Sarah Connolly (born 1963 in County Durham) is a prominent British mezzo-soprano. She studied piano and singing at the Royal College of Music and continues her studies with Gerald Martin Moore. She has sung at the Maggio Musicale, Florence, the Paris Opera and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the Munich Opera Festival, and Carnegie Hall.
When not performing, Connolly lives in the Cotswolds with her husband and daughter.
Operatic rôles
- I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Romeo)
- Les Troyens (Dido)
- The Rape of Lucretia (Lucretia)
- L'incoronazione di Poppea (Empress Ottavia)
- La clemenza di Tito (Sesto) – 2006 Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Opera[2][3]
- Dido and Aeneas (Dido)
- The Silver Tassie (Susie)
- Richard Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier (Octavian)
- George Frideric Handel: Giulio Cesare (Giulio Cesare)[4]
- Johann Sebastian Bach: St. Matthew Passion
- Dido and Aeneas (Dido)
Rôles in the USA
- Vincenzo Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Romeo)
- George Frideric Handel: Ariodante (Ariodante)
- George Frideric Handel: Xerxes (Xerxes)
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: La clemenza di Tito (Sesto)
- George Frideric Handel: Semele (Ino and Juno)
Concert performances
Amongst many concert performances, Connolly has premièred the following:
- Jonathan Harvey: Songs of Li Po
- John Tavener: Tribute to Cavafy
- Mark-Anthony Turnage: Twice Through the Heart
Recordings
Recordings include:
- Frank Bridge Orchestral Songs Chandos, 2005
- Edward Elgar: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Simon Wright The Music Makers / Sea Pictures Naxos 8.557710
- Edward Elgar: The Very Best of Elgar 8.552133-34
- George Frideric Handel: Giulio Cesare (Glyndebourne, 2005) OA0950D
- George Frideric Handel: Heroes and Heroines – The Sixteen / Harry Christophers, Coro
- George Frideric Handel: Solomon (Solomon) Harmonia Mundi (2007 release)
- Gustav Mahler Des Knaben Wunderhorn – OCE / Herreweghe Harmonia Mundi, 2006
- Felix Mendelssohn: Songs and Duets Vol. 3 Hyperion, 2004
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Mass in C Minor and Haydn – Scena di Bernice – Gabrieli Consort / McCreesh DG, 2006
- Arnold Schoenberg: BBC Voices - Blood Red Carnations: Songs by Arnold Schoenberg Black Box, 2002
- John Tavener: Children of Men
- The Exquisite Hour – Recital Disc: Songs by Brahms, Britten, Hahn, Haydn (Eugene Asti) Signum Classics, 2006[5]