Community project in Yorkshire
Victoria recently travelled up to Pickering in North Yorkshire to work with some very young singers for the Richard Shephard Music Foundation. She will return later in June to perform in a pre-festival event for Ryedale Festival celebrating the famous Lyke-Wake Walk. https://ryedalefestival.com/view-the-2024-brochure/
new Jonathan Dove/alasdair middleton opera
Summer 2023 saw Victoria in the world premiere of Jonathan Dove and Alasdair Middleton’s latest piece, Itch. Based on the brilliant series of books by Simon Mayo, this exciting commission was performed at Opera Holland Park in a production directed by Stephen Barlow, and conducted by Jessica Cottis.
UK premiere of little women
Image: Ali Wright
Victoria took part in a wonderful run as Alma March (the Marmee of the novel) of this UK premiere production of Mark Adamo’s Little Women at Opera Holland Park. Originally commissioned and performed by Houston Grand Opera in 1998, there have since been numerous different productions across the world.
BACK IN BUSINESS
This summer Victoria performed her first Marcellina in The Marriage of Figaro for Opera Holland Park. She also stepped into the breach at the eleventh hour to sing from the pit for an indisposed colleague in their production of L’Amico Fritz - a rare gem by Mascagni. See her reviews here.
Lockdown life
Like so many of her colleagues, Victoria has been continuing to make music as best she can whilst in Lockdown in London. She has taken part in “virtual concerts”, and donated video performances to Bitesize Proms, which is raising money for Help Musicians UK.
Written on Skin - Malta (cancelled)
Victoria is looking forward to her first visit to sing at Valetta Festival in March 2021.
Ain’t life a dream? (cancelled)
Returning to Scotland is always a pleasure, not only to perform for Scottish Opera once more, or for the warm welcome one always feels there, but also to see family, as Victoria’s brother and his family live there. When not catching up with them, she’ll be performing Hippolyta in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Written on Skin - Paris and Vienna
In February Victoria reprised her role in George Benjamin’s multi award winning piece in Paris and Vienna.
white flame keeps burning
Following the successful premiere of David Matthews’ song cycle celebrating the centenary of Muriel Spark last October, Victoria revisited the piece for it’s Scottish premiere at the end of January. Commissioned and performed by the Nash Ensemble. For more details please click here.
handel in spain
December saw Victoria return to the Messiah under the baton of Eamonn Dougan in concerts in Bilbao and Seville.
another first this november
Victoria is really excited to be visiting Liverpool for the first time this November to perform Britten’s Spring Symphony for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. She will be joining colleagues Elizabeth Watts and Allan Clayton, along with Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir.
Written on skin at venice bienniale
This September Victoria reprised her role in this phenomenal 21st Century masterpiece at the iconic Venice Bienniale, where composer George Benjamin received a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement award.
fresh challenges - Role debuts
2019 has been an exciting year of role learning with Victoria moving into new repertoire, with concert performances of Witch/Mother - Hansel and Gretel, and Brangäne - Tristan und Isolde. Next year she performs Hippolyta in Scottish Opera’s new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert
Recorded in November with the Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Richard Farnes, listen to Victoria singing a beautiful aria from Moses in Egypt at 1:53 here and Una Voce Poco Fa at 57 mins here (available till mid March 2019).
Written on skin beijing premiere
This phenomenal work received it’s Asian Premiere at the Beijing Festival in October 2018, shortly followed by a second performance in Shanghai.
David Matthews world premiere - white flame
In October 2018 the Purcell Room was the location for the world premiere performance of this song cycle with piano quintet, commissioned by the Nash Ensemble to commemorate the centenary of Muriel Spark.
Five star falstaff at Garsington - 2018
Victoria spent a wonderful summer back at Garsington revisiting the comic role of Meg Page in Bruno Ravella’s new 5 star production of Falstaff, starring Henry Waddington and conducted by Richard Farnes. For production pics click here.
FLIGHT takes off again - scottish opera
Straight after returning home on Jan 1st from Beethoven 9 in Xi'an, China, Victoria headed north to reprise her role of Minskwoman in Stephen Barlow's production of Flight by Jonathan Dove. Originally staged in Opera Holland Park in 2015, the production was revived and reimagined for it's new spaces in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The production gained great 4 and 5 star reviews across the board, and in spite of the terrible snowstorms from the "Beast from the East", and the cancellation of one show, the final show went ahead with Piano accompaniment only, the audience appreciating the sterling efforts of pianist Jonathan Swinnard with a standing ovation at the end.
Silver Birch - Garsington Opera - international opera awards nomination
To complete her summer season 2017, Victoria returned to Garsington for a brand new commissioned piece by Roxanna Panufnik, with Libretto by Jessica Duchen. Victoria is pleased the project has been nominated in the International Opera Awards 2018.
Don Giovanni - Opera Holland Park
Victoria made another role debut last summer with Opera Holland Park, this time as Donna Elvira in a new production by Olly Platt and Neil Irish, with Dane Lan conducting.
Written on Skin - Royal Opera House & Bolshoi
A busy 2017 opened with the return of George Benjamin's wonderful opera to the ROH in January, with Victoria reprising the roles of Marie/Angel 2. The show played the Bolshoi in Moscow in April for two shows only.
La Cenerentola - Opera Holland Park and beyond
In July 2016 Victoria made her role debut as Angelina in a new production for Opera Holland Park. She also performed the role the following autumn in the revival for Danish National Opera, which was nominated for Opera of the Year by the Reumert Prize. Whilst at Opera Holland Park she also reprised her roles of Alice's Mum/Mad Hatter in Will Todd's charming children's opera, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The new CD of Alice reached No.1 in the Specialist Classical Chart in it's first week of release.
WRITTEN ON SKIN - LINCOLN CENTRE & EUROPEAN TOUR
George Benjamin's opera and Victoria made their debuts in New York in August 2015 to critical acclaim. In March 2016 the Mahler Chamber Orchestra took the piece on a European Tour, culminating in a concert at the Barbican.
Written on Skin DVD wins Gramophone Award
As well as having won a SkyArts award and numerous others around the world, George Benjamin's "Written on Skin" has scooped a Gramophone award in the Contemporary category for the Opus Arte DVD on which Victoria appears.
Verdi Requiem in Birmingham
Victoria returned to the Midlands, where she grew up, in June to perform this wonderful piece in the closing concert at Adrian Boult Hall at Birmingham Conservatoire, conducted by Sir Richard Armstrong, and broadcast on BBC radio.