Margaret Medlyn

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Margaret Medlyn
ONZM
Margaret Medlyn ONZM (cropped).jpg
Medlyn in 2012
Born (1955-10-07) 7 October 1955 (age 70)
Falmouth, Cornwall, England
CitizenshipNew Zealand
Occupations
Relatives Helen Medlyn (sister)
Academic background
Alma mater Victoria University of Wellington
Thesis
Doctoral advisor

Margaret Medlyn ONZM (born 7 October 1955) is a New Zealand opera singer and voice teacher. First a mezzo-soprano, then a soprano, she performed title roles such as Verdi's Aida and Puccini's Tosca with the Wellington Opera, and appeared as a guest internationally. In 2012, Medlyn was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to opera. Her 2016 dissertation, entitled Embodying Voice: Singing Verdi, singing Wagner from Victoria University of Wellington was published.

Contents

Early life and education

Medlyn was born in Falmouth, Cornwall, England, on 7 October 1955, [1] and emigrated with her family to New Zealand in the early 1960s when she was five. [2] She grew up in West Auckland and was educated at Henderson High School. [2] Medlyn studied music at the University of Auckland, earning a Bachelor of Music degree. [2] [3] She became a naturalised New Zealand citizen in 1978. [1]

Medlyn's sister, Helen Medlyn, is also an opera singer. [2]

Career

Medlyn made her operatic debut in London, singing the title role in Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss with Opera Viva, and then spent four years with Kent Opera. [3] [4] She then returned to New Zealand and performed with the Wellington Opera in roles such as Cherubino in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro , Azucena in Verdi's Il trovatore , the title role of Bizet's Carmen , and Floßhilde in Wagner's Das Rheingold . [3] Although she started out as a mezzo-soprano, her voice gradually changed to the soprano range, [3] [5] turning to roles such as Musetta in Puccini's La bohème , Verdi's Aida and Puccini's Tosca. [3] Medlyn appeared at the Opera of South Australia, in 1999 as Leonora in Verdi's Il trovatore and in 2002 as Kundry in Wagner's Parsifal . She performed with Opera Australia, in 2001 as Giorgetta in Puccini's Il tabarro and in 2002 as Agathe in Weber's Der Freischütz . She portrayed Marie in Alban Berg's Wozzeck at the Melbourne Opera in 2001. At the Vienna State Opera, she performed as Helmwige in Wagner's Die Walküre in 2002. [3] She appeared at the Royal Opera House in London, with the English National Opera, and with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony and the Malaysian Philharmonic. [2] [6] Her roles have also included the title role of Salome by R. Strauss, Puccini's Turandot, and Isolde in Wagner's Tristan und Isolde . [7] Her 2008 portrayal of the Kostelnicka in Janáček's Jenůfa was considered remarkable. [8] [9]

Medlyn joined the New Zealand School of Music in 2007, and was head of voice at Victoria University of Wellington. She has also taught at the New Zealand Opera School. [10] [2] Medlyn completed a PhD titled Embodying Voice: Singing Verdi, singing Wagner at Victoria University of Wellington in 2016, which was later published by Routledge. [11] She is a national recording artist for Radio New Zealand, recording a number of recitals and releasing four CDs. [7]

Medlyn is a vice patron of the Orpheus Choir in Wellington. [12]

Honours and awards

In the 2012 Queen's Birthday and Diamond Jubilee Honours, Medlyn was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to opera. [13] [14]

Publications

References

  1. 1 2 "Margaret Medlyn in the New Zealand, naturalisations, 1843–1981" . Ancestry.com Operations. 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bridgeman, Shelley (10 September 2008). "Sister act". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kutsch, K.-J.; Riemens, Leo (2012). "Medlyn, Margaret". Großes Sängerlexikon (in German) (4th ed.). De Gruyter. p. 3040. ISBN   978-3-59-844088-5.
  4. ↑ "Margaret Medlyn". thebigidea.nz. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  5. ↑ Lees, Heath (30 June 2000). "Margaret Medlyn – scaling the heights". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  6. ↑ Walls, Peter (22 October 2014), "Classical musicians – New Zealand-based musicians", Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, retrieved 24 September 2024
  7. 1 2 "Margaret Medlyn – SOUNZ". sounz.org.nz. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  8. ↑ Westwood, Matthew (25 September 2008). "Janacek's masterpiece of restraint". The Australian.
  9. ↑ Wilson, Roger (15 October 2008). "As good as it gets". Capital Times. p. 9.
  10. ↑ Wellington, Victoria University of (20 April 2016). "Meet Margaret Medlyn—Head of Classical Voice | News | Te Herenga Waka". Victoria University of Wellington. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  11. ↑ Medlyn, Margaret (2016). Embodying Voice: Singing Verdi, singing Wagner (PhD thesis). Victoria University of Wellington. doi: 10.26686/WGTN.17014502 .
  12. ↑ "Two very special additions to our lineup – Orpheus Choir Wellington". orpheuschoir.org.nz. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  13. ↑ "The Queen's Birthday and Diamond Jubilee Honours List 2012". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 4 June 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  14. ↑ "Queen's Birthday present for Margaret Medlyn". Scoop . 5 June 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
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