The following information was kindly provided to me by John McHugh, Artist Manager at Hazard Chase Ltd.
ANGELA GILBERT, soprano
South African soprano Angela Gilbert made her professional debut as Sandrina in La finta giardiniera in her native Cape Town where she has also performed a variety of roles including Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi. A graduate of the South African College of Music in Cape Town, Angela Gilbert was the recipient of numerous awards and prizes including the 1996 VITA award, the 1997 Oudemeester Music Prize, the Adcock Ingram Music Prize and the Chiappini Opera Trust, and was also chosen to represent South Africa at the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 2003.
Her operatic repertoire includes Antonia/Olympia and Giulietta in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Norina in Don Pasquale, Violetta in La Traviata and title role in Lucia di Lammermoor for Cape Town Opera, Micaela in Peter Brook’s La Tragedie de Carmen (which toured South Africa and Namibia), Morgana in Alcina at the Handel Festival in Germany, the title role in Donizetti's Adelia, Inez in La Favorita and Elena in La Donna del Lago for the Opera Orchestra of New York at Carnegie Hall, Madame Hertz in Der Schauspieldirektor, Norina and a solo recital with Steven Blier for Wolf Trap Opera, title role in Lucia di Lammermoor for Palm Beach Opera and Violetta for the Spier Festival in Cape Town.
In the 2000/2001 season, Angela Gilbert joined the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera New York where she has appeared in several Young Artist Gala Concerts under James Levine, and her operatic roles have subsequently included the Unborn in Die Frau ohne Schatten (under Christian Thielemann and Philippe Auguin), the Dew Fairy in Hänsel und Gretel (under Sir Charles Mackerras), the Peasant in Le Nozze di Figaro (under Donald Runnicles) and the Shepherdess in L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (under James Levine).
Recent engagements include appearances at the New York Festival of Song with Steven Blier, Violetta in Pretoria, Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte at the Lyrique en Mer Festival in Belle Ile, France, and Gilda in Rigoletto in South Africa. In addition, Angela recently covered the roles of Queen of the Night and Olympia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann at the MET.
Concert engagements include extensive concerts with the Cape Town Philharmonic and the Natal Philarmonic in South Africa, a series of opera concerts at the Hanover Festival in Germany, Cunegonde in highlights of Bernstein’s Candide at the MET (under James Levine) and Konstanze in highlights of Die Entführung aus dem Serail (under James Levine) at the Danny Kaye Playhouse. A keen recitalist Angela has performed for both NYFOS and the inaugural concert of SEFOS (South Eastern Festival of Song), who sponsor her in the USA.
Engagements in 2006 include her debut with San Diego Opera in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor (under Richard Bonynge), Honegger's Le Roi David in Atlanta, Handel's Messiah in Cape Town, a song recital at the Klein Karoo Festival in South Africa, Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail for Icelandic Opera, and her debut with Kentucky Opera in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor. Subsequent engagements include Lucia di Lammermoor for the Anna Livia International Opera Festival in Dublin and the title role in Maria Stuarda for San Diego Opera.
John McHugh, Artist Manager
Hazard Chase Ltd
25 City Road, Cambridge, CB1 1DP
Direct Line - 01223 706024, Fax 01223 460827
