- Le nozze di Figaro – Marcellina
Stafford born Yvonne Howard began singing in her school choir in Australia, and then in the Staffordshire County Youth Choir. She went on study at the Royal Northern College of Music under David Johnston and Joseph Ward and has since gone on to enjoy an international career that has taken her to the USA, Japan, China, the Middle East, Argentina, Brazil, all over Europe and well as the all over the UK.
Since making her début at Glyndebourne, where she sang her first Marcellina, under Sir Bernard Haitinck, she has appeared regularly at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, English National Opera, Opera North, Opera du Rhin, Opéra du Nantes, Théatre du Châtelet, Hanover Opera, New Israeli Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera Holland Park and Garsington. Her wide vocal range has seen her sing diverse characters from the title rôles in Norma and Fidelio, Cornelia in Giulio Cesare, Berta in Il barbiere di Seviglia, Fricka, Waltraute and Sieglinde in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, Caesonia in Caligula, and Aunt Nettie in Carousel.
On the concert platform, Yvonne has given recitals and oratorio performances in venues such as London’s Wigmore Hall, the Queen Elizabeth and Festival Halls, the Bridgewater and Birmingham Symphony Halls, New York, Paris and Tokyo, working with conductors such as Sir Bernard Haitink, Sir Mark Elder, Edo de Wart, Sir Antonio Pappano, Richard Farnes and Zubin Mehta and is particularly renowned for her performances of Mahler, Berlioz and the Angel in Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius.
Yvonne has always enjoyed working with young singers and from 2015 -2023 was a Professor of singing at the Royal Academy of Music, London. Since September 2022 she has been a Professor at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester.
Having lived near Saffron Walden for many years, Yvonne is thrilled to making her début with Saffron Opera Group.