Kate Valentine soprano

Kate Valentine  was born in Inverness and studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and the National Opera Studio (2005/06). A Samling Foundation Alumna, her numerous awards include the Glyndebourne Anne Wood/Joanna Peters Award, a Sybil Tutton Award, a Susan Chilcott Scholarship, and Scottish Opera’s John Scott Award.

Kate recently received critical acclaim for her roles in Scottish Opera’s innovative Five:15 project. Her portrayal of deaf and dumb Grizel in Gareth Williams’ The King’s Conjecture was described by The Stage as: “remarkable...”, whilst The Opera Critic found her: “vindictively scary” as the ghost of Maria in Craig Armstrong’s Gesualdo. Other operatic roles include Donna Anna Don Giovanni directed by Sir Thomas Allen for Samling Opera at The Sage, Gateshead, Second Women Dido & Aeneas with Nicholas McGegan and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Rosalinde Die Fledermaus for Scottish Opera on Tour, and Countess Almaviva Le nozze di Figaro for Glyndebourne on Tour.

She made her Edinburgh International Festival debut in 2006 in Vaughan Williams’ ‘Serenade to Music’ under David Jones and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and appeared last year as Second Women Dido & Aeneas under Nicholas McGegan. She is delighted to be returning to the Festival this year as Karolina in Smetana’s The Two Widows alongside renowned mezzo Jane Irwin.

Her extensive concert repertory includes Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Handel’s Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall under Sir David Willcocks, Handel’s Dixit Dominus and Solomon; Mendelssohn’s Elijah; Haydn’s Nelson Mass; Poulenc’s Gloria; Rossini’s Petit Messe Solennelle; Rutter’s Magnificat and Requiem; Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate, Coronation Mass, Solemn Vespers and C Minor Mass.

Engagements this season and beyond include Karolina The Two Widows, and a revival of Five:15 at the Tête à Tête Opera Festival for Scottish Opera, Cathleen in Vaughan Williams’ Riders to the Sea, and First Lady The Magic Flute for English National Opera, Konstanze The Abduction from the Seraglio for Opera North, and Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem in St Alban's Abbey with Sir Thomas Allen.

To find out more visit www.katevalentine.com.