Beth Taylor

Last updated

Beth Taylor
Born (1993-10-13) 13 October 1993 (age 30)
Glasgow, Scotland
Education Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Occupation

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 .

Contents

Life

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]

Related Research Articles

A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; Italian:[ˌmɛddzosoˈpraːno]; meaning "half soprano") 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cecilia Bartoli</span> Italian opera singer

Cecilia BartoliOMRI is an Italian coloratura mezzo-soprano opera singer and recitalist. She is best known for her interpretations of the music of Bellini, Handel, Mozart, Rossini and Vivaldi, as well as for her performances of lesser-known music from the Baroque and Classical period. She is known for singing both soprano and mezzo roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Larmore</span> American opera singer (born 1958)

Jennifer Larmore is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer, particularly noted for her performances in coloratura and bel canto roles which she has performed in the world's major opera houses. She has been a professor at the Music College of Seoul National University since March 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwendolyn Killebrew</span> American operatic contralto (1941–2021)

Gwendolyn Killebrew was an American operatic contralto and mezzo-soprano who worked in Germany and internationally, including the Metropolitan Opera and the Bayreuth Festival. She performed in the 1971 world premiere of Ginastera's Beatrix Cenci for the opening of the new opera house of Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She was a member of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein from 1976 to 2006, where she took part in the world premiere of Klebe's Gervaise Macquart, and performed in other contemporary operas. After retirement, she worked as a music educator, giving master classes and teaching privately.

Tanja Ariane Baumgartner is a German operatic mezzo-soprano. A member of the Oper Frankfurt since 2009, she has enjoyed an international career, appearing in major European and American opera houses and the Salzburg Festival.

Christof Loy is a German stage director especially for opera, whose work received several awards. A freelance director, he has staged operas from Baroque to premieres of new works at major European opera houses and festivals. He is known for directing works by Mozart.

Kirsten MacKinnon is a Canadian operatic soprano. A winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2017, she has appeared internationally.

Kateryna Kasper is a Ukrainian operatic soprano. A member of the Oper Frankfurt, she has appeared in major international opera houses. She has performed in recitals and recordings. Her broad repertory includes works from Cavalieri's Spiel von Seele und Körper to the premiere of Der goldene Drache by Péter Eötvös.

Jennifer Holloway is an American operatic mezzo-soprano and soprano who has made an international career performing at leading opera houses and festivals. She began as a mezzo-soprano singing roles such as Adalgisa in Bellini's Norma, and moved to soprano roles such as Salome and Grete Graumann in Schreker's Der ferne Klang.

Enea Scala is an Italian operatic tenor in the belcanto field, known internationally as a performer of Rossini's roles such as Rinaldo in Armida, Argirio in Tancredi, Pirro in Hermione, Idreno in Semiramide and Otello. He has appeared at major opera houses and festivals, and has made recordings.

Kathrin Göring is a German operatic mezzo-soprano, a member of the Oper Leipzig who has appeared at other major opera houses, also in concert and recital, and made recordings. She has appeared in Leipzig in leading roles such as Bizet's Carmen and Wagner's Parsifal. She sang both Fricka and Waltraute in Der Ring in Minden.

Julia Bauer is a German operatic coloratura soprano who has appeared at major opera houses and also in concert and recital. She has had leading roles such as Zerbinetta and Lulu, and was Freia, Helmwige, Forest Bird, Woglinde and Third Norn in Der Ring in Minden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romana Vaccaro</span> Czech-German soprano (1956–2024)

Romana Vaccaro was a Czech-German operatic soprano.

Elizabeth Reiter is an American operatic soprano who has been based at the Oper Frankfurt from 2013, where she covered a broad repertoire from Armida in Handel's Rinaldo to the double role Renee/Alice in the German premiere of Olga Neuwirth's Lost Highway. She performed at international opera houses and festivals, such as singing Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni in Tanglewood, conducted by James Levine.

Judita Nagyová is a Slovak mezzo-soprano. She is a versatile member of the Oper Frankfurt, who has appeared at European opera houses and festivals. She took part in the world premiere of Arnulf Herrmann's Der Mieter.

Heather Phillips is an American operatic coloratura soprano. She began her career at the Santa Fe Opera where she created there the role of Katie in Jennifer Higdon's Cold Mountain in 2015. She made her European debut at the Oper Frankfurt in 2022 in the title role of Rossini's Bianca e Falliero.

Theo Lebow is an American operatic tenor, based at the Oper Frankfurt. He has performed leading roles in the United States and Europe, including world premieres such as Gordon's 27 and Herrmann's Der Mieter.

Ana Victória Pitts is a Brazilian mezzo-soprano who has performed internationally.

Anna Igorevna Nekhames is a Russian operatic soprano who has made an international career. She has been based since 2022 at the Oper Frankfurt, where she performed the coloratura soprano roles of the Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte and the exceptionally difficult dual role of Venus and Chief of the Gepopo in Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre.

Cecelia Hall is an American operatic mezzo-soprano. A native of North Carolina, Hall trained as a singer at Depaul University and the Juilliard School before becoming a member of the young artist programs at the Metropolitan Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. She made her European debut at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 2014 and in 2016 she became a resident artist at Oper Frankfurt; a position she remains in as of 2024. She continues to perform as a guest artist in operas and concerts with other organizations internationally. She has performed leading roles in the mezzo-soprano repertoire including title roles, both women such as Purcell's Dido, Rossini's La Cenerentola, and Piazzolla's María de Buenos Aires, and men including Cavalli's [Eliogabalo]], Handel's Ariodante, Serse and Teseo, Mozart's Ascanio in Alba and Humperdinck's Hänsel.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Beth Taylor / Mezzo Soprano". Neue Stimmen. August 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Beth Taylor / mezzo-soprano". Oper Frankfurt. 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  3. "Beth Taylor" (in German). Deutsche Oper Berlin. 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  4. "Beth Taylor / Mezzo Soprano". Samling Institute for Young Artists. August 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  5. "Beth Taylor / Mezzo-soprano". Longborough Festival Opera. 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  6. Molke, Thomas (25 September 2021). "Amadigi". Online Musik Magazin (in German). Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  7. Rosén, Friedeon (30 September 2021). "Frankfurt / Bockenheimer Depot: Amadigi von G.F. Händel. Neuinszenierung". Online Merker (in German). Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  8. Dippel, Roland H. (22 February 2022). "Rossinis Belcanto-Juwel "Bianca e Falliero" an der Oper Frankfurt". Neue Musikzeitung (in German). Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  9. Fuhrmann, Wolfgang (22 February 2022). "Rossini in Frankfurt : Der unendliche Augenblick". FAZ (in German). Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  10. Molke, Thomas (18 February 2022). "Bianca e Falliero". Online Musik Magazin. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  11. "BBC - BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, 2023 - Beth Taylor".