I am delighted to have been accepted for the Wilhelm Stenhammar International Singing Competition 2022! I will be travelling to Norrköping, Sweden to compete from 9th-17th June – all rounds of the competition will be at the Louis de Geer Concert Hall and will be open to the public.
News
Competition News
I am so pleased to have been selected as a finalist of the Boosey & Hawkes Sing Finzi Competition and as a semi-finalist for the Merikanto Singing Competition! Thank you to the judges in both competitions and looking forward to the next stages!
Helsinki lied competition – second prize winner
I am delighted to have been awarded the Second Prize in the Helsinki Lied Competition 2021, with my duo partner Kumi Shimozaki!
We had such a great weekend performing together and were warmed by the supportive and appreciative audience.
A project like this takes a lot of work and we are so glad to have been able to share all of our programmes with the audience. We worked very hard to create a dynamic programme of music that means something to us and showcases our identity as a duo. It was a joy to explore all of this repertoire!
We are humbled to have been awarded the prize on top of it all! There were so many wonderful performances over the weekend and it was great to finally be able to meet with other musicians again and to celebrate lied and music making live once more.
Thank you to all the judges, organisers, everyone involved! An artistically invigorating weekend!
Sonic Blossom by Lee Mingwei
What a joy it was to explore using Schubert’s lieder to give a gift of music to visitors to the Ateneum in Helsinki over the past couple of months. Reactions were so varied and often deeply moving – I feel very proud to have given visitors a unique, unexpected, touching experience and was so warmed by the many listeners that came to express their thanks and to share with me about their experience.
It is amazing to think how this project has travelled around the world and has touched so many people from so many cultures. I am honoured to have been a part of it.
https://ateneum.fi/en/exhibitions/lee-mingwei-sonic-blossom/
Soiva Kieli – songs of lockdown and isolation
I found this exploration and musical response to our difficult period of Covid to be really inspiring and reinvigorating. I enjoyed the process of bringing out these themes in these work whilst also experiencing live rehearsals and collaboration again. It felt like such a positive project as we hopefully are now moving out of this dark period.
Semele, Handel
I had an amazing time singing Semele in the summer! I learnt a lot from this project and it was a joy to be back working in a live team and to sing with the orchestra. Special thanks to conductor Eamonn Dougan and vocal coach Tulli Lindeberg for all their support in realising this amazing role!
Here is a link to the performance; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX5wn2qXSZ8&t=7676s
Soiva Kieli Concert Series; Nature, the gentlest Mother
I loved being part of the Soiva Kieli project at the Sibelius Academy, exploring rarely heard Nordic repertoire on the theme of Nature, juxtaposed with readings about the effects of climate change around the world.
The concert is still available to view at this link; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JPtk6gqaHw
I sing a variety of beautiful works by Saariaho, Nielsen, Grieg and Stenhammar.
Handel’s ‘Semele’ this August
I am delighted to be singing the title role in Handel’s Semele this summer, as part of the Sibelius Summer Academy in collaboration with the Vantaa BRQ Festival and Audite Choir. Looking forward to getting started!
Summer update
I’ve really enjoyed working on new projects over recent months and I am grateful to have had some work continue during these difficult times.
I had a great time in the working group for Oblivia’s their new opera Obsessions – lots of free improvisation, fun and so great to be back working with new people. Stay tuned for my upcoming contribution to their blog!
At the Sibelius Academy this term I am proud to have performed in a Masterclass of Saariaho’s music lead by Anu Komsi and Pia Värri. It was amazing to dive into this music for a week and I am pleased the performance will available to share online soon.
I also finished the production of L’amico Fritz by Mascagni with SibA Opera too and am pleased this is now available online too at this link; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GInJtu3F0M
Competition Semi-Finalist
So happy to have been selected as a semi-finalist for the Opera Tools Vocal Competition. Many thanks to the jury and I’m so looking forward to the next round.
More info; https://www.facebook.com/ferramentasdaopera/videos/241815127589475
https://ferramentasdaopera.wixsite.com/operatools
