“Set to become one of the great Wagnerian sopranos of her generation” (Opera Now) and praised by Forum Opera as “cette belle wagnérienne”, Alwyn Mellor will sing Brünnhilde Der Ring des Nibelungen in Seattle Opera’s Bi-Centenary Cycles in 2013 alongside Stefan Vinke, Greer Grimsley, Stephanie Blythe, Stuart Skelton and Margaret Jane Wray in Stephen Wadsworth’s production conducted by Asher Fisch.
She received outstanding reviews for her début performances as Chrysothemis Elektra opposite Susan Bullock for the Canadian Opera Company in 2007, Opera Magazine writing that she “…recalled none other than Leonie Rysanek.” Her return to the role in 2008 with Opera North, again opposite Susan Bullock, led to The Guardian describing her as “…the superlative Chrysothemis...” whilst The Sunday Times described her as a “thrilling, sensuous Chrysothemis.” In Summer 2010, she made her début as Brünnhilde Die Walküre for Longborough Festival Opera (“…Alwyn Mellor’s Brünnhilde – bold and brazen in her whooping war-cries, warmly eloquent in her summons to Siegmund and her pleading with Wotan,” wrote The Daily Telegraph).
In Summer 2011, she made critically acclaimed débuts as Isolde Tristan und Isolde for Grange Park Opera with Richard Berkeley-Steele conducted by Stephen Barlow (“Possessing the amplitude and genuine vocal resources of a Wagnerian soprano”, wrote The Sunday Telegraph) and as Brünnhilde Siegfried for Longborough Festival Opera with Daniel Brenna conducted by Anthony Negus (“sung magnificently”, wrote The Times).
In 2011 / 2012, she repeated this role for Den Nye Opera with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Christian Franz conducted by Kent Nagano (“I was moved to tears by Alwyn Mellor’s magnificent Brünnhilde, as steady and sure as Flagstad”, wrote Hort), and with Oper Leipzig and Stefan Vinke conducted by Ulf Schirmer, as well as making débuts as Brünnhilde Götterdämmerung with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Christian Franz conducted by Kent Nagano (“Brünnhilde’s great, summing up closing scene was magnificently interpreted by Alwyn Mellor”, wrote the Göteborgs-Posten) and as Sieglinde Die Walküre for Opera North with Kelly Cae Hogan, Katerina Karnéus, Béla Perencz and Erik Nelson Werner conducted by Richard Farnes (“You’d be lucky to hear as good at Bayreuth,” wrote The Daily Telegraph).
In addition to her debut with Seattle Opera, where she will also return in 2014 for Speight Jenkins’ Farewell Gala, her current engagements include Minnie La Fanciulla del West and Brünnhilde Götterdämmerung for Opera North, her debut at the Opéra national de Bordeaux as Isolde Tristan und Isolde conducted by Paul Daniel, her début at London’s Royal Opera as Gerhilde Die Walküre (also covering Susan Bullock as Brünnhilde) conducted by Antonio Pappano and her debut at the Opéra national de Paris as Brünnhilde Die Walküre / Siegfried with Torsten Kerl, Thomas Johannes Mayer, Egils Silins, Sophie Koch, Stuart Skelton and Martina Serafin conducted by Philippe Jordan.
Born in Lancashire, Alwyn Mellor studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, and, supported by the Peter Moores Foundation, in Italy and Russia. She began her career at Welsh National Opera, with whom she has enjoyed a fruitful collaboration in a variety of roles. She sang three seasons at Santa Fe Opera and other opera companies with whom she has appeared include the Canadian Opera Company, Chelsea Opera Group, English National Opera, English Touring Opera, Glyndebourne Touring Opera, Opera Ireland and Opera North.
In concert, Alwyn Mellor has appeared with orchestras including the BBC Concert Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the CBSO, the Hallé, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Manchester Camerata, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra at venues such as the Cardiff, Edinburgh and Three ChoirsFestivals, as well as internationally with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, the MDR Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, the Orchestre National de Lyon, the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, the Orchestre Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy, the Orquesta Simfonica de Barcelona, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductors with whom she has worked include Martin André, Howard Arman, Mark Elder, Richard Hickox, Christopher Hogwood, Emmanuel Krivine, Charles Mackerras, Marc Minkowski, Nicholas McGegan, Sakari Oramo, Antonio Pappano, Victor Pablo Pérez, Donald Runnicles, Gerard Schwarz, Vasily Petrenko and Mark Wigglesworth.
Please note that this biography is not to be used for programmes. Current information is available on request.