Mezzo soprano Kathryn Rudge, born in Liverpool in 1986. Named as The Times ‘Rising Star of Classical Music and ‘One of Britain’s brightest young mezzos’ (What’s On Stage). Kathryn was a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist (2015-17), English National Opera (ENO) Harewood Artist, YCAT Artist and she is an Associate Member of the Royal Northern College of Music where she studied voice with Susan Roper (2004-11) and Junior RNCM (2002-04). Kathryn is the recipient of awards including; Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe Award, BBC Education Bursary, Susan Chilcott Scholarship, The Joaninah Trust Award, Kathleen Ferrier Society Bursary; Joyce Budd Award, Worshipful Company of Musicians Silver Medal and the Joyce and Michael Kennedy Award for the Singing of Richard Strauss, and was nominated for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award.

Kathryn made her operatic debut as Cherubino in Fiona Shaw’s new production of Mozart’s ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’ (ENO 2012) and has since performed in principal opera roles including; Rosina in Jonathan Miller’s production of Rossini’s ‘The Barber of Seville’ (ENO), Cherubino ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’ Glyndebourne on Tour, Dorabella in Mozart’s ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’ Garsington Opera, Zerlina Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’, Hermia in Britten’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ Sesto Handel’s ‘Guilio Cesare,’ Annio in Mozart’s ‘La Clemenza di Tito’ for Opera North. Kathryn performed the title role in Bizet’s ‘Carmen’ with the British Paraorchestra conducted by Charles Hazlewood at Glastonbury and at RNCM she performed the role of Erika in Barber’s ‘Vanessa’. Helena (Offenbach/La Belle Helene), Olga (Tchaikovsky/Eugene Onegin) at Haddo House. Kathryn has performed and recorded with Opera Rara; Leoncavallo – ‘Zaza’, Bellini ‘Adeslon e Salvini,’ (BBC SO) and Donizetti’s ‘Il Paria’ conducted by Sir Mark Elder (2021).

Kathryn made her BBC Proms debut in 2016 in Rossini’s ‘Petite Messe Solennelle’ at Old Royal Naval Chapel in Greenwich. She returned to the Proms in 2019 performing Mozart’s ‘Requiem’ at Royal Albert Hall with BBC NOW conducted by Nathalie Stutzmann (BBC4). Kathryn has performed as soloist with all of the BBC Orchestras and under the baton of conductors including; Ben Gernon, Bramwell Tovey, Paul McCreesh, Barry Wordsworth, Daniele Rustioni, Renato Balsadonna, John Wilson, David Hill Sir Andrew Davis, Maurizio Benini, Yan Pascal Tortelier. Concerts and oratorio also include; Vaughan Williams’ ‘Serenade to Music’ with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Castillo y León and the Halle Chorus and Mahler’s Symphony No.2 at Kings College Chapel, Cambridge conducted by Andrew Gourlay. Kathryn recently performed and recorded Schoenberg’s ‘Gurre-Lieder’ and Richard Strauss orchestral songs with BBCNOW (BBC Radio 3), Berlioz ‘Les Nuits d’été’ with Philharmonia Orchestra at Gloucester Cathedral for The Three Choirs Festival conducted by Martyn Brabbins.

Kathryn has performed Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius (Angel); for ‘Easter at Kings’ College Cambridge (BBC Radio 3) and with Hamburg Symphony Orchestra at the Rheingau Music Festival, Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra at Birmingham Symphony Hall and at the Sheldonian Theatre Oxford with The Bach Choir.  Kathryn’s debut of Elgar’s ‘Sea Pictures’ was with the BBC PO in Elgar’s hometown of Malvern (BBC Radio 3) and she has since performed the songs with the Orchestra of Opera North and on the latest Elgar CD release of ‘Sea Pictures’ and ‘The Music Makers’ by Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir conducted by Vasily Petrenko (ONYX 2020).

Concerts and Song recitals at music festivals also include; Uppermill Summer Music Festival, Lammermuir Festival, Oxford Lieder, Ryedale, Leeds Lieder, Pembroke College Cambridge, Brighton, City of London, Cheltenham, Lake District Summer Music Festival, Chester, Portico of Ards, Windsor Festival, Live at St Wilfrid’s, Richmond Live Festivals, Opera North Kirklees Concert Season and Kendal Midday Concerts. Kathryn has performed at the Houses of Parliament for ‘BBC Radio 3 Live from the House’ and Westminster Chapel with the Band of the Household Cavalry (Classic FM) for a WW2 remembrance concert. UK National Concert Tours include; Noah Stewart ‘Without a Song Tour’ and she has been the soloist with Sir Karl Jenkins on several UK tours including; ‘The Armed Man – A Mass for Peace’ and 'One World.' Kathryn has performed as guest soloist for open- air concerts with Northern Chamber Orchestra at Houghton Tower and with the RLPO conducted by Edward Peak, and Carl Davis CBE at Southport Festival and Leeds Castle, and ‘Liverpool the Musical’ in 2008 at the Liverpool M&S Arena opening to mark Liverpool Capital of Culture with conductor Vasily Petrenko.

"The powerful glow and gripping range of her voice - everything was immaculate, and yet incredibly fresh and free"

Opera Today 

Kathryn’s discography also includes; World Premier recording of Parry’s oratorio ‘Judith’ with London Mozart Players and Crouch End Festival Chorus conducted by William Vann (Chandos 2020) ’The Hills of Dreamland’ Elgar Orchestral Songs (BBC Concert Orchestra/ Somm 2018) Roussel ‘Evocations’ (BBC Philharmonic Orchestra/CHANDOS 2018) Eric Coates Songs (Somm 2019) ‘Songs by Donald Swann’ (Hyperion 2017) and Hamilton Harty Songs with Christopher Glynn (2020). Kathryn’s debut recital disc ‘Love’s Old Sweet Song‘ with pianist James Baillieu was released by Champs Hill Records in 2016. Kathryn’s work with contemporary composers includes: world premier performances and recordings of Roxanna Panufnik’s composition ‘Love Sought’ (broadcast BBC Radio 3) ‘The Sound of Shakespeare’ at RSC, Sir Karl Jenkins’ ‘Lament for Syria’ at Cardiff City Halls (BBCNOW/BBC Radio 3), Kenneth Hesketh ‘Tall Tales Small Tales’ (RLPO 10/10). She was soloist for Michael Nyman’s Symphony No. 11: Hillsborough Memorial, in which she sang the names of the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster of 1989 performed at Liverpool Cathedral, with (RLPO/MNRecords). Kathryn also performed and recorded the world premier of Michael Nyman’s; ‘Two Sonnets for Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz’ and composer Gary Carpenter’s song cycle “Love’s Eternity” (RLPO/Nimbus).

Recent performances include song recitals at Uppermill Summer Music Festival with Duncan Glenday, Northern Ireland Opera Festival of Song Simon Lepper (BBC Radio 3) and tour of staged concerts of ‘Jeremy Sams Wolf’s Italian Songbook’ with Christopher Glynn and world premiere performances of works by composers Brain Elias at Wigmore Hall, and Rhian Samuel’s ‘The Moon and I’ at Ludlow Festival of Song with pianist Iain Burnside. Britten’s ‘A Charm of Lullabies’ with Britten Sinfonia conducted by Sian Edwards at Snape Maltings, Mendelssohn’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at the Edinburgh International Festival with the Royal with Scottish National Orchestra under the baton of Thomas Søndergård and Mozart’s Requiem with Crouch End Festival Chorus and the London Mozart Orchestra at Alexandra Palace. Forthcoming performances include: Handel’s Messiah (RFH) Beethoven 9, Richard Strauss ‘Song Day’ at the National Centre of Early Music York, ‘Sir Karl Jenkins in Concert’ Tour, Elgar’s Sea Pictures with The Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie (Koblenz). Elgar 'Sea Pictures’ with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Vasily Petrenko (RFH) and Holst’s Sāvitri Britten Sinfonia/Sir Mark Elder (Barbican).