SOPRANO

Nicki Kennedy read Spanish at Bristol University, gaining a First Class Honours Degree, and continued her studies at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and the Royal College of Music, being awarded the Sir Keith Faulkner Prize for Bach and Handel, the Lyndon van der Pump Prize for Lieder and the Century Prize for Early Music. Her major engagements have included the Christmas Oratorio, St John Passion, Handel Italian Motets and Messiah with Le Parlement de Musique, Chants d’Auvergne with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Jephtha, Messiah, Samson, Saul and Solomon with the Konzertchor Darmstadt, Haydn Die Schöpfung with the Orchestre des Champs-Elysées, Meder St Matthew Passion at the Boston Early Music Festival, Mozart Grabmusik with Die Kölner Akademie, Mozart Vesperae solemnes de confessore and Weber Mass in G with the Lithuanian State Orchestra, Pergolesi Stabat Mater with the Turin Philharmonic Orchestra, Vivaldi Cantatas with Les Musiciens du Louvre and concerts with the ECO, Florilegium and the Philharmonia Orchestra. 20th Century and contemporary work Berio Circles at Aix-en-Provence Festival and workshops with English National Opera Studio. She has appeared as soloist at the festivals of Ambronay, Halle, Pontoise and Sylvanes, the Three Choirs Festival, the London Handel Festival, and in performances of music by Carlos Seixas for Manuel Murais and the Gulbenkian Choir with the Segreis de Lisboa in Portugal.

Operatic engagements have included Cena Furiosa at the Aix-en-Provence Festival and at La Monnaie, Oriana Amadigi for Der Lautten Compagney, Berlin, the title role in Semele for Opera Parnassus, Malta, Ninfa / La Musica L’Orfeo for Kent Opera, Amore L’Incoronazione di Poppea at the Megaron, Athens, Amore / Valletto L’Incoronazione di Poppea with the Purcell Quartet, Lubanara The Philosopher’s Stone with Collegium Musicum 90, Barzane Arsilda, Regina di Ponto, Vagaus Judita Triumphans, Angelica Orlando Furioso and Lucio Tito Manlio with Modo Antiquo at the Barga Festival and Aspasia La libertà contenta at The Barber Institute.

Nicki Kennedy has broadcast for BBC Radio, France Musique, RAI 3 and WDR and her recordings include Iphigénie en Tauride with Les Musiciens du Louvre, Meder St Matthew Passion and Mattheson Der Liebreiche und Geduldige Davidwith Die Kölner Akademie and Rodrigo Himnos de los neofitos de Qumran with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. With Modo Antiquo, she has recorded Arsilda, Regina di Ponto, Juditha Triumphans, Tito Manlio and two volumes of Vivaldi Cantatas. Most recently released are Handel English Cantatas with the Brook Street Band and Orlando Furioso with Modo Antiquo.

Recent and current engagements include Romilda Serse and Philidel King Arthur with Der Lautten Compagney, Berlin, Vagaus Juditha Triumphans at Via Stellae, Santiago, three Handel concerts with the Brook Street Band at the Wigmore Hall, Haydn Die Schöpfung at the Sylvanès Festival and Salve Regina with the Academy of Ancient Music at King’s College, Cambridge, Vivaldi Cantatas with Modo Antiquo at the Guido Cantelli Festival, Novara, Sweet Sixteen: Mozart in 1772 at King’s Place and the opening concert of the Potsdam Festival 2008.

www.nickikennedy.co.uk

Please note that this biography is not to be used for programmes. Current information is available on request.