Kathryn Rudge

Mezzo-Soprano

Management

Helen Hogh
[email protected]

Fiona Wells
[email protected]

Groves Artists represents Kathryn Rudge worldwide

Biography

Born in Liverpool, Kathryn completed her studies at the Royal Northern College of Music with Susan Roper in 2011.  She was a BBC New Generation artist from 2015-2017, an ENO Young Artist between 2010 and 2013 and a YCAT artist (Young Classical Artists Trust) also between 2010-13.    She has won numerous awards including the MBF Sybil Tutton Award, the Bridgitte Fassbaender award, the Joyce and Michael Kennedy Strauss prizes, the RPS Susan Chilcott Scholarship and the Kathleen Ferrier Bursary.    Kathryn is a Samling Scholar.

Previously featured by The Times as A Rising Star of Classical Music,  Kathryn made her operatic debut to critical acclaim with English National Opera as Cherubino (The Marriage of Figaro) in a production directed by Fiona Shaw, and at Opera North as Sesto (Giulio Cesare).  Recent and future operatic engagements include Dorabella/Cosi fan tutte for Garsington Opera and the Opera de Dijon, Rosina/Barber of Seville for ENO, Cherubino/Le Nozze di Figaro for Glyndebourne Touring Opera, Annio /La Clemenza di Tito, Hermia /A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Zerlina / Don Giovanni for Opera North, Nancy / Albert Herring for the Buxton International Festival as well as a concert performance of Carmen as part of Charles Hazlewood’s 2012 Orchestra In a Field music festival at Glastonbury Abbey.

Sought after for her work in the song repertoire her recital performances have included concerts at Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall, the Brighton, City of London Festivals, and Cheltenham Festival (Broadcast by BBC Radio 3) with recent and future engagements including recitals for the Lake District Summer Music Festival, the Ryedale Festival, the Royal Northern College of Music, the Chester Festival, Lammermuir Festival,  Ludlow Festival of English Song, Oxford Lieder Festival, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Chamber Music series, Champs Hill,  Norfolk and Norwich Festival and a solo recital at the Wigmore Hall.   She was involved in a mini tour of the UK in the 21/22 season performing a semi-staged version of Wolf’s Italian Songbook in the new English translation by Jeremy Sams with artists including Roderick Williams, Christopher Glynn and Robert Murray at the Lammermuir Festival, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, St George’s Bristol and the Wigmore Hall.

On the concert platform Kathryn works regularly with all of the BBC orchestras and has appeared as soloist with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra working with conductors Vasily Petrenko, Carl Davis and John Wilson.  She has sung Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Paul Daniel at the Royal Festival Hall, Mahler’s Das Knaben Wunderhorn at Bridgewater Hall, Karl Jenkins The Armed Man with Manchester Camerata and Berio and Hesketh Songs with the RLPO Ensemble 10/10.    Recent and future concert engagements include the world premiere of Michael Nyman’s Hillsborough Symphony in Liverpool Cathedral, concerts and a recording with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic of Elgar’s Sea Pictures, Mendelssohn’s St Paul for the Huddersfield Choral Society, Mozart Requiem with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales at the BBC Proms, Duruflé Requiem at St Alban’s Cathedral, Missa Solemnis with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, A Child of our Time with the RLPO, Sea Pictures with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Rheinische Philharmonie, a new work by Karl Kenkins to be premiered in Linz, various concerts with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra , BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Bach Choir, Hamburg Symphoniker at the Rheingau Festival and with the Orchestra of Opera North.

Her debut solo recital recording ‘Loves Old Sweet Song’ with pianist James Baillieu, was released in 2014 by Champs Hill and she has also recorded songs by Donald Swann (Hyperion),  songs by Eric Coates and Elgar Orchestral Songs with the BBC Concert Orchestra (Somm),  Gary Carpenter songs with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra / Clark Rundell (Nimbus), Roussel Evocations with the BBC Philharmonic / Tortelier (Chandos)  Leonvavallo’s Zaza and Donzetti Il Paria both for Opera Rara.   Future recording plans include a disc of Elgar songs and Strauss lieder for Somm.

This biography is for website use only. For a full and updated biography, please email [email protected]

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Reviews

  • Recital at Wigmore Hall

    It doesn’t take long (five notes maybe) to hear why people are excited. Her mezzo-soprano voice already has tremendous reserves of power, impeccable intonation, the capacity for a gloriously sustained legato and, most interesting of all, a distinctive vocal quality. The timbre has white-hot intensity that extends undiminished through all of two octaves.

    Richard Morrison The Times
  • Rossini's The Barber of Seville

    Kathryn Rudge, one of Britain’s brightest young mezzos, continues on her upward career curve as a delightful Rosina… Rossini’s fiendish writing held no terrors for her.

    Mark Valencia What’s On Stage
  • York Song Day recital with Christopher Glynn

    Kathryn Rudge began with three songs from Op 10, composed in 1894 and his first to be published. She entered straight into the mood of Zueignung (Dedication), giving its powerful melody a strong line. She never let our attention wander after that either.

    Glynn brought bold colourings to Nichts (Nothing), which she amplified, before a wonderfully contemplative Die Nacht (Night), calm, hovering, treasuring the moment. It was a gem.

    Martin Dreyer Charles Hutchinson Press, 25 February 2022
  • Sea Pictures, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

    The powerful glow and gripping range of her voice – low notes were really anchored with magnificent nobility, and the upper ones nailed with complete precision – came to the fore in a rock-solid performance of ‘Sabbath Morning at Sea’.  Rudge went deeper here, and was more attuned to detail simply because she had no need to worry about the security of her technique; everything was immaculate, and yet incredibly fresh and free.

    Marc Bridle Opera Today / June 2022

News

  • Kathryn Rudge’s latest recording has just been released
    05.09.18

    Kathryn Rudge’s latest recording has just been released

  • Kathryn Rudge appointed Honorary Associate Artist of the Royal Northern College of Music
    27.04.16

    Kathryn Rudge appointed Honorary Associate Artist of the Royal Northern College of Music

  • Ingpen artists at the 2016 BBC Proms
    13.04.16

    Ingpen artists at the 2016 BBC Proms

  • Ingpen & Williams Artists feature widely in the RPS Awards shortlist
    03.04.16

    Ingpen & Williams Artists feature widely in the RPS Awards shortlist

  • Kathryn Rudge announced as a BBC New Generation Artist
    01.10.15

    Kathryn Rudge announced as a BBC New Generation Artist

  • New Kathryn Rudge CD released by Champs Hill Records
    19.03.15

    New Kathryn Rudge CD released by Champs Hill Records