Helen Withers

Samling Experience: "I had a great time on the week long Samling masterclass in October 2002. Studying in the country gave me time to reflect on the advice given to me by the staff. I couldn't have asked for a more experienced and knowledgeable group of musicians to offer guidance on interpretation and vocal production. I wished I could have prolonged the week."

EDUCATION

2000 – 2002 Guildhall School of Music and Drama − Opera Course

1999 – 2000 Guildhall School of Music and Drama – PDVT

1995 – 1999 Guildhall School of Music and Drama − Bachelor of Music (Honours)

Music exams Voice (Grade 8), Violin (Grade 8), Piano (Grade 6)

PERFORMANCES

Opera Idamante Idomeneo (cover for Glyndebourne Touring Opera); Title role Xerxes (British Youth Opera); Dorabella Così fan tutte, Lucilla The Silken Ladder, Brigitte Iolanta, First Interrogator Going into Shadows by Andrew Schultz, world premiere, 2001 (GSMD); Dido Dido and Aeneas ; Covers: Caitlin (Going into Shadows), Beautiful Spring Snow Maiden, Ciesca Gianni Schicchi at GSMD; soloist in quartet chorus Alceste (English Bach Festival); Glyndebourne Festival chorus; sing-through of Two Hearts of Kwasi Boachi by Jonathan Dove (World premiere, 2006); soloist with SharpWire in Burst Festival 2005, Battersea Arts Centre; soloist in Fairy Queen with Harry Bicket at Britten-Pears International School 2005; soloist in Silver Swan by Paul Clarke for Clod Ensemble at the Edinburgh Fringe festival 2005.

Concert Bach B minor mass, Handel Acis and Galatea, Handel Samson, Elgar The Kingdom, Handel Messiah, Haydn Nelson Mass, Schubert Mass in Eb, Mass in Bb, Mozart Vespers, Vivaldi Gloria, Mendelssohn Hymn of Praise, Mahler Rückert Lieder, Delius Orchestral Songs.

Recital Three Choirs Festival, Barbican Hall, Purcell Room, St. James's, Piccadilly, Fairfield Halls, Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair.

Future Bessie Throckmorton Merrie England at Whitchurch festival, London Handel Festival competition final, the roles of Nimmy and Mary in Push! by David Bruce for Tete-a-tete, and a recording of English song for the Delius and Gurney societies.

REVIEWS

“In voice and looks, this impressive singer seems to have been born to sing Debussy’s Melisande, a judgment I formed after her exquisite performance... Her tone is strong and pure, her diction good, and she gives full weight to the meaning of the texts”

− Sunday Telegraph, Aug 26, 2001

“[Helen Withers] proved to be an exceptionally promising and accurate singer, with excellent diction.” – Sunday Telegraph, Sep 10, 2000

“[Helen Withers] showed a great understanding of the words…while the English songs were sung with soul, her dynamic range and colouring bringing genuine English styling to both.” − Musical Opinion, June 7, 2005

“[Helen Withers] vividly portrayed Dorabella’s mercurial temperament, vocally and histrionically” – Sunday Telegraph, Mar 10, 2002

AWARDS

Winner Thelma King award 2006 (Joint second prize), Royal Over-Seas League 'Most promising young singer', Concordia Foundation of English Singers and Speakers competition, Great Elm Vocal Awards.

Finalist London Handel competition 2006, Royal Over-Seas League 2005 & 2000, Richard Tauber Prize 2005, Gold Medal competition, Susan Longfield Prize (GSMD) 2000, Clonter Opera Prize 2001.

Recipient Wingate scholarship, Allcard award (Worshipful Company of Musicians), Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Madeline Finden Memorial award, Foundation for Sport and the Arts scholarship.

MASTERCLASSES

Steans Institute at the Ravinia Festival, Chicago, with Christoph Eschenbach, Martin Katz, Dawn Upshaw, Pierre Vallet; Samling Foundation residential week with Sir Thomas Allen, Malcolm Martineau; coaching with David Gowland, Martin Isepp, Jonathan Hinden at the National Opera Studio; song masterclasses with Graham Johnson; contemporary workshops with Sarah Walker (GSMD); operatic masterclasses with Yvonne Kenny at Britten-Pears International school.

TEACHERS

Rudolf Piernay (2000-present), Johanna Peters (1997-2000), Laura Sarti (1995-97).

Biography

Born in Wolverhampton, Helen Withers studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with the late Johanna Peters and Rudolf Piernay. She has won prizes including a Thelma King award, the Concordia Foundation of English Singers and Speakers, a Great Elm award, and a Royal Over-Seas League award. She was a finalist in both the 2005 Richard Tauber Prize at Wigmore Hall and the Royal Over-Seas League competition. This year she will be competing in the final of the London Handel Festival competition.

Before going on to sing in the Glyndebourne Festival Opera chorus Helen performed the roles of Dorabella (Cosí fan Tutte), Lucilla (The Silken Ladder), and Brigitte (Iolanta) for GSMD, and the title role in Xerxes for British Youth Opera. Since then she has covered the role of Idamante (Idomeneo) for Glyndebourne Touring Opera. Last year she appeared at the Aldeburgh and Edinburgh Fringe festivals. On the recital platform Helen has performed at the Three Choirs Festival, Purcell Room, St. James’s, Piccadilly, Barbican Hall, Fairfield Halls, and the Ravinia Festival in Chicago. Her oratorio repertoire includes Bach Bminor mass, Mendelssohn Hymn of Praise, and Handel Acis and Galatea.

Her future engagements include Bessie Throckmorton Merrie England at Whitchurch festival, the roles of Nimmy and Mary in Push! by David Bruce for Tete-a-tete, and a recording of English song for the Delius and Gurney societies

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