
Madeleine Shaw
MEZZO-SOPRANO
"Shaw’s brighter tone glowed with a Wagnerian penumbra befitting a piece that owes more to Parsifal than the English oratorio.” [Dream of Gerontius]The Guardian
Representation: General Management
Photo: Zoe Barling
Biography
Overview
Madeleine studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and at the National Opera Studio supported by English National Opera, she was subsequently on the young artist programme at ENO, for whom she has sung several roles over the recent seasons. Madeleine has also appeared in principle roles at Covent Garden, Welsh National Opera, Opera North and on the concert platform has guested with Noseda, Sir Andrew Davis, Edward Gardner and has made regular appearances with the Hallé Orchestra and Sir Mark Elder.
Full Biography
Samling Artist Madeleine Shaw studied at the RSAMD and the National Opera Studio supported by English National Opera.
Solo performances include Tippett A Child of our Time at The Sage, Gateshead (Zehetmair), Mozart Requiem in Spain (John Eliot Gardiner), Debussy La Demoiselle Élue with BBC National Orchestra of Wales (Thierry Fisher) and Glagolitic Mass with the Hallé Orchestra (Elder). Further concert engagements include Elgar Sea Pictures, Copland In the Beginning, Bach B Minor Mass, Vaughan Williams Serenade to Music at the Edinburgh International Festival, Bach Christmas Oratorio, Tavener Lamentation for Jerusalem in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and St Matthew Passion in Cambridge, Duruflé Requiem and Haydn Nelson Mass with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Duruflé Requiem at the Sage, Gateshead, Verdi Requiem in Ely and Gloucester Cathedral, Messiah with the Hallé Orchestra and in Norway (Sandefjord Kammerchor), Spain (Oviedo Cathedral), and at the Royal Festival Hall and Royal Albert Hall, The Three Cornered Hat with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Beethoven 9th Symphony and Child of our Time with the Hallé Orchestra, Berlioz La Mort de Cléopatre with the RLPO, Verdi Requiem (Ryan Wigglesworth) at the St. Endellion Festival, Dream of Gerontius with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (Petrenko), as well as Elijah in Southwell Minster, Handel Samson with the Irish Baroque Orchestra (Matthew Halls), Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall and Mahler 8th Symphony in the Leeds International Concert Season and also at Ely Cathedral, Wesendonck Lieder with the RPO at Cadogan Hall and her US debut in 2018 in Dream of Gerontius with Boston Philharmonic.
Opera in concert engagements have included Flowermaiden/Squire 2/Voice from Above Parsifal (BBC Proms) and Wellgunde Götterdämmerung, with the Hallé Orchestra (Elder), Emilia Otello with the BBC Philharmonic (Noseda), She-Ancient A Midsummer Marriage with BBC Symphony Orchestra (Andrew Davis/BBC Prom), Giovanna Rigoletto with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican (Noseda) and Siegrune Die Walküre and Wellgunde Götterdämmerung for Opera North.
Madeleine made her Covent Garden debut as Forester’s Wife/Owl The Cunning Little Vixen and has subsequently returned to sing Rossweisse Die Walküre. At ENO her roles have included Annina Der Rosenkavalier, Beggar Woman Death in Venice (also at the Holland Festival, La Monnaie and at La Scala, Milan), Second Lady The Magic Flute, Mercedes Carmen, Kate Pinkerton Madama Butterfly, 1st Witch in After Dido (a joint venture by ENO/The Young Vic), Maddalena Rigoletto and performances of songs by Kurt Weill and Samuel Barber also at The Young Vic.
Her operatic repertoire further includes Juno La Calisto and Medea Giasone with the Early Opera Company (Christian Curnyn) and Cretan Woman in Idomeneo at the Salzburg Spring Festival, in Berlin and Lucerne with Sir Simon Rattle and Adonella in Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini for Opera Holland Park, Magdalene Die Meistersinger for ENO, a return to Opera North as Wellgunde Das Rheingold/Götterdämmerung and Rossweisse Die Walküre in their complete Ring Cycles as well as Siegrune Die Walküre at the Edinburgh International Festival (Sir Andrew Davis), Annina Der Rosenkavalier and the title role in the world première of Elena Langer’s Rhondda Rips It Up! for Welsh National Opera and Witch Hänsel und Gretel in Salisbury.
Recent highlights include performances of Rhondda Rips it Up! for WNO, Brahms Alto Rhapsody at Canterbury Cathedral, Messiah at The Sage, Gateshead and also at the Royal Albert Hall, Bradamante Alcina for La Nuova Musica at St John’s Smith Square, Mass in B Minor for Sheffield Philharmonic, A Child of our Time with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Dream of Gerontius with the RPO at Snape Maltings, her role debut as Fricka Das Rheingold for Longborough Festival and The Apostles at Canterbury Cathedral.
Engagements in 2019/2020 include Dream of Gerontius at Exeter Cathedral, Ruckert Lieder with the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera at St David’s Cathedral, Maddalena Rigoletto for Glyndebourne on Tour, Messiah with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Glagolitic Mass with the LPO at the Royal Festival Hall, Verdi Requiem with the Hallé Orchestra, Missa Solemnis at Canterbury Cathedral, Fricka Die Walküre at Longborough Festival and Dream of Gerontius at Saffron Hall.
Promoters please note: if you wish to include this biography in a concert programme etc, please contact Hazard Chase to make sure you receive the most up to date version. Email: Elin Jones
News
Reviews
Discography & Repertoire

W. S. Gilbert & Alfred Cellier – THE MOUNTEBANKS
John Andrews conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra and the BBC Singers with James Cleverton (Arrostino), Madeleine Shaw (Ultrice), Soraya Mafi (Teresa) and Geoffrey Dalton (Pietro)
Dutton Epoch (2018)
Artist Manager
John McHugh
(Cambridge)
john.mchugh@hazardchase.co.uk
01223 706024
Associate Artist Manager
Elin Jones
(Cambridge)
elin.jones@hazardchase.co.uk
01223 706026