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Michelle Foster, Soprano
Patrick Hemmerlé, Piano

Tuesday 4 October 2011

"Michelle Foster was bewitching, infuriating, and spontaneous as Concepción, with a pleasing soubrettish soprano…"
Raymond Monelle, Opera

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Programme

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Born in Lancashire, soprano Michelle Foster studied at the RSAMD's Alexander Gibson Opera Studio, with Jane Irwin and Patricia MacMahon. She graduated with a first class honours degree in 2003, and completed a Master of Music performance in 2004. During her studies, Michelle was awarded scholarships from The Countess of Munster Musical Trust, The Musicians’ Benevolent Fund, The Ruby and Will George Trust and The Mary Garden Scholarship Fund, as well as a travelling scholarship to Canada from the Canadian Scottish Philharmonic Foundation. The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, The Leverhulme Trust, The Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust and the South Square Trust also generously supported Michelle’s studies.
  
Public recitals have led Michelle to perform widely across the UK and abroad. Engagements include recitals at Gleneagles for Scotland International, Mahler’s Rückert Lieder in Toronto (Canada), Mahler’s 4th Symphony at the RSAMD under James Lowe and Britten’s les illuminations with Edinburgh University String Orchestra. Michelle has also performed in recital with Sir Thomas Allen, Patricia MacMahon, Lisa Milne, Peter Wilson and Malcolm Martineau, and has sung at Glasgow’s West End Festival with Graeme McNaught. She has also given recitals for Scottish Executive, Channel Four, the Conservatorio di Monopoli (Italy), and House for an Art Lover. Michelle is also in demand as an Oratorio performer; she has sung at York Minster with the York Music Society in Handel’s Israel in Egypt, Handel’s Messiah in Manchester with Richard Lea, Elgar’s Coronation Ode and Mozart’s Coronation Mass in Glasgow under Ben Parry, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solonnelle for HHCOS at Aberdeen’s Music Hall with David Jones, and many performances of Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem throughout Scotland, including a performance with the BBC Scotland's ‘scratch’ orchestra. Most recently Michelle performed Haydn’s Nelson Mass with The Kelvin Choir.

Michelle’s career as a recitalist has also brought opportunities to perform throughout Europe and Canada in recitals for the Schubert Society of Germany, and The Canadian Scottish Philharmonic Foundation in Toronto. Michelle also recently sang in recital with Malcolm Martineau in Edinburgh, in aid of the Mary Garden scholarship award. She made her debut at the Wigmore hall in 2007, as a semi finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier Awards, and was a semi finalist in 2005’s prestigious YCAT selection in London. Michelle has also performed for the Royal Overseas League in Edinburgh, at the Glasgow Summerfest in a recital of Strauss Lieder with Jane Irwin and Nico de Villiers, in recital with Graeme McNaught performing Schoenberg and Berg Lieder, as well as recording soundtrack music for the BBC documentary Galapagos. Most recently Michelle performed Berg’s Sieben Frühe Lieder with Julia Lynch for Tickhill Music Society, as well as being selected as a Featured Artist for Making Music’s Concert Promoter’s Network.

Operatic roles include ‘Rusalka’ (Rusalka), ‘Countess Almaviva’ (le nozze di Figaro), ‘Marguerite’ (Faust), ‘Marěnka’ (The Bartered Bride), ‘Leïla’ (les Pêcheurs de Perles),‘Female Chorus’ (The Rape of Lucretia), ‘Concepçion’ (L’heure Espagnole) in collaboration with the RSAMD and the orchestra of Scottish Opera, and ‘Donna Elvira’ (Don Giovanni, RSAMD). She also toured in 2010 with Opera on a Shoestring, in their production of Espagna, as well as with Scottish Opera in La Bohème.

Official Web Site

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Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1981, he commenced his piano studies at the age of eight and in 1991 he entered the Versailles Conservatoire to be taught by Desire N Kaoua, during which time he worked in parallel with Nadine and Leslie Wright, whose influence was evident for a number of years. Janine Boutin, at the same time, taught him harmony and counterpoint.

In 1995 he was awarded the Brevet d’excellence of the Conservatoire European. He took an active part in the Guyenne Summer Festival of Music where he won several times the Young Talents competition, which resulted in a number of concerts in that region.

The following year he obtained a bursary to study for a year at the Glasgow Royal Academy of Music and Drama under the tutelage of Graham Scott. During this year he took part in the master classes of the pianists Boris Berman and Dmitri Alexelev and was chosen by the Academy to give many recitals throughout the United Kingdom.

In 2000 he entered the Conservatoire Superiore de Paris, joining Billy Eldi’s class, whilst at the same time studying chamber music with Paul Boufil. In 2002 he won the first prize and entered the soloist department soloist for 2 years.

In 2004 he entered in September the Conservatoire of Rueil to study accompaniment with Angeline Pondepeyre and piano with Chantal Riou, where he obtained the two first prizes for his year.

For several years he has received advice from the pianists Ventsislav Yankoff and Joaquin Soriano.

Since 2004 he has given many recitals in Paris, (including salle Cortot, Sorbonne) Belgium, Germany, England and Spain. He has played the First Chopin Concerto with the Orchestra of Toledo, and played in two pianos with his teacher, which was broadcast for the Feast of Music Day.

In 2006 he obtained the fourth prize in the Jose Iturbi International Piano Competition together with the prize for the best interpretation of the Beethoven Concerto, the music of Chopin, and Spanish music.

In 2007he won the 1st prize in the International Toledo Piano Competition and a special award for his interpretation of Spanish music.

In 2008,he won the 2nd prize (1st prize non attributed),in the Scriabin competition in Grosseto, in Italy.

He released his first CD in December 2008, recorded at Trinity College Chapel, Cambridge, which includes works by Bach, Chopin, Brahms and Albeniz.

Since 2006, his interest for the practice of chamber music lead led him to form a duo with the French violinist Mélanie Clapies, and has given many concerts, performing works by the great German composer as well as lesser known sonatas such as Roussel, Roparz, Enescu.

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