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Laura Kelly Mezzo Soprano

Recipient of INDEPENDENT OPERA Vocal Scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music

Scottish Mezzo-soprano, Laura Kelly studied singing and second study piano at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama graduating with a first class BMus Hons degree. Whilst studying at the RSAMD she was a winner of the Hugh Roberton and George McVicar Memorial Scots song competitions. She continues her studies at the Royal Academy of Music Opera School with Jennifer Dakin and Audrey Hyland. At the RAM she developed a keen interest in Russian repertoire, gaining 2^nd prize in the Ludmilla Andrew song competition.

Laura’s Operatic roles at the Royal Academy of Music include Juno in Handel’s Semele, Nancy in Britten’s Albert Herring, the Doctor/Officer in the world premiere of Peter Maxwell Davies Kommilitonen conducted by Jane Glover and directed by David Poutney, the role of Jenny Diver in Kurt Weill’s Die Dreigroschenoper. She has performed as a nun in 'Les dialogues des Carmelites' at the Edinburgh Festival with Stéphane Deneve conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Laura performs regularly as a soloist on the Oratorio platform and has performed at many of London’s leading concert venues such as St Martin’s in the Fields, St John’s Smith Square, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Kings Place. Her Oratorio repertoire is diverse, including Bach’s St Matthew Passion and B minor mass, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Handel’s Dixit Dominus and the Messiah, Haydn’s Nelson Mass, Mass in time of War, Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony, Vaughn Williams Serenade to Music and contemporary works such as Leighton’s Columba Mea. Her concert work has taken her to Japan where she performed at the Barakura Flower show.

Future engagements include 2nd Bridesmaid in a concert performance of The Marriage of Figaro at the Cadogan Hall with The Classical Opera Company, the role of Olga in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin with Stanley Hall Opera and she will take part in the Britten-Pears Russian song programme this September with Joan Rodgers and Roger Vignoles.

Laura is grateful for the generous support to her studies by the SIET, the Robertson trust, the Cross trust, the Independent Opera and is a Dewar Arts Award recipient.