Photo: Paul Foster-Williams
Emma Bell
Representation: General Management
She trained at the RAM and NOS, and continues to study with Joy Mammen. Winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Prize in 1998, she was a BBC New Generation Artist in 1999. She is at the forefront of the younger generation of sopranos and is admired for her richly coloured voice and sensitive musicianship.
In 2002 she joined the Berlin Komische Oper, where she has sung Pamina Die Zauberflöte, Micaëla Carmen, Countess Le Nozze di Figaro, the title role in Alcina, Agathe Der Freischütz and Mimì La bohème. She has sung the title role in Rodelinda (Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Châtelet, Bilbao, Barbican, Vienna Konzerthaus); Female Chorus The Rape of Lucretia (Lausanne); Miss Jessel The Turn of the Screw (Geneva and Glyndebourne); Vitellia La Clemenza di Tito (ENO, Montreal); Leonore Maskarade (ROH); Violetta La traviata (ENO); Governess The Turn of the Screw (Leipzig); Alcina title-role (Opéra National de Paris); Elettra Idomeneo (La Scala, Barbican, Lisbon and Amsterdam Madrid Teatro Real).
Concert engagements include Rossini's Stabat Mater (Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Dresden, Rome and Siena with Pappano); St John Passion (Châtelet); Concerts at the Teatro Real Madrid, and for the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse; Mahler 4th Symphony with the BBC NOW and Otaka, St Matthew Passion with the Rotterdam Philharmonic and Yannick Nézet-Séguin and concert performances of The Rape of Lucretia with Ticciati (Vienna and Cologne). She has also sung at the Barbican, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Royal Festival , Lincoln Center, Wigmore Hall, BBC Proms and Mostly Mozart Festival. She has worked with Bickett, Christie, Andrew Davis, Haim, Labadie, Mackerras, Pappano and Slatkin.
Recordings include Handel's Saul with Jacobs and two solo discs (a recital of lieder by Strauss, Marx and Walter and Handel Operatic Arias for Linn Records) both supported by an award from the Borletti-Buitoni Trust for whom she has given recitals in London, Amsterdam and Vienna. In June 2008 she gave a recital of Strauss songs with Emanuel Ax at the Wigmore Hall. Further engagements include Beethoven's 9th Symphony with Noseda at the BBC Proms, Donna Elvira Don Giovanni with Pappano (ROH), Countess at the Liceu, Barcelona, War Requiem with Pappano and the Royal Opera House Orchestra & Chorus in Birmingham, Anne Truelove The Rake's Progress at La Scala, concert performances of Mitridate with Sir Charles Mackerras for Welsh National Opera and Handel concerts with Harnoncourt at the Styriarte Festival. Recent engagements include Countess (Metropolitan Opera), Beethoven Missa Solemnis (Santa Cecilia), Donna Elvira (La Scala) and Elettra Idomeneo (ENO) and Edinburgh Festival.
Future plans include Strauss Vier Letze Lieder in Iceland, Governess Turn of the Screw (Teatro Real Madrid), a Wigmore Hall recital, Leonore Fidelio Opera North, Eva Die Meistersinger (ROH), the title role in a new commission Miss Fortune by Judith Weir (ROH and Bregenz Festival), Fox Cunning Little Vixen (Glyndebourne Festival), Countess (Opéra Bastille), War Requiem (ENO), Donna Elvira (Metropolitan Opera) and Madame Lidoine Dialogues des Carmelites(Covent Garden).
Promoters please note: if you wish to include this biography in a concert programme etc, please contact Hazard Chase to ensure that you receive the most up to date version.
Email: Lucie Davienne
