EMMA PEARSON

2005 Recipient of the
MTO German-Australian Opera Grant
Lyric Coloratura Soprano

"Her singing was deeply affecting ... each phrase clothed in glowing tone." - Neville Cohn, The West Australian Today , 23 December 2003

"A young and engaging Fiordiligi, providing a pure top in the ensembles, a refreshing lack of wobble, and power to spare. Her expressiveness is visual as well as aural. "Come Scoglio" came across as if she were just making it up, and "Per pieta, ben mio" found the heart of this beautiful piece of Mozartian introspection. The most elaborate duet in the opera, the long awaited consummation of "Volgi a me" was outstanding." - Gavin Maclean , New Zealand Opera News , July/August 2004

In 2003, University of Western Australia graduate, Emma Pearson , capped her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance with an Honours Diploma from the Australian Opera Studio. In 2004 she won the Australian Singing Competition's prestigious Marianne Mathy Scholarship as well as the annual German-Australian Opera Grant.

Able to attune her exciting voice, register and personality to a wide range of styles and sensibilities, she has already gained broad experience of performing opera, recently touring New Zealand with the NBR New Zealand Opera, as Fiordiligi in Così Fan Tutte and Frasquita in Carmen. She has sung the soprano solo in oratoria, concerts and chamber recitals in London, Tokyo and Beijing as well as Australia, and shone in the demanding roles of Maria in West Side Story, Aldonza in The Man of La Mancha , Yum Yum in The Mikado, and Adele in Die Fledermaus.

From shortly after her 25th birthday in June 2005 till September 2006, Emma Pearson is contracted to sing operatic roles as the Young Artist in Residence at the Hessisches Staatstheater, Wiesbaden , Germany . Thereafter, she hopes to continue studying and performing in Europe and Australia.

The sky's no limit for this soaring soprano.

Achievements

2004

Winner, The Australian Singing Competition including Marianne Mathy Scholarship, Symphony Australia Young Vocalist Award and other prizes

2004

German-Australian Opera Grant : contract to perform Wiesbaden State Opera House, Jun 2005-Sep 2006

2003

Dux, Emerging Artist Program, Australian Opera Studio

Career Highlights

Oct & Nov 2004

Frasquita, Bizet's Carmen with NBR New Zealand Opera, Wellington and Auckland

Jun-Sep 2004

Fiordiligi, Mozart's Così Fan Tutte, NBR NZ Opera National Tour

Feb 2004

Soprano soloist, Beethoven Symphony No 9 , New Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yoshikatzu Yamada, Tokyo

Dec 2003

Opera arias, Young Artists around the World Recital with Chinese National Opera, Beijing

Jan 2002

Opera excerpts with English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Robin Stapleton, London

Other Performances

Oct 2004

Carmen e xcerpts, Te Papa National Museum, Wellington

Mar 2004

Soprano soloist, Dixit Dominus , Handel, Perth Concert Hall , WA , conductor Andrew Bushell

Dec 2003

Soprano soloist, Christmas Oratorio , Bach, Winthrop Hall , WA , conductor John Beaverstock

Sep 2002

Opera excerpts with Tokyo Philharmonic, Tokyo , conductor Roderick Brydon