso in Cosi fan tutte for companies as varied as English National Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera North, Opera Project, Holland Park Opera, Garden Opera and English Touring Opera.

Julian Close The Bonze
Julian Close studied at the Royal Northern College of Music. He has appeared with companies such as ENO, Scottish Opera, WNO among many others in a wide range of roles including Dosifey Khovanschina, Sparafucile Rigoletto, Sarastro Die Zauberflote, Méphistophélès Faust, Grand Inquisitor Don Carlos, Vodnik Rusalka, Timur Turandot, Colline La Bohème, Nourabad The Pearl Fishers, Don Basilio Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Pistol Falstaff, Dr. Bartolo Le Nozze di Figaro, Commendatore Don Giovanni and several principal Wagner roles, including Fafner Das Rheingold for LFO in 2007/08.

Margaret Rapacioli Suzuki