Alison Buchanan is the Artistic Director of Pegasus Opera Company and is the only Black British female Artistic Director of an opera company in the UK. Alison leads on the strategic vision and programming for Pegasus Opera Company.

Alison is an Internationally renowned Soprano who has performed extensively around the world collaborating with a host of distinguished musicians and artistes, such as Andre Previn. Dame Joan Sutherland. Placido Domingo, Franco Zeffirelli, Luciano Pavarotti, Marilyn Horne, Sir Colin Davis. Sir Simon Rattle, Sir. Willard White, Jane Clover, Martina Arroyo, Regina Crespin and Anna Moffo to name but a few.

Prior to her post as the Artistic Director, Alison was the Assistant Artistic Director for Pegasus Opera Company since its inception in 1992 with long time friend and founding Artistic Director, Lloyd Newton.

Melvin’s diverse career – spanning diplomacy, opera singing, banking, psychotherapy, and law – reflects both remarkable breadth and a consistent commitment to supporting others and making a practical difference.

A former opera singer (who still occasionally appears in charity performances), Melvin later qualified as a psychotherapist and then as a solicitor, specialising in government commercial contracts. He is also an accredited mediator. Prior to practising law, he ran his own psychotherapy practice, providing private trauma therapy to individuals, couples, and organisations, with a particular focus on post‑traumatic stress and performance anxiety.

Melvin now serves as Talent Director and General Counsel at Pegasus Opera Company. As a member of the senior leadership team, he works closely with the Executive Director and Artistic Director to guide the Company’s strategic and artistic direction.

He played a key role in establishing Pegasus Talent, an artist‑management agency representing classical musicians of Global Majority heritage, which he now heads. He also leads on talent development for Pegasus Opera, supporting the artistic growth of emerging performers. His committee roles at Pegasus include service on the HR and Remunerations Committee, the Artistic Advisory Panel, the Agency Advisory Panel, and the Development Advisory Panel.

Beyond Pegasus, Melvin sits on the interim board of the UK Opera Association, is a trustee of Oxenfoord International Summer School, and serves on Glyndebourne Opera’s Creative Conspirators Advisory Board.

His professional interests in legal practice include contracts, procurement, art law, and cultural property law.

Harriet Kelley is Learning and Participation Manager at Pegasus Opera Company. Harriet builds partnerships with schools, communities and cultural organisations and develops and manages creative collaborative projects.

Harriet is a trained musician and is committed to ensuring equal access to the arts with a particular focus on young people. She has worked in music education settings both in the UK and abroad since obtaining her music degree from the University of Bristol.

Shjodi Ison is the Marketing & Administration Officer at Pegasus Opera Company.

With a background in Music Performance and Production followed by a Content Creator apprenticeship, Shjodi developed a strong passion for storytelling, digital engagement, and meaningful communication.

She has since gained experience across arts and youth-focused organisations, where she refined her skills in content creation and social media. Shjodi is driven by the power of the arts to inspire young people and bring communities together.

Sonia Hyams is the Executive Director of Pegasus Opera Company bringing over 25 years of experience in the arts and cultural sector. As a key member of the senior management team, she plays a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction and daily operations of the company.

A dynamic leader in business development, project management, and partnership building, Sonia is dedicated to expanding Pegasus Opera’s reach and impact. Her extensive career includes leadership roles at renowned institutions such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, Unicorn Theatre and The Old Vic where she managed a diverse portfolio of high profile projects and programmes.

Siobhan is a qualified Accountant who has a background in banking and finance.

As the Bookkeeping administrator at Pegasus Opera I provide financial and office support while helping with the day to day activities of the company. I am new to the world of Opera, and loving my new journey with Pegasus Opera Company.

Antonia Thwaites is the Programme and Talent Manager at Pegasus Opera Company. With a background in classical singing, training from a young age, firstly at Chetham’s School of Music and secondly at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, Antonia brings her passion for opera and experience as a performer to her work.

Alongside her role at Pegasus she has worked extensively with young people and in schools as a singing teacher, keen to share her love of singing. To this end, she recently completed a PG-Certificate in Vocal Pedagogy.

Antonia is proud to be of dual English and Egyptian heritage and loves being part of the Pegasus Team!

Sarah worked for a number of arts organisations including Talawa Theatre Company and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra before moving into the charity sector where she led on the Daffodil Campaign for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Sarah then moved into education completing a PGCE in drama at Goldsmiths and a Masters in Drama in Education at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Sarah retired as an Assistant Headteacher in summer 2019 and began travelling until her travels were cut short due to the pandemic. She continues to teach ESOL at a local refugee centre and tutor students who have missed education due to school closures this year. She believes that education can change lives and the power of the arts can transform lives. Sarah is a member of the Pegasus Education and Outreach Advisory Committee.

Satarupa Ghosh has recently joined as a Trustee of Pegasus Opera Company. Satarupa brings a wealth of experience: MBA from Cranfield school of management and working in senior leadership roles across Insurance for the past 20 years. Satarupa is an Indian Classical vocalist and actively performs in the UK and India. Satarupa works actively to provide a platform to other upcoming asian artists and also coaches aspiring vocalists. She is an active member of REACH ERG (Race, Ethnicity & Cultural Heritage) employee resource group at her work place, sponsor of iCAN (Insurance Cultural Awareness Network- biggest network to promote D&I in insurance) and actively advocates for diversity & inclusion. She is involved in several volunteering activities, including working with SMART WORKS charity who enable women to return to employment by providing tailored coaching and interview dressing service. She constantly strives to build high-performing teams and mentors individuals both inside and outside of work. She works to support single parents and victims of domestic violence by sharing her life stories and inspiring others who might be dealing with similar situations. Her love for opera and passion for diversity and inclusion in the field of music drove her to join Pegasus due to synergies between the work she has already done in the field of Indian music.

With over 30 years of experience in the music industry Lascelles Haughton is one of the UK’s leading Gospel choir directors, a vocal coach and musical arranger. Lascelles has worked with numerous artists including the late Jesse Norman, Elton John, Celine Dion, Modanna and Kirk Franklin.

Lascelles has directed and participated in a number of Gospel choirs: namely London Gospel Community Choir, Power House, Visual Ministries, Choir, New Vision and the award winning London Fellowship Choir. Lascelles also managed a vocal group called Nu4M, who have featured on TV, Radio and numerous stages around the world.

Lascelles has a background in Education, where he has served as a teacher, progressing to Headteacher in a number of schools across London for over 30 years and has been inspecting schools since 2013.

Lascelles has a passion for music that is undeniable and he is committed to sharing his wealth of experience, knowledge and passion with the younger generation so that they don’t miss out on the rich opportunities that the music industry can provide.

Lascelles currently serves as the Chair of the Education and Outreach Advisory Committee for Pegasus and is responsible for overseeing all educational and community projects.

I bring to the board many years of experience in accounting and financial management largely in the voluntary and cultural sectors.

Until June 2019 I was the Finance and operations Manager at the National Opera Studio. Opera and Music Drama have always been major passions of mine and I believe the challenge of diversifying opera’s performers, content and structure is exiting and challenging.

I will work on a sub-committee to deal with finance and other related matters.

Antoin got his first taste of the arts as a young musician, playing flute, clarinet, and saxophone.

But his true passion was in movement and theatre. His dance training began with the Bahamas National Dance Company, in NYC at Broadway Dance Centre and then in Germany at Cologne Dance Centre. In early 2000 he moved to London to continue his training and further his career, now spanning over 25 years as a dancer, singer, actor, choreographer, teacher and mentor.
Antoin is the recipient of The Bahamas’ DANZA award for outstanding choreography for a production of ‘Once On This Island’, and was the Dance Captain on Walt Disney Theatrical’s production of The Lion King in London’s West End from 2000 to 2006. In later years he changed directions and worked as an events producer and is now the Brand Manager at a tech company.

Antoin joined Pegasus in 2021 on the Development Advisory Panel (DAP) and is keen to share his creativity and passion for the arts. As a role model and mentor, Antoin believes that early exposure to the arts and positive mentoring helps young and aspiring artists from diverse backgrounds to realise that their dreams are achievable.

Tim is an experienced fundraiser and arts management professional with an extensive background in the creative sector. He studied at RADA and Queen Mary, University of London, before working in the development team at the De La Warr Pavilion on the south coast of England. Since then, he has forged a career at prominent arts organisations such as Somerset House, Sadler’s Wells and Music Masters, where he is currently Head of Development. Aside from this, he is a published playwright and has won multiple awards as an independent theatre producer.

Kevin is an employment lawyer with a career spanning 30 years, having been called to the bar in 1996. Kevin’s diverse range of experience includes working in the insurance industry as Head of Litigation; life as a ‘City lawyer’ advising corporate and individual clients; Partner/Director of a law firm and currently Consulting Barrister, supporting and mentoring other lawyers.

Kevin is the Managing Director of Lincolnfields Limited, which he founded in 2020 and specialises in carrying out independent workplace investigations into issues such as grievances, disciplinary matters and whistleblowing. In addition to his experience as an employment lawyer and investigator, Kevin has extensive experience of management, HR and employee relations.

Outside of work, Kevin is a passionate supporter of the arts and thrives on the richness and cultural diversity that London has to offer.

Kevin currently serves as the Chair of the Pegasus HR & Remuneration committee.

In 2015, Natalya started working in opera as Creative Assistant at Woolwich Opera Works, which was her introduction to opera and the artform that she worked in for six years. Whilst working at the National Opera Studio, Natalya was offered roles which varied from administration, project coordination, marketing, development and inclusion. Natalya also became the Chair and was a Founding Member of the National Opera Studio’s Inclusion Group. As Inclusive Talent Programmes Manager at Somerset House, Natalya manages two programmes which support the development and promote people between the ages of 18-30 who are from underrepresented backgrounds within the sector and are at the start of their careers. Natalya is also the Co-Chair of Somerset House’s Anti-Racism Task Force.

Natalya’s passion lies in the arts, both performing and visual, working with people and being a part of projects from the ground up.

Swati is a seasoned executive and Harvard Business School graduate with extensive experience in funding, governance, and operations across technology and media organisations. She has led teams and advised founders and boards on growth strategy, capital raising, and organisational design, holding roles such as Head of Product and Head of Marketing. She has also consulted for arts organisations including the San Francisco Film Society.

Alongside her business career, Swati is an accomplished Kathak dancer and Hindustani classical musician, trained under Pratap Pawar OBE, Urja Desai Thakore, Anuradha Nag, and Chandrima Misra. Her dual perspective—as both artist and strategist—drives her interest in reimagining the ecosystem for classical art forms: expanding audiences, increasing accessibility and relevance, and building sustainable funding models.

Swati is passionate about supporting Pegasus Opera’s mission to empower diverse talent and evolve opera for a new generation of audiences.

Chris has been involved with music for over 25 years as a teacher, performer, composer and examiner. He has a long association with music theatre and has been found on stage, in the orchestra pit as instrumentalist and conductor and also backstage.

In 2018 he founded Passing Notes Education, a company dedicated to widening access to high quality training for music educators in the UK and around the world. He is a sought-after presenter at music education events.

Chris joined the board of Pegasus Opera Company in 2025 and serves on the Finance Committee and as Chair of the Safeguarding Committee.