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The Wagner Society of the United Kingdom

 

Bayreuth Bursary 2008

 

The winner of the Bayreuth Bursary Competition 2008 is

Kim-Marie Woodhouse (mezzo-soprano) who was awarded first prize at

The Linbury Studio Theatre on Saturday 27th October.

Chairman of the society with Kim-Marie Woodhouse

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KIM–MARIE  WOODHOUSE   –   Mezzo-Soprano

Born in Melton Mowbray, Kim–Marie Woodhouse studied singing and performance at the Welsh College of Music & Drama with Maureen Guy where she graduated with distinction. In 1993 she won the Mary Garden International Singing Competition, was runner–up in the National Mozart Competition and was also awarded a Sir Geraint Evans scholarship.  For Opera North, she has sung a wide range of roles including Mercédès Carmen, Second Wood Nymph Rusalka, Carmela La vida breve, Cupid Orpheus in the Underworld, Suzy La rondine, Ernestina Love’s Luggage Lost, Fortune Teller Arabella, Annina La traviata and Lady–in–Waiting Der Zwerg. Her other roles have included Hosta Sarka for Wexford Festival Opera, Herodias Salome for Piggots Barn Opera, and Fenena Nabucco for The Opera Company.

An accomplished concert performer, she has sung the Dvorak Gipsy Songs, Janáçek Diary of a Man who Vanished and Mahler Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen at the Leeds Art Gallery and Sea Pictures at Llandaff Cathedral as well as a wide range of performances with choral societies throughout the UK. Her concert repertoire further includes the B Minor Mass, The Dream of Gerontius, Messiah, Samson, Theodora, Haydn Maria–Theresa Mass, Mozart Requiem, Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle and Stabat Mater the Verdi Requiem and the Vivaldi Gloria.

Most recently, Kim–Marie Woodhouse has sung Dorabella Così fan tutte for Garden Opera, Zerlina Don Giovanni for Opera North, Teodata Flavio for The Early Opera Company and Schwertleite Die Walküre for the Oxford Philomusica.  Highlights of 2006 / 2007 include Odysseus Unwound with Tête–à–Tête and the launch of Kenneth Branagh's new film The Magic Flute, in which she sings Third Lady. Kim-Marie can currently be seen as Flora in La Traviata for Diva Opera touring throughout France.

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The panel of judges were

Neil Howlett

Dame Anne Evans

Graham Clark

Lionel Friend

See image below:

 

 

With the chairman of the society Malcolm Rivers, are

 Helen Johnston, Cara McHardy, Philip O'Brien, Kim-Marie Woodhouse (winner), Laura Hudson

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The details of next year’s competition (Bayreuth Bursary 2009), which will take place in December 2008, will be available on this website from Spring 2008.

 

For further details please email: 

bursary@wagnersociety.org

 

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 Many thanks to Mr Peter West of Donnington Art for these images.

He contacted by clicking here: Donnington Art

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The Mastersingers & The Wagner Society Young Artists Programme

These photographs (© Peter West), and many more, can be seen on the Mastersingers website:  www.mastersingers.org.uk

The Mastersingers Company was formed in 1998 by singer Malcolm Rivers for the promotion of the operas of Richard Wagner and for the development of young Wagner singers working alongside distinguished and experienced exponents of Wagner’s work.

 

The Wagner Society has for many years been supporting young artists, through bursaries and awards for lessons and coaching. It has also funded a number of staged and concert performances to give young artists the opportunity of appearing before the public.

 

The Society has now formally acknowledged this part of its activities by setting up a Young Artists Programme that will carry forward the work of training young artists and providing them with guidance and assistance.

 

Malcolm Rivers, Artistic Director of The Mastersingers, is co-director of the Wagner Society Young Artists Programme.

 

Working with The Mastersingers the programme has so far seen two very successful collaborations with the Rehearsal Orchestra, a performance of scenes from Das Rheingold, Act III of Die Walküre and a fascinating event combining a performance of Wagner’s songs with an exploration through words and music of his stormy relationship with Hector Berlioz.

 

Plans include further collaborations with the Rehearsal Orchestra – on Siegfried Act III and Götterdämmerung Act III, together with staged performances at the Royal Academy of Music.

The Mastersingers receives no grants or subsidy and therefore relies for its funding on private donations. We are always grateful to receive donations from anyone who wishes to help us to continue our work of supporting and developing the next generation of Wagner performers. If you wish to offer your support, please contact Malcolm at: The Mastersingers, 44 Merry Hill Mount, Bushey Herts WD23 1DJ

tel/fax: 020 8950 4651 email: malcolm@mastersingers.org.uk

 

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