Beth Taylor | |
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Born | Glasgow, Scotland | 13 October 1993
Education | Royal Conservatoire of Scotland |
Occupation |
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Beth Taylor [1] is a Scottish operatic mezzo-soprano, who has performed mainly in Europe. At the Oper Frankfurt, she performed a title role in Rossini's Bianca e Falliero .
Born in Glasgow, [1] Taylor studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, graduating as Master of Arts in 2018. [1] She has been coached by Jennifer Larmore. [2] She achieved first prize at the Gianni Bergamo Classic Music Award in 2018, [1] [3] and third prize of the Wigmore Hall's competition. [2] She attended the Samling Institute for Young Artists in 2019. [4]
Taylor appeared as Arnalta in Monteverdi's L’incoronazione di Poppea with the Longborough Festival Opera in 2018, [1] [5] as Marcellina in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro at the New Generation Festival in Florence [2] in 2019, [1] and as Bradamante in Handel's Alcina at the Opéra de Dijon and the Opéra national de Lorraine in Nancy in 2020. [1] [2] Taylor appeared at the Oper Frankfurt first in 2021 as Dardano in Handel's Amadigi . [6] Her mezzo-soprano was the only lower voice, and a reviewer said that she portrayed her character with fine vocal lines and remarkable coloratura [7] She returned in 2022 as Falliero in Rossini's Bianca e Falliero , directed by Tilmann Köhler and conducted by Giuliano Carella. The work had been planned for 2020, and in collaboration with the Tirol Festival in Erl, to conclude a focus of Rossini's works. [8] [9] A reviewer noted her full voice, with volume in the middle register, precise and flexible coloraturas, and dramatic outbursts, portraying the fall of the character from a victor in battle to giving himself up, in duets of great harmony with Heather Phillips as Bianca. [10]
In concert, she has appeared with orchestras including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra and La Cetra Baroque Orchestra. [2]
In June 2023 Taylor was a finalist in the Cardiff Singer of the World competition. [11]
A mezzo-soprano (Italian:[ˌmɛddzosoˈpraːno], lit. 'half soprano'), or mezzo ( MET-soh), is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above (i.e. A3–A5 in scientific pitch notation, where middle C = C4; 220–880 Hz). In the lower and upper extremes, some mezzo-sopranos may extend down to the F below middle C (F3, 175 Hz) and as high as "high C" (C6, 1047 Hz). The mezzo-soprano voice type is generally divided into the coloratura, lyric, and dramatic.
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