Elizabeth Watts

With a voice described by International Record Review as ‘one of the most beautiful Britain has produced in a generation’, soprano Elizabeth Watts has established herself as ‘one of the brightest new talents’ (The Independent).

Elizabeth was a chorister at Norwich Cathedral and studied archaeology at Sheffield University, before attending the Royal College of Music. She was selected by YCAT in 2004, won the 2006 Kathleen Ferrier Prize, the 2007 Outstanding Young Artist Award at the Cannes MIDEM Classique Awards and gained international recognition at the 2007 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, winning the Rosenblatt Recital Song Prize.

Her operatic work has included Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro for Santa Fe Opera and Welsh National Opera; Flora in The Knot Garden for Music Theatre Wales and the Royal Opera House; Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro, Purcell’s King Arthur and Music and Hope in Orfeo for English National Opera (Young Singers’ Programme 2005-2007); the title role in Handel’s Semele; and Arthébuze in Actéon with Emmanuelle Haïm at the Aldeburgh Festival. Recently, Elizabeth won universal praise for her portrayal of Mandane in Thomas Arne’s Artaxerxes at the Linbury Studio/Royal Opera House, described variously as ‘dazzling... vividly drawn’ (The Sunday Times), ‘the pick of the bunch... thrilling’ (The Times) and ‘terrific’ (London Evening Standard).

A former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist, Elizabeth is much in demand as a recitalist and concert singer and has given recitals at the UK's leading venues, including the Wigmore Hall. She has performed in concert with all the BBC orchestras, The English Concert, City of London Sinfonia, Scottish Chamber, Royal Scottish National, Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony and Hallé orchestras, and at the BBC Proms. Further afield, Elizabeth has performed at prestigious venues and festivals such as the Hardanger Festival in Norway, the Bad Kissinger Summer Festival, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and the Tonhalle in Zürich. She has also performed with the Orquesta de Radio Televisión Española in Madrid and the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra. In the 10/11 season, her roles include Pamina/Die Zauberflöte for Welsh National Opera and Marzelline/Fidelio for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. She will also sing in recital and concert at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw.

Website: elizabethwattssoprano.com