Biography

I was  born in Rhodesia in 1942 and started singing lessons at the age of fifteen with  Dorothy van Essen, a diploma pupil of the famous Blanche Marchesi.  Later I joined her contemporary in the Marchesi method,  Bruna Maclean, in London and after some time returned to South Africa to continue lessons with Dorothy who had by then moved to Johannesburg.   After that most of my vocal training took place in Rhodesia but I put dedicated work into teaching myself technique, through pracitsing, recording, listening, reading.

Numerous vocal awards in local eisteddfods gave me a reputation and I began to be in demand for lessons so I opened my own studio.   It was a thriving practise and a thrill to give a good vocal foundation to singers.   (See Testimonials)

In 1992 I attained my Licenciate of the Royal Schools of Music (Performers)

Career within Zimbabwe

• Leads at the Harare Reps Theatre
• The Merry Widow
• Pirates of Penzance
• Showboat
• The Dancing Years
• Die Fledermaus (Rosalinde)
• Operatic concert with Sidwell Hartmann of South Africa

Opera Viva

Marriage of Figaro (Countess)

Cavalaria Rusticano (Lola)

 

Other Opera/Operetta

Numerous concerts singing arias, duets, trios, quartets including  concert in Bulawayo - Festival 1997, guest with Tasmin Little (violin) and Marylin Hill-Smith, (soprano)

 

Recital Concert Repertoire

• Lieder,
• Art Songs (various)
• Mixed ensemble, works for soprano/clarinet/piano, soprano/oboe/piano, soprano/violin/piano, soprano/flute/piano, soprano/trumpet/orchestra, soprano/piano/orchestra

Soloist in Oratorio and other choral/orchestral works

• St. Matthew Passion
• St. John's Passion
• Christmas Oratorio
• Mozart Requiem
• Mozart Coronation Mass
• Mozart Missa Brevis
• Haydn's Creation
• Nelson Mass
• The Messiah
• Elijah
• Sea Symphony
• Finzi Dies Natalis
• Serenade to Music
• Brahm's Requeim
• Verdi's Requiem
• Exultate Jubilate
• Beethoven's Ninth

 

Concerts outside Zimbabwe

1987  Recital in Malawi at French Cultural Centre

1991 Invitation to sing with Bochum Youth Orchestra, Germany, by Reinhart von Gutzeit,  (http://communityrc2.schule.at/index.php?cid=8003)  to do  Lieder
recitals at Hause Herbede in Obstbaumen, Witten (http://www.haus-herbede.de/) and at Bochum School of Music with Sue Garnett of Zimbabwe, accompanist.

1992 Cultural Exchange recital tour in Bulgaria and live broadcast in Sophia
        
1994 Mahler Fourth – soprano with National Symphony Orchestra of Johannesburg, conducted by  guest conductor, George Hanson of Tucson Symphony Orchestra USA and televised live over South Africa. (http://www.hughkaylor.com/Hanson/)
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1995 Lusaka Zambia, Mozart concert

1997 Recital Tour of South Africa (Port Elizabeth, East London, Grahamstown, Durban ) (http://www.dispatch.co.za/1997/10/14/page%2010.htm)

1999/2000 Guest Recitals at Principia College, Elsa, Illinois, USA

Miscellaneous musical activities:

Numerous weddings, funerals, corporate functions, restaurants (self accompanying and vocalising popular songs and light piano pieces)

2000 Hifa Festival Harare - Song recital of Richard Strauss

2002 Hifa Festival Harare - Partook in David Fanshaw's "African Sanctus"