Biography
Recently nominated by the Evening Standard as one of the most influential artists in UK music British soprano Sarah Tynan is well established as one of the most exciting and versatile singers of her generation. Equally comfortable in baroque, classical and contemporary music she is also increasingly in demand for her work in the bel canto repertoire and has recently had great successes with recent Rossini role debuts of Rosina and Fiorilla. She works regularly with many of the leading orchestras, opera companies and ensembles in the UK as well as in Europe and further afield.
In addition to Rosina / Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Fiorilla / Il Turco in Italia her most recent and future operatic engagements include the title role Lucia di Lammermoor, Hanna Glawari / The Merry Widow, the title role in Partenope and Romilda / Xerxes, Euridice / Orpheus and Euridice for English National Opera, Despina / Cosi fan tutte for Opera Holland Park, a staged production of Britten / Les Illuminations with the Aurora Orchestra at the Aldeburgh Festival, the title role in Semele for the Handel and Haydn Society, Boston, Pat Nixon / Nixon in China for the Royal Danish Opera and the Governess / The Turn of the Screw for Opera North.
Previous operatic engagements have included Adina / Elixir of Love, Ilia / Idomeneo, Sophie / Der Rosenkavalier, Tytania / A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Marzelline / Fidelio and Zerlina / Don Giovanni for English National Opera, Merab / Saul for Glyndebourne on Tour, Luigi Nono’s Al gran sole carico d’amore at the Salzburg Festival, Susanna / Le nozze di Figaro for Cincinnati Opera and ENO, Ginevra / Ariodante for Scottish Opera, Cleopatra / Giulio Cesare and Carrie Pipperidge / Carousel for Opera North, Iris / Semele for La Monnaie, Brussels, Pretty Polly in Birtwistle’s Punch and Judy at Casa de Musica, Dalinda / Ariodante at Opera de Oviedo an ENO and Monique in Elizabeth Maconchy’s The Sofa for Independent Opera. Sarah has performed in three world premieres – Dai Fujikura / Solaris at Théâtre des Champs- Élysées, Opéra de Lille and Opéra de Lausanne, Sharon Disney in Philip Glass / The Perfect American at Teatro Real and ENO and Megan in James MacMillan’s The Sacrifice for WNO, and was recently awarded the Welsh Theatre Award for Best Female in an Opera Production for her portrayal of Manon Lescaut in Henze’s Boulevard Solitude at Welsh National Opera.
Equally in demand on the concert platform Sarah has a wide concert repertoire and works regularly with all of the BBC orchestras as well as many of the major UK and European orchestras. She recently made her Maggio Musicale debut in Brahms’ Requiem under Sir Jeffery Tate, which she has also performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Eschenbach, Indiana Symphony Orchestra and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Other engagements have included Carmina Burana with the Cincinnati Symphony under Langrée, BBC Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and BBC Symphony Orchestra, Mahler Symphony No. 4 and Ryan Wigglesworth’s Augenlieder with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Haydn Creation with the London Symphony Orchestra under Gardner, Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe and a staged version with Garsington and Rambert, Bach Matthew Passion with the Bach choir, Poulenc Stabat Mater with Ulster Orchestra under Van Steen , Dallapiccola’s Partita with BBC Philharmonic Orchestra under Noseda at the BBC Proms, Tippett A Child of Our Time and Unsuk Chin’s Kala with the BBC Symphony, Mahler Symphony No.8 with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Philharmonia, Handel’s Messiah with the Gabrieli Consort, Bournemouth Symphony, The Early Opera Company, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Halle, Toch’s Die Chinesische Flöte with the Continuum Ensemble, Handel Solomon with Gabrieli Consort and Campra Le Carnaval de Venise with Le Concert Spirituel. Sarah has also has performed in concert versions of Valencienne / The Merry Widow with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Woglinde / Das Rheingold with the Halle Orchestra and Ännchen / Der Freischütz with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, both under Sir Mark Elder.
Recent and future concert highlights include Vaughan Williams Symphony No 7 with the Philharmonia under John Wilson, Beethoven Symphony No 9 at the Maggio Musicale under Fabio Luisi, Messiah with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the opening concert at the 2018 Edinburgh Festival with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra / Ed Gardner as well as concerts with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under David Parry.
Recordings include Carmina Burana with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Graf and The Creation with Christophers and the Handel and Haydn Society.
Sarah lives in London with her husband, baritone Leigh Melrose, their son and daughter and two cats.
