Sarah Connolly

Mezzo-soprano Dame Sarah Connolly was born in County Durham, England on June 13, 1963. She began her musical journey studying piano and voice at the Royal College of Music in South Kensington, London before becoming a member of The BBC Singers for five years. She became interested in opera and made her operatic debut in 1994 when she portrayed Annina in Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier. She came to prominence in 1998 when she portrayed Xerxes in the English National Opera production of Handel’s Serse. In 2005, she sang the title role in Handel’s Giulio Cesare, which was performed at the Glyndesbourne Opera Festival. The DVD of the performance went on to win a Gramophone Classical Music Award, which brought her to the attention of an international audience. Sarah Connolly made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York performing as Annio in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito. The following year, she was nominated for an Olivier Award for her performance as Sesto in the same Mozart opera. In 2019, Sarah Connolly performed in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas at both the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy and at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. Expanding her repertoire, the 2011 Distinguished Musician Award winner then made her debut as Fricka in Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen at the Royal Opera House and portrayed Phèdre in Rameau’s Hippolyte et Aricie at the Paris Opéra at the Palais Garnier and at the Glyndebourne Opera Festival in 2013. She was the recipient of awards including the Silver Lyre from the Royal Philharmonic Society (2012) and the Most Outstanding Achievement in a Main Role from the WhatsOnStage Opera Poll (2013). Sarah Connolly was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2010, and then Dame Commander (DBE), in 2017. Sarah Connolly has recorded a series of well-received albums including The Exquisite Hour (2006), Handel: Solomon (2007), Turnage: Songs (2008), Sonnett für Wien (2009), My True Love Hath My Heart (2011), Mahler: Totenfeier, Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen (2012), Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius - Sea Pictures (2014), and Purcell - Locke - Blow - Gibbons: Wigmore Hall Live (2017). Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019, she withdrew from live performances after undergoing surgery. However, she returned to recording in 2023 with the release of Mahler: Ruckert-Lieder; Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen; Kindertotenlieder, which rose to number 36 on the British Classical Music chart.

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