INDEPENDENT OPERA at Sadler's Wells · Artist support

Katherine Manley Soprano

Recipient of INDEPENDENT OPERA Postgraduate Voice Fellowship

Born in Leicestershire, Katherine Manley studied at the Benjamin Britten International Opera School at the Royal College of Music, London and graduated in 2006. A Samling Foundation and Susan Chilcott Scholar, Katherine has been supported by a Wingate Scholarship, Ian Fleming MBF Award and an Independent Opera Postgraduate Voice Fellowship.

In concert she has worked with the OAE, the Academy of Ancient Music, the London Mozart Players and the Philharmonia Orchestra, performing at venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, St John’s Smith Square and the Wigmore Hall, London. Her busy concert diary has featured Mendelssohn Elijah with Sir Thomas Allen under Simon Over, Mozart Coronation Mass under Sir David Willcocks, Messiah at Waterfront Hall, Belfast for the Ulster Orchestra and also at the Wratislavia Cantans Festival (Paul McCreesh), St Matthew Passion at Bath Abbey, and Acshah in Handel’s Joshua at the London Handel Festival with Laurence Cummings (Released on CD, Somm). She has also performed in Jephtha for The King’s Consort in Switzerland and Israel in Egypt on tour with Musik Podium Stuttgart. Katherine took part in L’Academie d’Aix en Provence and sang in the Felicja Blumental Music Festival, Tel Aviv. Her song recitals have included Frauenliebe und Leben for the Tudeley Festival and Caro, Dolce, a recital of duets and arias for the London Handel Festival, as well as further duet recitals in the UK and Belgium.

On the operatic stage, Katherine has appeared in the roles of Arpago L’Incoronazione di Dario and Helena A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Garsington Opera, Fortune L’Incoronazione di Poppea for English National Opera, Sandman/Dew Fairy Hänsel und Gretel for Opera North, Musica/Euridice in Monteverdi’s Orfeo for English Touring Opera and Seleuce Tolomeo for London Handel Players, Tullia under Maurizio Benini with the London Philharmonic Orchestra for Opera Rara’s recording of Mercadante’s Virginia, and title role in Handel’s Partenope for Les Azuriales Opera Festival. Katherine recently performed Virtu L’Incoronazione di Poppea for Glyndebourne on Tour, Dafne in Handel’s Apollo e Dafne and the cantata Selete Venti with Retrospect Ensemble at the Wigmore Hall, Seleuce Tolomeo and Dalinda Ariodante for English Touring Opera, Venus Venus & Adonis for Transition Opera, and Belinda in After Dido, a joint venture by ENO/The Young Vic of live music and film performance inspired by Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas directed by Katie Mitchell, conducted by Christian Curnyn. She appeared at the 2010 Edinburgh International Festival singing The Indian Queen with The Sixteen (Harry Christophers).

Katherine’s engagements this season feature Lucia The Rape of Lucretia for Angers/Nantes Opera and Melanto/Amore The Return of Ulysses for English National Opera at The Young Vic. In summer 2011 Katherine makes her US stage debut as Oriana in the new production of Handel’s Amadigi for Central City Opera, Colorado, and later in the year she sings Aci, Galatea e Polifemo with Capriccio Basel. Subsequent engagements include Saul with Daniel Reuss and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 at The Sage, Gateshead and Amadigi at the Wigmore Hall.