Morag Atchison- Soprano

50 Barfields
Loughton
Essex IGJ 0 3JF
moragatchison@hotmail.com
07961 444 098

Morag Atchison was born in New Zealand and gained a first class music degree from the University of Auckland. She undertook postgraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music graduating with a DipRAM, the Academy's 'Premier Prix'. Morag has won many prizes and scholarships including a Countess of Munster Trust Award, the RAM's opera Prize and a Samling Foundation Scholarship. In 2001 she won first prize in the Madeline Finden Awards, was a finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier Competition and won the New Zealand Society Prize in the Royal Over-Seas League music competition.

Morag's roles include Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni with Sir Cohn Davis and John Copley (London Royal School's Opera); Annina, La Traviata (ETO); La Ciesca, Gianni Schicchi (Aspen Music Festival, USA); Serpetta, Die Gartnerin aus Liebe (LRSO) and Le Feu, L 'Enfant et les Sortilèges (Limburgs Symphonie Orkest, The Netherlands).
Her oratorio and concert repertoire includes Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire (London and Aspen); Vivaldi Gloria with Sir David Wilicocks (Royal Albert Hall and in Venice); Mater Gloriosa in Mahler 's 8th Symphony (RAH); Mozart Coronation Mass (Hull Choral Union); Mozart C Minor Mass (King's Lynn Festival); Haydn's Creation (Wales); St John Passion, Messiah and Carmina Burana. Morag performs regularly in recital in venues including St Martin-in-the-Fields and St James's Piccadilly.

Morag has recently returned from Kenya for the Queen's Golden Jubilee and the Seychelles International Festival of Music. She sang with Sir David Wilicocks in performances of Mozart's Requiem and Gounod's Messe solennelle de Sainte Cécile, with Roger Humphrey in an Opera Gala and a recital of Beethoven's British Folk Songs and Liebeslieder Op.52 by Brahms.
Future engagements include singing at Wells Cathedral with the City of Bath Bach Choir and further performances of Vivaldi's Gloria with Sir David Wilicocks in Venice and at the Royal Albert Hall.

Nationality: New Zealander / Date of birth: 22-06-1974

Education: 1999-2001 London Royal Schools Opera, Royal Academy of Music (DipRAM and PG Diploma of Performance 2001). 1996 - 1999 Royal Academy of Music, Postgraduate Vocal Course (LRAM 1997). 1992 - 1995 University of Auckland, School of Music (BMus(Hons), First Class). 2001 Samling Foundation masterclass week with Sir Thomas Allen. 2000 Aspen Music Festival and School, Colorado (Prof. Vivianne Thomas). 1998 Lake Placid International Vocal Seminar, New York

Teachers: 2002 - Jennifer Dakin 1996 - 2002 Alison Pearce. 1992 - 1996 Beatrice Webster MBE 1991 Isabel Cunningham

Opera: Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni, Mozart London Royal Schools Opera, Sir Cohn Davis; Annina, La Traviata, Verdi English Touring Opera, Andrew Greenwood; La Ciesca, Gianni Schicchi, Puccini Aspen Music Festival, USA Julius Rudel; Serpetta, Die Gärtnerin aus Liebe, Mozart London Royal Schools Opera, Michael Rosewell; Mimi, La Bohême, Puccini (abridged), The Little Theatre in the Alberes, RAM; Le Feu, L'Enfant et les Sortilèges, Ravel Limburgs Symphonie Orkest, Holland, Ed Spanjaard; Belinda, Dido and Aeneas, Purcell, London Goodenough Trust; Worthing Choral Society, Ben Costello; Kingston Singers, St Paul's Covent Garden, Ben Costello; Miss Pinkerton, The Old Maid and the Thief, Menotti, London Goodenough Trust; Fabulina, The Pirates, Stephen Storace Co. Fermanagh Choral Society, David Asater;
Mme Heartfelt, The Impressario, Mozart Class Act Opera, New Zealand.

Oratorio:
J S Bach, Cantata 36, London Bach Festival, Laurence Cummings; J S Bach, St John Passion, Auckland Choral Society, NZ Peter Watts; St Giles Cripplegate, London & Great St Mary's, Christopher Brown; Bolton Choral Society, Malcolm Greenhalgh; Kingston Choral Society, Robin Page; Fanshawe, African Sanctus, Dr Challenor's Grammar School, Ian Hooker; Fauré, Requiem, South Bucks Choral Society, lain Leddingham;
Gounod, Messe de St. Cdclie, Seychelles International Festival of Classical Music, Sir David Willcocks;
Handel, Messiah, St Paul's Knightsbridge, Richard Latham; Greenwich and Bexley Hospice, 'Hallelujah Hospices', Rupert D'Cruze; South West Shropshire Georgian Arts Festival, Richard White; Handel, Ode for Queen Anne, Worthing Choral Society & St Paul's Covent Garden, Ben Costello; Haydn, Creation, Nottingham Bach Choir, Paul Hale; Cantorion, Aeron Singers, Wales, Peter Carder; Haydn, Nelson Mass, Bolton Choral Society, Malcolm Greenhalgh; Co. Fermanagh Choral Society, Northern Ireland, David Asater;
Haydn, Paukenmesse, London Welsh Chorale, St James's Piccadilly, Kenneth Bowen; Mozart, Coronation Mass, Hull Choral Union, Carl Russell; Mass in C Minor (Sop2), King's Lynn Festival, Michael Kibblewhite;
Requiem, The Queen's Golden Jubilee Concert, Nairobi, Kenya, Sir David Willcocks; Seychelles International Festival of Classical Music, Sir David Willcocks; Bolton Choral Society, Malcolm Greenhalgh;
London Welsh Chorale, St James's Piccadilly, Kenneth Bowen; Worthing Philharmonic Orchestra, Robin Page; Bristol Cathedral, Mark Lee; Orff, Carmina Burana, Epsom Choral Society, Robin Kimber; Hanley Castle High School, Dominic Hawley; Uxbridge Choral Society, Antony Goodchild; Vivaldi, Gloria, Concerts from Scratch, Royal Albert Hall, Sir David Willcocks; Concerts from Scratch, Venice, Sir David Willcocks;
Co. Fermanagh Choral Society, Northern Ireland, David Asater; Dixit Dominus, University of Auckland, New Zealand, Karen Grylls.

Concerts and Recitals:
Mahler, Symphony No 8, Hertfordshire Choral Societies, Royal Albert Hall, Derek Harrison; Brahms, Liebeslieder Op52, Seychelles International Festival of Classical Music; Opera Gala, Seychelles International Festival of Classical Music, Roger Humphrey; Schoenberg, Pierrot Lunaire, Aspen Music Festival, USA, Rory McDonald; Fires of Marylebone, Duke's Hall, RAM, Edward Gardner; Ginestera, Cantata para America Magica, Aspen Percussion Ensemble, Jonathan Haas; Copland, 8 Poems of Emily Dickinson, Stravinsky Ensemble, Cambridge University, Rory McDonald; Barber, Hermit Songs, Duke's Hall, RAM, pianist Clinton Cormany; Mozart, Exsultate Jubilate, RAM Chamber Orchestra, Duke's Hall, RAM, David Strange; Ch'io mi scordi di te, RAM Chamber Orchestra, Duke's Hall, RAM, David Strange; Ravel, Complete Songs, Duke's Hall, RAM (with other singers), pianist Clinton Cormany; Schumann, Liederkreis Op.39, Duke's Hall, RAM, pianist Olivia Travers; Wolf Spanisches Liederbuch Duke's Hall, RAM (with other singers) pianist Clinton Cormany Wolf, Mörkie Lieder, Duke's Hall, RAM (with other singers), pianist Llyr Williams;
Recital, St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, pianist Rachel Fuller; Recital, St Ann and St Agnes Church, London, pianist Rachel Fuller; Recital of Lieder and French Melodies, St Dunstan's Fleet Street, London, pianist Olivia Travers; Recital at Hough-on-the-Hill Music Festival, Lincolnshire, pianist Jan Winstone; Recitals, ROSL Concerts St Martin-in-the-Fields & St James's' Piccadilly, pianist Olivia Travers; Recitals, ROSL Concerts St Martin-in-the-Fields, St James's' Piccadilly, Over-Seas House, pianist James Brown.

Prizes and Awards:
Kathleen Ferrier Competition 2001 - Finalist; Madeline Finden Memorial Trust Awards 2001 - First Prize;
Royal Over-Seas League Competitions 2001 - Overseas Finalist and Singer's Finalist, New Zealand Society Prize Winner; Samling Foundation Scholar 2001; Lassetter Award, RAM, 1999 - 2001; Countess of Munster Musical Scholarship Trust Award 1998- 2001 (Star Award 1999/2000); Lurgan Award, RAM, 2000/01; Lucille Graham Award, RAM, 2000/0 1; Frederick Moore Gift, RAM, 2001; English-Speaking Union Scholarship to attend the 2000 Aspen Music Festival and School; Paton Prize, RAM, 1999/2000; G. Embly Memorial Prize, RAM, 1999; Cordelia Moses Award, RAM, 1998/99; Blyth-Buesst Opera Prize, RAM 1998, Michael Head 20th Century Song Prize, RAM, 1999; Chapel Music Scholar, London Goodenough Trust, 1997 - 1999; Associated Boards of the Royal Schools of Music Postgraduate International Scholarship, 1996-1998; Creative New Zealand Grant for Overseas Study 1996; Royal Over-Seas League/New Zealand Society Scholarship 1996;

Forthcoming Engagements Include:
Vivaldi Gloria, Venice, cond. Sir David Witicocks October 2002; Haydn Missa Sancti Nicolai, City of Bath Bach Choir, Wells Cathedral, cond. Nigel Perrin November 2002; Vivaldi Gloria, Royal Albert Hall, cond. Sir David Willcocks July 2003

Reviews:

Don Giovanni, Mozart - Donna Elvira
London Royal Schools Opera
Sir Cohn Davis conductor, John Copley director
"Of the two Elviras, Morag Atchison made an impact with her big, dramatic account of 'Ah, chi mi dice mai' and showed strong stage presence."
Margaret Davies, Opera

La Traviata, Verdi - Annina
English Touring Opera
Andrew Greenwood conductor
"There were good contributions from Joanna Colledge as Violetta's fellow courtesan, Flora and Morag Atchison 's faithful maid."
Gerry Parker, Bristol Evening Post

Nelson Mass, Haydn and Requiem, Mozart
Bolton Choral Union
Malcolm Greenhaigh conductor
"The performance by soprano Morag Atchison.... (was) superb, providing delicate touches of light alongside heart-rendering passion."
Matthew Taylor, Evening News (Bolton)

Eight Songs of Emily Dickinson, Copland
Stravinsky ensemble, Cambridge University
Rory Macdonald conductor
"Morag Atchison 's performance of these gems was sublime. Atchison 's affable stage personality was immediately endearing and her flowing sense ofphrase, musical intelligence and technical command were refreshing."
Jonathan Coffey, Varsity Online (Cambridge University)

Dixit Dominus, Vivaldi and Vivaldi arias
Campus Cantons, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Dr Karen Grylls conductor
"Soprano Morag Atchison and mezzo Suzanne Shaw accompanied by two solo cellos starred in Tecum Principium, one of the high points. Atchison revealed fine vocal agility when accompanied capably by John Elmsly at the harpsichord. She sang an aria from Vivaldi's opera, Bajazet."
Rex Fisher, New Zealand Herald