Benjamin Cho
Designer
Ride the Beast
Benjamin Cho has formed a reputation for his daring creativity displaying his prodigious talents and his staunchly original view. He has translated this aesthetic reverence into a decidedly American arena: modern, unique and sexy. His collections have a pointedly post-modern air, but remain organic, artfully nuanced and idiosyncratic. Cho’s clothing finds an elegant balance between feminine and aggressive, practical and decorative, sculptural and body conscious, the ecstatic and the depressed.
Cho has become known for what have become trademarks of his own invention: braided silk fringe, D-rings and ribbon, thigh-top sneakers, inventive ruching, and his use of a mixture of seemingly unconventional elements to create his innovative but always flattering designs. In each of his specialized garments, one can feel the graceful hand that guided the cut. This distinctive new femininity is why he has garnered a wide- ranging clientele, from artists to lawyers, to celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Kate Blanchett, Christina Ricci, Claire Danes, Milla Jovovich, Pink, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei and Kirsten Dunst to name a few.
Born to an opera singer mother and NASA-employed physicist father, it is no surprise that Cho’s designs display both an obsessive eye for detail and a dramatic imagination. There is a conspicuous lack of retro, ethnic or derivative motifs. Rather, the energy taps into the many facets of his life. Aside from designing, Cho has remains active in society, volunteering his time working as a “buddy” for people with AIDS, with children of inner-city schools, and aligning with numerous organizations and charities in which he believes. Also influential are his projects in art and music. Cho is slated to have his first solo show of paintings and drawings in London this summer. Cho also plays the cello and is no stranger to many stages of New York City. Despite being known for such wide-ranging collaborations, it is in his collections which Cho’s irrepressible energy becomes most finely focused and refined.
Tatyana van Walsum
Designer
In Light and Shadow
Romeo and Juliet
Tatyana van Walsum was born in England in 1967. She completed her degree in Costume design at Wimbledon school of Art in 1991. Later she went to the Motley Theatre design Course, London, graduating in 1995.Since 1996 she has lived and worked in Amsterdam.
Over the years she has designed for theatre plays, ballet, and opera. Her work also includes designs for museum exhibitions and film.
Tatyana frequently collaborates with Krzysztof Pastor and the Dutch National Ballet, working on Crossing Paths in 2006. (Set and Costumes). Voice (Costumes), 2004, In light and Shadow (Set and Costumes) 2001 and Do Not Go Gentle (Set and Costumes) She has also worked on designs for Berlioz Fantastique (set and costume) at the Australian Ballet in 2007, Tristan and Isolde (Costumes) at the Royal Swedish Ballet in 2006.
She has worked on many full length modern dance works for Dominique Dumais, resident choreographer at The Mannheim Ballet, in Germany, pieces include; Time and other Matter 2006, Lebenslenien 2005, Broken Verse 2004, and their first work together, SkinDivers created at the Komische Opern, in Berlin, and later revived in Mannheim.
For many years she collaborated with choreographer Martino Muller. Projects have included: R.A.M for Stuttgart Ballet, 1998, revived for the Gothenburg ballet in 2000, were it was awarded best ballet production of the year, Le jour meme created for the Lyon Ballet in 1996, for which she received the Benois de le Dance Award for best scenography in ballet.
Recent work for theatre has included set design for The Pelikaan by Strindberg, directed by Olivier Provily for the theatre company Het Zuidelijk Toneel, and set design for Cecelia directed by Moniek Kramer, for Orkater. Also for Orkater she has deigned the sets for Ik, nominated by the NRC handelsblad for Theatre Play of the Year and Hof van Haille in 2005. Both pieces were written by Geert de Lageveen and Leopold de Witte and directed by Gijs de Lange.
Opera design includes sets for costumes for Cosi Fan Tutte
Directed by Nigel Warrington, Aarhus Opera Festival, Denmark, Winner of Reumert Pris award, For Best Opera production of the year.
Anthony MacDonald
Designer
Nutcracker
Fearful Symmetries
Royal Designer for Industry.
Part of the British Team of Designers who won the Golden Triga at the 2003 Prague Quadrenale for Un Ballo in Maschera, Bregenz Festival, and in 1991 for the 1989 Royal Shakespeare Production of Hamlet.
Previously for Scottish Ballet: Cinderella, The Nutcracker and Hidden Variables, and for 2007 Fearful Symmetries, all with Ashley Page.
Previous work with Ashley Page and the Royal Ballet include, Cheating Lying Stealing,Now Langorous Now Wild and Ebony Concerto.
As Director/Designer Antony has just opened Manon by Massenet for the Nationale Reisopera, Holland, for whom he previously created King Priam. From 2009 -2012 he will work on The Ring Cycle for the NRO. For Scottish Opera Antony Directed/Designed The Knot Garden, Aida, Samson and Dalilah, and Param Vir’s Broken Strings and Snatched by the Gods, 2004, and Rusalka, 2008, both for Grange Park Opera.
Current and Recent designs include: Eugene Onegin, The Royal Opera House and Helsinki, Dir. Steven Pimlot; Cunning Little Vixen, Netherlands Opera with Dir. Richard Jones; The Magic Flute, Hyogo, Japan, with Dir. Emmanuelle Bastet; Un Ballo in Maschera, Amsterdam, and Billy Budd, Frankfurt, both with Richard Jones.
Previous work includes: Pelleas et Melisande , Opera North, English National Opera, Munich and Antwerp, Dir Richard Jones,; Manon Lescaut, Wiener Staatsoper 2005, Dir. Robert Carson; The Merry Widow and A MidsummerNight’s Dream, Metropolitan Opera New York, One Touch of Venus, Opera North, all with Dir. Tim Albery.
Other recent designs for dance include A Tragedy of Fashion for Rambert Dance in 2004, Chor. Ian Spink and Of Oil and Water, Siobhan Davies.