Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera

Following their ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and sold-out show in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe,

"Matthew Shiel has ‘composed’ a most enchanting concert, relating amusing, enlightening stories to introduce each piece; his eloquent performance expresses a dramatic, emotional mood from sad and sorrowful to light-hearted and lyrical, oozing a joyful sense of romantic love." (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Edinburgh Guide)

"A ripping good yarn. Sim and Shiel both are masters of their crafts." (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Binge Fringe Magazine)

"Matthew Shiel shone" (⭐⭐⭐⭐Three Weeks)

Moonlight Concerts return to Edinburgh with a musical show inspired by Valentine's Day. Storyteller and concert pianist Matthew Shiel, international opera singer Ines Mayhew-Begg and acclaimed Shanghainese Disney illustrator Emma Yitong Shen collaborate on a new show inspired by the greatest musical mystery every told - Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera (1910).

Venetian masks, operatic arias, dramatic silhoettes and the most haunting piano pieces ever written (including Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata) meet alongside romantic candlelight recitations of Gaston Leroux's original novel and an ethereal digital art exhibition designed by acclaimed Chinese artist and Disney illustrator Emma Yitong Shen – to create a simultaneously thrilling and terrifying musical experience designed to seduce your senses - and lure you away to the phantom's lair.

"Christine, you must love me!"

Ines Mayhew-Begg

Ines Mayhew-Begg is a Scottish soprano with a Master in Vocal Performance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. In 2022 she made her European debut in Germany as Adele in Lyric Opera Studio Weimar’s production of Die Fledermaus. In the summer of 2023 she toured around Scotland with Opera Bohemia as Kate in Madame Butterfly and was regarded as “both vocally and visually very persuasive” by Edinburgh Music Review.

Ines has performed many solo operatic roles for Scottish Opera Young Company including at the Beacon Arts Centre. Her Amore received praise for having ‘confidence, consistency and fluency’ by Andrew Clark in Opera Magazine, 2019. She has performed in various opera scenes at the RCS and in the chorus of their recent production of Chabrier’s L’étoile.

Matthew Shiel

'Matthew Shiel shone' (Three Weeks) and 'Matthew Shiel 'composed' a most enchanting concert. 5 stars!' (Edinburgh Guide) - reviewers are applauding Matthew for his unique, creative and fresh approach to music performance which push the boundaries of what a piano recital can be. Matthew Shiel is an award-winning concert pianist, Usher Hall and Live Music Now Scotland emerging artist who has performed at Usher Hall, The National Portrait Gallery of Scotland, St Gile's Cathedral (Edinburgh), The Glasshouse International Centre for Music (Newcastle) and Glasgow City Halls. Matthew is a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and has collaborated with festivals including the Åben Festival (Copenhagen), Music at Paxton (Berwick) and a sold-out show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Emma Yitong Shen

Emma Shen is a Chinese visual artist currently resident in Edinburgh, Scotland. She has collaborated with Disney, BBDO, FCB, Ogilvy and her illustrations, installations and paintings are exhibited internationally. Emma aims to capture the essence of emotions and imagination on canvases. Utilizing both traditional and digital tools, she uses luminescent colors, creative composition to unveil unique perspectives on the ordinary. Emma's illustrations, installations, and paintings are regularly showcased in exhibitions and commercial events internationally. Her work is a testament to the boundless possibilities of imagination and the ability to transform the mundane into captivating visual narratives.

Moonlight

Moonlight is a performing arts company that creates immersive classical music experiences, concerts, shows and exhibitions. It celebrates interdisciplinary collaboration with writers and storytellers, visual artists, dancers and filmmakers (and beyond) to push the boundaries of what a classical concert can be and create the 'performance of the future.'

Our ambition is to blend high-art conservatoire performance standards with experimental and boundary-pushing attitude of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Moonlight is also inspired by our relationship with Live Music Now Scotland, a charity who challenge musicians to reach audiences who would not normally have access to classical music.

Our aim is to make classical music accessible for all and to make classical music (which is often performed in 19th century etiquette and presentation) appealing to the demands and expectations of a 21st Century audience.

moonlightconcerts.co.uk

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

St Cecilia’s Hall: Concert Room & Music Museum, The University of Edinburgh, 50 Niddry Street, Edinburgh, United Kingdom