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Pizzicato's Review of Schubert: Lieder Watch Elizabeth Watts During the 2009 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition Elizabeth to perform at the home of song, The Wigmore Hall on 27th May Elizabeth is Nominated for the Classical Brit Awards! Read The Financial Times Review of Schubert: Lieder "Elizabeth Watts is clearly one of the brightest new talents" says The Independent Tickets Available Now to Hear Elizabeth as Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro BBC Music Magazine's Rave Review of Schubert: Lieder Schubert: Lieder Released in the USA on January 6, 2009 Listen to Elizabeth's Wigmore Hall Recital on BBC Radio 3 Schubert: Lieder Named Gramophone Editor's Choice for February 2009! Elizabeth Named to The Observer's 2009 Hotlist |
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Read Classical Magazine Pizzicato's Review of Schubert: Lieder "Having selected a Schubert album for her debut on RCA Red Seal, Elizabeth Watts' shows her taste and audacity in her choice of repertoire. We are especially delighted...Roger Vignoles, as always, is a meticulous and communicating accompanist". (translated from the original German) Elizabeth Shares Her Secrets for Success for the 2009 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition 2007 Song Prize winner Elizabeth Watts shares some secrets for success on the BBC's 2009 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition website. Watch Elizabeth tonight during BBC 4's coverage of the competition (from 19:30) - or catch up with BBC iPlayer (iPlayer is available only in the UK). Cheer Elizabeth on at the Classical Brits Red Carpet Show Come and cheer Elizabeth Watts on as she takes to the Red Carpet before the 2009 Classical Brit Awards. The stars will be greeting fans and press from 6:00 - 8:00 PM this Thursday, 14 May, outside of Royal Albert Hall. Don't forget to watch the awards show Tuesday, 19 May at 10:35 PM (GMT) on ITV. For more information, visit www.classicalbrits.co.uk Elizabeth to sing at the home of song, the Wigmore Hall on 27th May Elizabeth will give the London debut of her new "song cycle" Frühlingsreise(Spring Journey). She chose to compile this special collection of Schubert songs both to celebrate the season and because she does not feel it is right for her to sing the great cycle, Winterreise just yet. Miss Watts says of the songs, "The emerging joy of Spring's green and lushful beauty after the hard edge of Winter's sting leaves us open to new paths and new emotional journeys. We leap to embrace the fresh brightness that surrounds us both in person and space. Perhaps too rashly, we are bold with our feelings, not holding back, and pay a heavy toll if our trust is misplaced. Soon the incongruity of Spring's exuberance and the heart's pain serves only to deepen the wound. The juxtaposition of Spring and betrayal is the basis for this journey, fashioned from the songs of Schubert who, according to his friend Eduard von Bauernfeld, had 'a double nature, the Viennese gaiety being interwoven and ennobled by a trait of deep melancholy,' would feel it was in keeping with the spirit of his Schubertiades". The concert also features songs by Liszt and arrangements of British folksongs by Benjamin Britten. Tickets are available via the Wigmore Hall Box Office. Please click here to purchase tickets and for additional information. Elizabeth is Nominated for the Classical Brits! Elizabeth Watts has been nominated for Best Young British Classical Performer of the year for this year's Classical Brit Awards. The nomination was announced at London's MayFair Hotel on Monday, 20th of April. The awards will take place at Royal Albert Hall on 14th May, and will be televised the next week. For photos from the launch party, interviews and more information on the Classical Brits, visit www.classicfm.co.uk. Read The Financial Times Review of Schubert: Lieder Schubert Lieder Elizabeth Watts Among younger-generation English sopranos Watts stands out for her milky timbre and interpretative maturity, showcased by this totally charming recital. Accompanied by Roger Vignoles, she creates a sense of poignancy in each of these 21 songs without ladling on the emotion. There's a glowing "Im Abendrot", a spirited "Die Forelle" and an achingly pretty "Nacht und Träume". Independent Record Review Review Soprano Elizabeth Watts represented her country in the 2007 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, where she won the coveted Rosenblatt Recital Song Prize. A former Ferrier Prize-winner, she's also a BBC 'New Generation Artist' - a singer clearly on the rise. Watts' debut solo disc of Schubert songs mixes the super-familiar with the fairly familiar and the virtually forgotten...The disc's great strength is the voice itself, certainly one of the most beautiful that Britain has produced in a generation. Listen to Im Abendrot and you'll hear real bloom in the sound, a lyric soprano as ravishing as one could possibly want in this repertoire. Excerpted from International Record Review The Independent Gives Schubert: Lieder 4 out of 5 Stars! Independent Review: 4 out of 5 Stars Tickets Available Now to Hear Elizabeth as Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro Elizabeth Watts will tour the UK with the Welsh National Opera as "Susanna" in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro. She will begin the run on March 17, in Llandudno and will perform in Birmingham, Milton Keynes and Swansea prior to finishing the tour on April 17 in Bristol. Visit www.wno.org.uk for more information and to purchase tickets. Read Schubert: Lieder's Rave Review in the January 2009 issue of BBC Music Magazine PERFORMANCE: 4 STARS By: David Nice "Elizabeth Watts's youthful lyric soprano will already be familiar to many listeners through her personable appearances in the 2007 Cardiff Singer of the World competition. Schubert was a wise choice for a debut recital, the songs are carefully programmed and Watts's youthful radiant delivery, with no flaws in technique that I can hear, fits many of the Lieder like a glove...'An den Mond' makes a fine, introspective start; focused youthful exuberance freshens up 'Die Forelle', and innocence charms in 'Nachtviolen'. A few lines like the soaring in 'Liane' certainly stand out, and a darker tone-colour briefly makes its mark in 'Des Madchens Klage' (time and again I hear Mozart's Pamina, an ideal role for Watts at this stage)". Schubert: Lieder Released in the USA Elizabeth's debut, the critically acclaimed Schubert: Lieder released in the US on January 6, 2009. Available now from Amazon.com and other fine music retailers. Listen to Elizabeth's Wigmore Hall Recital on BBC Radio 3 Elizabeth performed songs from Mozart, Mendelssohn and Wolf. She is joined by pianist Philip Thomas. Click here to listen Elizabeth's Debut Schubert: Lieder Named Gramophone Magazine's Editor's Choice for February 2009
By Richard Wigmore "Hailed as a singer to watch after winning the 2006 Kathleen Ferrier Award and the 2007 Cardiff Song Prize, Elizabeth Watts makes her CD debut with this refreshingly unhackneyed Schubert programme. Perennial soprano favourites - "Die Forelle", "Nach und Träume", "Frühlingsglaube", "Suleika" - are not shunned. But Watts has alighted on some rarely aired gems. How often in recital do we hear the agitated scena-in-miniature "Aus Diego Manzanares"; or the playfully charming paean to spring "Die Blumensprache"; or the Novalis setting "Marie", where sacred and profane blur in a song of exquisite, rarefied grace? A voice in its first, radiant freshness is always to be cherished in Schubert. Watts is a thoughtful interpreter, too, alive to mood and atmosphere, colouring her tone in response to a darkening of the harmony in, say, "Sei mir gegrüsst". Crucially, she also brings a measure of innocence and simplicity - not quite the same thing as artlessness - to many of these songs, allied to a technical mastery that allows her to spin a rapt, unblemished line in "Nacht und Träume". Encouraged by Vignoles's buoyant accompaniment, she makes an engaging story-teller in "Die Forelle", with an unexaggerated touch of indignation at the angler's treachery; and she sings the mildly salacious refrain song "Die Männer sind méchant" with just the right wide-eyed mock-pathos..." Excerpted from the February 2009 issue of Gramophone Elizabeth Watts Named to The Observer's 2009 Hotlist! Elizabeth Watts is one of London's The Observer's one-to-watch (and hear), and is featured on their 2009 Hotlist. 'I'm the same age Schubert was when he wrote his songs' The Soprano Elizabeth Watts Soprano Elizabeth Watts, 29, is learning to cope with the contradictions of nascent stardom; with so much praise and criticism heaped on you in equal measure, it can be confusing and disorientating. The Observer hailed her debut album of Schubert songs as outstanding, but another newspaper we don't mention wished she had "left great Schubert for later". She finds that unfair. "He was a young composer. I'm the same age as he was when he wrote those songs. I understand them. You don't need to know about his life; he wrote what he felt on the day. They are always straight from the heart. I share their 'heart on the sleeve' type of passion". That passion is evident when you meet her; a passion for singing and a passion to learn and expand her repertoire, which she is doing at breakneck speed. She's at Wigmore Hall, London, tomorrow lunchtime as part of the Radio 3 New Generation series and at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris the following day. Then it's into rehearsal for Welsh National Opera's touring Marriage of Figaro in which she will sing Susannah, a role perfectly suited to her voice and personality ("She's a feisty girl, like me, I suppose"). The New York Times called Watts "adorable" when she sang the role last year with Santa Fe Opera. She's back at Wigmore Hall on 27 May before heading off on a summer tour with the English Concert under the inspiration Harry Bickett, then Handel at the V&A. The Seasons with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Mahler 4 with the Liverpool Phil - the work is piling in. Watts puts some of her success down to the grounding she had as a chorister at Norwich. Many cathedrals established girls choirs in the 1990s and Elizabeth represents one of the first flowerings of that long-overdue addition to the choral tradition. "I learnt how to sing and how to listen," she says. "Actually, I think it was singing the Psalms that taught me how to phrase the material I'm singing now". As published in The Observer, 4 January 2009 |
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| Elizabeth is interviewed by the Norwich Evening News | |
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By Kate Scotter She has been singing for longer than she can remember and is now bringing music into thousands of homes. KATE SCOTTER talks to soprano singer Elizabeth Watts about her career, ambitions and her hometown. |
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| Elizabeth Watts' RCA Red Seal Debut Recording, Schubert: Lieder is Available Now | |
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SCHUBERT: LIEDER The RCA Red Seal Debut from Soprano ELIZABETH WATTS 
"Delightful and stylish" Ms Watts has chosen a diverse and fascinating collection of Schubert Lieder for her first CD on RCA RED SEAL and is accompanied here by the internationally acclaimed pianist Roger Vignoles. The disc clearly displays the breadth of her knowledge in and her obvious passion for this repertoire, as Ms Watts listened to every Lied before making her final selection for the recording, which features both much-loved and lesser-known works. Commented Tom Hull, Ms Watts' manager at Ingpen and Williams: "This is repertoire that Elizabeth performs supremely well". It is Ms Watts' intention for the recording to recreate an intimate salon-style Liederabend. Says Elizabeth Watts: "I want this sublime music to speak for itself and for the listener to connect with my deep affection for the works". Elizabeth Watts' acclaimed Cardiff participation followed on from other successes including the 2006 Kathleen Ferrier Prize; the 2007 Outstanding Young Artist Award at the ‘MIDEM Classique Awards' in Cannes and a nomination for the 2007 Royal Philharmonic Society's Young Artist of the Year Award. She was also selected for representation by YCAT. As an alumna of the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme in Aldeburgh, Elizabeth Watts has appeared at the Purcell Room, Bridgewater Hall, Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Aldeburgh Festival, among many others. Her operatic work has included the roles of Flora in Tippett's ‘The Knot Garden' in a Music Theatre Wales / Royal Opera House co-production; the title role in a British Youth Opera production of Handel's Semele and the role of Arthébuze in a semi-staged performance of Charpentier's ‘Actéon, directed by Emmanuelle Haïm at the Aldeburgh Festival. Ms Watts enjoyed considerable success in whilst at the Royal College of Music and at English National Opera on their Young Singers' Programme, making her debut as Papagena in Die Zauberflöte. The summer of 2008 saw her debut at Santa Fe Opera singing Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro. Ms Watts will return to Cardiff to sing the role of Susanna for Welsh National Opera in spring 2009. Said Alex Miller, General Manager and Senior Vice President of SONY BMG Masterworks: "Naturally, we are all very excited to be working with Elizabeth Watts. She led the way in one of the world's most prestigious singing competitions displaying tremendous stylistic flexibility and a wonderful connection with her audience and we are proud that she will be bringing her amazing talent to the SONY BMG roster" |
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| Read The Observer's Review of Schubert Lieder | |
Rising star Elizabeth Watts makes her recording debut with this collection of 20 Schubert songs and immediately makes plain why she is one of today's most talked-about young sopranos. Her beautiful, honey-toned voice, perfect intonation and innate understanding of this repertoire makes this a stand-out CD. She charms with the moonlight of 'An den Mond', glows with the sunset of 'Im Abendrot' and breaks our hearts with the sadness of 'Lambertine'. Roger Vignoles has been playing these songs for years, yet sounds as fresh as his young companion, who must surely have a glittering career ahead". - SP |
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| Read The Times Review of Schubert: Lieder | |
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"The winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award in 2006 and Cardiff Singer of the World Song Prize in 2007, Watts is the new soprano to hear. She proves herself an ideal lieder singer on this Schubert disc with her bright tone, infallible tuning, clear German diction, innate lover's sadness and ability to portray a scene and tell a story simply and vividly. The silver glint in her voice matches the shrouded moonlight in An den Mond, as well as the nightingale in An die Nachtigall. She has a strong sense of partnership with her pianist, Roger Vignoles, who gurgles playfully in Die Forelle, while she, at first charmed, registers bitter disappointment when the trout is captured".
Rising star Elizabeth Watts has signed her first CD deal. The soprano's collection of Schubert Lieder was released on Sony BMG imprint RCA Red Seal on November 3. This follows a string of high-profile successes for the singer, born in 1979. She won both the 2006 Kathleen Ferrier Prize and the Outstanding Young Artist Award at the 2007 MIDEM Classique Awards. Last year also saw her reach the final of the biennial Cardiff Singer of the World competition, which led to her selection for BBC Radio 3's New Generation Artist Scheme. As an alumna of the Britten-pears Young Artist Programme in Aldeburgh, Watts has sung at Bridgewater Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and many other venues. Her operatic work includes the role of Papagena in The Magic Flute on the English National Opera's Young Singers' Programme and Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, where, according to the Denver Post critic, she "lit up the stage with her big smile, spirited stage presence and fresh, pearly voice with a lovely high register". She returns to the role with Welsh National Opera in Spring 2009. Her debut disc features popular and lesser-known works by Schubert. Watts listened to every Lied before choosing the pieces for the recording. "I want this sublime music to speak for itself and for the listener to connect with my deep affection for the works," she said. Alex Miller, general manager and senior vice president of Sony BMG Masterworks praised Watts' "tremendous stylistic flexibility" and the "wonderful connection she has with her audience". Hannah Nepil |
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Born in 1979, Elizabeth Watts was a chorister at Norwich Cathedral and then read Archaeology at Sheffield University before winning a scholarship to the Royal College of Music Benjamin Britten International Opera School in 2002. Whilst there, she won numerous awards and was selected for representation by Young Concert Artists Trust in 2004. She went on to win the 2006 Kathleen Ferrier Prize, the 2007 Outstanding Young Artist Award at the "MIDEM Classique Awards" in Cannes, and represented England at the 2007 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, reaching the final and winning the prestigious Rosenblatt Song Prize. She was recently selected for BBC Radio 3's New Generation Artists scheme, and has been twice nominated for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award.
Elizabeth joined English National Opera Young Singers' Programme in 2005, where her roles included Music and Hope/Orfeo and roles in King Arthur in a co-production with the Mark Morris Dance Company. She reprised her role in Orfeo with the Boston Handel & Haydn Society and performed King Arthur in Berkeley, California, before making her Santa Fe Opera debut in 2008, as Susanna/Le Nozze di Figaro and will undertake the same role for Welsh National Opera in 2009. Other operatic work includes Flora/The Knot Garden for Music Theatre Wales/Royal Opera House, the title role of Semele for British Youth Opera, and Arthébuze/Actéon conducted by Emannuelle Haïm at the Aldeburgh Festival. She returns to the Royal Opera House in 2009 singing the role of Mandane in Thomas Arne's Artaxerxes.
Elizabeth is much in demand as a recitalist, working regularly with pianists such as Roger Vignoles, Julius Drake and Gary Matthewman and performing at many of Europe's leading venues and festivals, including the Wigmore Hall, Tonhalle Zurich, and the Aldeburgh Festival. Her recent concert engagements have included appearances with the London Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Scottish Chamber orchestras, the City of London Sinfonia, The English Concert, on tour through Europe, the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the 2008 Proms, the Handel & Haydn Society in Boston, Massachusetts, and chamber music concerts with the Aronowitz Ensemble and Ensemble 360.
Management
Thomas Hull
Ingpen & Williams
7 St George's Court
131 Putney Bridge Road
London SW15 2PA
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0) 20 8874 3222
F: + 44 (0) 20 8877 3113
Publicity
Karen Pitchford
Sony Music Entertainment UK
T: +44 (2) 20 8361 8753
E: karen.pitchford@sonybmg.com
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TRACK LISTING FRANZ SCHUBERT (January 31, 1797 – November 19, 1828)
With Roger Vignoles, piano Reocrded May 18 – 20, 2008 at Potton Hall, Suffolk, Great Britain Amazon.com • Amazon.co.uk• iTunes
Click to watch Elizabeth Watts discuss the recording of
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Please visit this site or join her Facebook fan page for updates on forthcoming concerts.
| Date: | 30 October; 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 14 November |
| City: | London, UK |
| Venue: | Linbury Studio - Royal Opera House |
| Repertoire: | Arne: Artaxerxes (Mandane) |
| Performing with: | Christopher Ainslie (Artaxerxes); Andrew Staples (Artabanes); Caitlin Hulcup (Arbaces); Rebecca Bottone (Semira); Steven Ebel (Rimenes); Ian Page, conductor |
| Date: | 27 November |
| City: | London, UK |
| Venue: | Barbican |
| Repertoire: | Mozart: Requiem, K. 626 |
| Performing with: | Anna Stéphany, mezzo-soprano; Ed Lyon, tenor; Jonathan Lemalu, bass-baritone; BBC Symphony Orchestra; BBC Symphony Chorus; David Robertson, conductor |
| Date: | 15 & 16 December |
| City: | Huddersfield, UK |
| Venue: | Huddersfield Town Hall |
| Repertoire: | Handel: Messiah |
| Performing with: | Grant Llewellyn |
| Date: | 19 December |
| City: | London, UK |
| Venue: | Cadogan Hall |
| Repertoire: | Handel: Messiah |
| Performing with: | Academy of Ancient Music |
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