Lewis Gaston (www.lewisgaston.co) works as a conductor in the UK and abroad. His work has been recognised in international competitions, masterclasses and he enjoys a schedule of work that combines performance and research. As well as conducting across the UK he has worked with the Brasov Philarmonic (Romania), Toscana Classica Orchestra (Italy), Berlin Sinfonietta (Germany), Camerata di Fiorentina (Italy) and the State Opera Rousse (Bulgaria). Lewis is currently Music Director/Assistant Music Director to a number of orchestras and opera companies within the UK.
Lewis is Music Director to the English Schools’ Orchestra and Assistant Musical Director to the Easter Orchestral Society. He works as Guest Conductor to orchestras around the country.
Lewis specialises in Opera conducting with a repertoire of around 50 operas. As a lecturer and conductor for Opera Prelude, Lewis has given the UK premiere of Mercadante’s opera Don Chisciotte alle nozze di Gamaccio and lectured on a wide variety of opera subjects.
Valeria Perboni – Stage Director
Valeria Perboni (Stage Director) Valeria started her career as a performer in Italy, while studying Piano Accompaniment and Opera Studies (BA) at the local Conservatoire. Her thesis Fratellanza a teatro (on the role of Mantova’s main opera theatre in the musical and historical events of the Italian Risorgimento) won an award for best dissertation, and was subsequently published by LIM.
She moved to London in 2017 to study on the Musical Theatre MA course at Royal Academy of Music, where she graduated in 2018 winning a DipRAM award for Outstanding Performance. Since then, she has been performing on stage both in London and internationally. Valeria started shifting her focus to directing in 2018, firstly as a theatre facilitator and movement director and then expanding to one of her oldest passions: opera.
In 2021 she studied Opera Directing with Verona Opera Academy, learning from internationally recognised directors such as Lorenzo Mariani, Gianmaria Aliverta, William Orlandi and more. Over the summer 2022 Valeria was assistant director for the Zeffirelli production of Turandot at the Arena di Verona Opera Festival, where she worked with world-renowned artists such as Anna Netrebko, Yusuf Eyvazov, Ferruccio Furlanetto, and more. In 2022 she directed a production of Lucia di Lammermoor for Instant Opera, and has since directed their 2023 production of La Traviata, and been invited to work on their 2024 and 2025 productions. In 2023, Valeria also directed Verdi’s Macbeth at the Hoxton Hall for Uncovered Opera, Suor Angelica for Opera Greenwich, La Bohéme on tour for Amick Productions, and she has been working as Artist in Residence at Brunel University. Valeria directed La Bohéme in August 2024 for Opera Greenwich, and directs Carmen in June 2025 at the Greenwich Theatre.
Judith Flint L.R.A.M. – Accompanist – Judith studied piano accompanying, clarinet and singing at the Royal Academy of Music. Since leaving in 1976, she has worked as a freelance accompanist for singers and instrumentalists, and as a rehearsal pianist for choral, opera and dance groups. Having lived previously in New Malden, Surrey, Judith now lives near Guildford and is rehearsal pianist for Park Opera, as well as for Guildford Opera. She is also a regular accompanist for concerts arranged by Music in Hospitals.