Soloists

Alice Coote - Irene

Established as a major star across both operatic and concert stages, mezzo-soprano Alice Coote is regarded as one of the great artists of our time. Coote has performed major roles on stages such as the Metropolitan Opera, Glyndebourne, Royal Opera House, Bayerische Staatsoper, Opéra de Paris, Wiener Staatsoper, LA Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Salzburg Festival. Equally acclaimed on the concert stage, she has performed with orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, The Hallé and The Concertgebouw.

The 25/26 season will see Coote create the role of Anubis in the premiere of Matthias Pintscher’s new opera Das Kalte Herz for the Berlin Staatsoper; she will return to the Metropolitan Opera to sing Marquise of Berkenfeld in Donizetti La Fille du Régiment; and will sing concert performances of Bartók Bluebeard’s Castle with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and La Zia Principessa Suor Angelica for the Tiroler Festspiele. Forthcoming concerts include Elgar Sea Pictures with Orchestre National d’Ile de France, Mahler Rückert Lieder with the Luxembourg Philharmonic and Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and Elgar The Dream of Gerontius with the Symphonieorchester des BayerischenRundfunks conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. She will also take her 'Rebellious Recital' on tour to venues including Opera Frankfurt, Le Balcon in Paris and the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin.

Coote’s recent operatic engagements include Juno in Handel Semele for the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and the Royal Opera House, Dorabella Così fan tutte at the Philharmonie Luxembourg, Madame de Croissy  Dialogues des Carmélites  at the Metropolitan Opera, title role in Handel  Agrippina  at Staatsoper Hamburg and Mère Marie in Poulenc  Dialogues des Carmélites at Opernhaus Zürich. On the concert stage, her recent engagements include Mahler Symphony No.2 with the London Symphony Orchestra, and the role of Cassandra in concert performances of Les Troyens  with Dinis Sousa and the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras at the BBC Proms, as well as further festival appearances at Salzburg, Berliner Festspiele, Festival Berlioz and Opéra Royal (Château de Versailles), Ravel Shéhérazade  with the Sinfonia of London and John Wilson at the Barbican and Mahler Das Lied von der Erde  with the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. 

Driven by her passion for exploring and challenging gender stereotypes in characterisation, Coote is renowned for her interpretations of some of opera's most important male and female roles. She brings that same philosophy to her work on the recital platform, an essential extension of Coote's musical life. Committed to audience development and redefining genre barriers, Coote premiered her latest project, 'The Rebellious Recital': a song recital including works by Mahler, David Bowie, Joni Mitchell, Bach and John Lennon at the Wigmore Hall.

In 2018 she was awarded an OBE for services to music.

(Photo: Phil Sharp)