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The English soprano, Olivia Brett, read Theology and Religious Studies at Clare College, Cambridge (October 2015-June 2018). In Cambridge, as a well-established soprano, she performed four major roles with Cambridge University Opera Society (Anne Truelove in Igor Stravinsky's The Rake’s Progress; Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi; Helena in Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night’s Dream; and Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore) and won first prize in the Clare College Song Competition as well as the Clare College John Northam Prize. She was also an award holder on the University's Lieder Scheme in 2017-2018, which included regular tuition with the critically-acclaimed accompanist Joseph Middleton and master-classes with John Mark Ainsley and Amanda Roocroft. She obtained her Master degree in Music Performance from the Royal College of Music, London (September 2018-July 2020), where she was the Bruce-Payne Vaseppi Scholar. She studied closely with her vocal professor Tim Evans-Jones and repertoire coaches Andrew Robinson and Gary Matthewman. During COVID-19 Lockdown, she has been really enjoying her coaching and master-class sessions with Dame Ann Murray, Lisette Oropesa and Caroline Dowdle. Whilst at the RCM, she participated in master-classes with Michael Chance (November 2019) and Susan McCulloch (February 2019), presented four operatic roles in the RCM Opera Scenes (Rosario in Goyescas; Mab in The Enchanted Pig; Venere in L'Egisto; and Zaide in W.A. Mozart's Zaide) and received Highly Commended in the 2019 RCM Lieder Competition, adjudicated by Stephan Loges.
Other opera roles have included Nannetta in Falstaff with the Black Cat Opera Company, and Hansel in Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel and Second Witch in Dido and Aeneas whilst at school at Bedales, Hampshire (2014).
Olivia Brett has performed in numerous oratorios from those by J.S. Bach, W.A. Mozart and Felix Mendelssohn, to Ešenvalds and his contemporary Passion and Resurrection Oratorio. In addition to frequent recitals, she performed two world-premiers of song cycles by contemporary English composers at St Martin-in-the-Fields (October 2018) with the composer, conductor and pianist, Toby Hession.
Other musical highlights include singing for Pope Benedict XVI in Rome, performances at the Royal Festival Hall with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, services at Westminster Abbey, a BBC broadcast on Holocaust Memorial Day, a Radio 3 broadcast, George Frideric Handel’s Messiah at the Union Chapel, as well as concerts at St John’s, Smith Square; the Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris; the Petronas Philharmonic Hall, Malaysia; and Hong Kong City Hall. Olivia Brett has recorded numerous disks and toured America, Italy, France, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia with the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge and Bedales School. She has also participated in masterclasses led by Lisette Oropesa, Russell Symthe, Lawrence Zazzo and Sophie Daneman. She is supported by Adrian Frost and the Josephine Baker Trust. |
