Rachel Kelly will make her debut as Angelina in La Cenerentola with Latvian National Opera this evening. She will star in a new production directed by Renaud Doucet with costumes and set designed by André Barbe.
The opera will be filmed and released at a later date.
Rachel will make her debut with the Hallé orchestra this evening as Marguerite in Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust under the baton of Sir Mark Elder.
The performance will take place in The Bridgewater Hall at 5pm.
Rachel is joined by David Butt Philip as Faust with whom she sang Marguerite in Damnation earlier this year with the Opera North Orchestra in the Leeds International Festival in Leeds town Hall.
The performance will be broadcast on Tuesday the 12th February on BBC Radio 3. More information can be found here.
Rachel will make her role and house debut this evening as Isolier in Comte Ory by Rossini with Opera de Rennes.
This production is directed by Pierre-Emmanuel Rousseau and conducted by Erki Pehk. It will run for five shows on the 29th & 31st December, 1st, 3rd & 5th of January. More information can be found here. The Production will also be appearing in Opera de Rouen from the 20th January for 4 performances. This will be Rachel’s debut with Opera de Rouen also and more information can be found here.
Le comte Ory Mathias Vidal
La comtesse Adèle Perrine Madoeuf
Isolier Rachel Kelly
Ragonde Anna Steiger
Raimbaud Philippe Estèphe
Le gouverneur Jean-Vincent Blot
Alice Héloïse Guinard
Rachel will appear on RTE’s Arena, Radio 1 with Sean Rocks at 7pm on Wednesday October 31st. Rachel will sing two pieces - Una Voce Poco Fa by Rossini and the Irish classic Danny Boy accompanied by Fiachra Garvey before being interviewed about her appearance in the Wexford Opera Festival this Saturday.
Rachel and Fiachra will be performing on the mainstage of the Wexford Opera Festival this Saturday a program of Berlioz, Duparc, Strauss and Rossini. More details can be found here.
On Sunday evening, the 14th October, Rachel sang the role of Anagilda in Rossini’s Sigismondo with a star-studded cast. The performance was recorded and broadcast live on BR Klassik radio. A link to the performance can be found below under Sigismondo with Rachel’s aria appearing in the second half of the concert detailed below.
‘Sognava Contenti’ - starts at 02:15:18 and finishes at 02:19:11.
Link to performance of Sigismondo
Cast
Hyesang Park, Soprano
Marianna Pizzolato, Mezzosoprano
Rachel Kelly, Mezzosoprano
Kenneth Tarver, Tenor
Gavan Ring, Baritone
Guido Loconsolo, Baritone
Il Hong, Bass
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Conductor, Keri-Lynn Wilson
Rachel will make her International Handel Festival Debut on Saturday 19th May. Rachel will sing 'Virtue' in The Choice of Hercules by Handel under the direction of Laurence Cummings in the Gala Concert in the Stadhalle Gottingen at 7pm. More information can be found here.
Laurence Cummings - Conductor
Diana Moore - Hercules
Rachel Kelly - Virtue
Fflur Wyn - Pleasure
Nathan Haller - Attendant of Pleasure
Photo by Rachael Hegarty
Rachel will appear this evening, May 12th, with the Opera North Orchestra in the Leeds International Concert series in Leeds Town Hall. Rachel will be making her role debut as Marguerite in Damnation de Faust by Berlioz under the baton of Simon Wright. The cast is as follows:
Rachel Kelly - Marguerite
David Butt Philip - Faust
David Soar - Méphistophélès
Ashley Riches - Brander
"This marvellous book fascinated me from the first. I could not put it down. I read it incessantly, at meals, in the theatre, in the street!"
— Berlioz on Goethe's Faust: Part One
More information can be found here.
Rachel will appear under the direction of Christian Curnyn and The Early Opera Company in St John's Smith Square London on Wednesday the 11th April in the London Handel Festival. Rachel will be singing Sesto in Handel's Giulio Cesare with a star-stunned line up of performers including:
Tim Mead - GIULIO CESARE
Anna Devin - CLEOPATRA
Rachel Kelly - SESTO
Hillary Summers - CORNELIA
Rupert Enticknap - TOLOMEO
Callum Thorpe - ACHILLA
James Hall - NIRENO
Rachel made her debut as Sesto last August in the Kilkenny festival with Christian Curnyn to great acclaim:
“the mezzo Rachel Kelly was a marvellously vengeful Sesto (Giulio Cesare).”
Opera Magazine, November 2017
For more information on tickets and timings click here.
Photo: Rachael Hegarty
Rachel will make her role debut as Dido in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in London's Wigmore Hall on Saturday the 7th April. She will sing with La Nuova Musica under the direction of David Bates. Tickets are available here.
Rachel Kelly as Proserpina with Callum Thorpe in Royal Opera House/ Roundhouse production of Orfeo, 2015
Rachel last performed with David Bates and La Nuova Musica in Wigmore Hall singing the role of Giunone in Cavalli's La Calisto last year.
"Rachel Kelly was a vibrant Giunone. Entering midway through Act 2, she immediately made her vengeful presence felt, her mezzo glinting darkly with outraged dignity as she transformed Calisto into a bear."
Opera Magazine, February 2017
David Bates director
Rachel Kelly mezzo-soprano (as Dido)
George Humphreys baritone (as Aeneas)
Anna Dennis soprano (as Belinda)
Emilie Renard soprano (as Sorceress)
Helen Charlston mezzo-soprano (as First Witch)
Martha McLorinan mezzo-sporano (as Second Witch)Louise Kemény soprano (as Second Woman)
Nick Pritchard tenor (as Sailor)
Richard Bannan baritone (as Spirit)
Rachel will appear on BBC's InTune with Sean Rafferty on April 4th to promote her appearance at the London Handel Festival. Rachel will be singing Sesto in Handel's Giulio Cesare under the baton of Christian Curnyn whom Rachel made her role debut with last year singing Idamante in Idomeneo. The program will be available for 30 days after airing and is available through this link. For more information about Giulio Cesare in the Handel Festival click here.
Rachel will also be speaking about exciting upcoming projects including her role debut of Dido in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas at London's Wigmore Hall on April 7th with La Nuova Musica. Details for this concert can be found here.
"Mezzo Rachel Kelly, as Medarse in both presence and voice, is a beautiful androgynous image, and knows how to impress ('Fra l'orror della tempesta') and how to move the audience ('Tu decidi del mio fato') with a slender and concentrated but warm voice."
Alba Klassiek NL, February 2018
“For the role of Siroe’s brother Medarse, they engaged the Irish mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly. She sang the beautiful lines of her role with a full, smooth tone”
Opera Magazine NL, January 2018
“Siroe’s brother Medarse was performed by Rachel Kelly, who has a mature, beautifully polished mezzo. Brilliantly sung.”
Opera Gazet, January 2018
"The young star soprano Rachel Kelly as the conniving brother Medarse"
De Volkskrant, January 2018
Photo by Nienke Elenbaas
Having made her role debut singing Annio in La Clemenza di Tito this summer at the Glyndebourne Festival, Rachel will reprise this role at the Staatstheater Karlsruhe on Thursday 7th in a Patrick Kinmonth production. Rachel will sing under the baton of Gianluca Capuano who also conducted her Idamante with the Maggio Musicale in Florence. Further details are available here.
"As Dorabella, Irish mezzo Rachel Kelly glowed with a warmth expressive of the younger sister's impulsive, passionate nature. The full, rich tone of her Act 2 confession of indiscretion. 'E amore un ladroncello' (Love is a little thief), was winningly honest."
Opera Today, November 2017
Rachel Kelly (Dorabella), Ilya Kutyukhin (Guglielmo),
Cosi Fan Tutte - Glyndebourne on Tour
Photo: Tristram Kenton
“Rachel Kelly’s bright, wide-eyed Dorabella. Kelly's winningly sly Dorabella - vocally reminiscent of Ann Murray's - was the perfect foil.”
Hugh Canning, Opera Magazine, December 2017
“But then there’s Rachel Kelly, who plays her sister Dorabella with irresistible charm and openness, singing beautifully”
The Guardian, October 2017
"Rachel Kelly (Dorabella) the pick of the women"
Whats on Stage, October 2017
“Rachel Kelly sang a delicious Dorabella, radiating honeyed warmth”
Bachtrack, October 2017
"Kirsten MacKinnon and Rachel Kelly make a marvellous pair as Fiordiligi and Dorabella. Alike in many ways yet clearly different in voice and appearance as well as in their responses, they act most convincingly while singing their richly-ornamented arias and duets magnificently."
Eastern Daily Press, November 2017
"Kelly’s Dorabella is also puckishly full of naughty fun and has a very expressive face, perfect for this role. "
Norwich Eye, November 2017
After her successful debut this summer in the main summer festival, Rachel will sing Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte with Glyndebourne on Tour in the famous Nicholas Hytner production, opening on Saturday 7th October. The first seven shows will take place in Glyndebourne's Opera House before embarking on a seventeen show tour around the country. More details can be found here.
The cast includes Canadian soprano, Kirsten McKinnon (Fiordiligi), Bogdan Volkov (Ferrando), Ilya Kutyukhin (Guglielmo), José Fardilha (Don Alfonso) and Ana Quintans (Despina), all under the baton of Leo McFall.
Rachel will make her Glyndebourne Festival Debut as Annio in Clemenza di Tito on August 19th. Rachel will appear under the baton of Robin Ticciati and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in Claus Guth's new production of Mozart's masterpiece. Appearing alongside Rachel will be Alice Coote (Vitellia), Anna Stephany (Sesto), Richard Croft (Tito), Joelle Harvey (Servilia), and Clive Bayley (Publio). More information can be found here.
After another successful Idamante with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Rachel will make her role debut as Sesto in Handel's Giulio Cesare (Julius Caeser) on Friday 11th August in the opening night gala of the Kilkenny Arts Festival. Rachel will sing under the baton of Christian Curnyn and his award-winning Early Opera Company alongside Iestyn Davies (Caeser), Anna Devin (Cleopatra), Hillary Summers (Cornelia), Rupert Enticknap (Tolomeo), Callum Thorpe (Achilla), and James Hall (Nireno). More information on this performance and tickets here.
Next week Rachel will make her Glyndebourne Festival debut in another trouser role - that of Annio in La Clemenza di Tito. More information on this can be found on Glyndebourne's website.
After her success with Idamante in Damiano Michieletto's Idomeneo in the 80th opening of the Maggio Musicale with Opera di Firenze, Rachel is back in the UK and will debut with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday 10th May in the Symphony Hall. Rachel will be singing the Vaughan Williams' setting of the Five Tudor Portraits - a group of songs for chorus, baritone and mezzo that illuminate and convey the antics and eccentricities of Elizabethan England. This daring program will be performed under the baton of John Wilson along with Williams' other work; Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis and Arnold Bax's November Woods. The concert will be broadcast live on BBC 3 at 7.30pm before which Rachel will be giving an interview. More information is available here.
Rachel will sing Berlioz's glorious symphonic melodies; Les Nuits D'été with the RTE National Symphony Orchestra in the National Concert Hall, Dublin on Friday evening 24th March. The concert will be conducted by Jean-Luc Tingaud and presented by Paul Herriott for broadcast on RTE lyric fm. More information about booking can be found here.
"Her operatic background became immediately apparent in her ability to imbue each poem with a sense of narrative and dramatic development."
"Her bright soprano has a crystalline clarity and sparkled in the higher ranges"
"Kelly’s sensitive phrasing captured the subtle changes in atmosphere, which oscillates between tender reminiscences and the foreboding of impending loss and pain."
- Bachtrack Review, October 2016. Rachel's debut Les Nuits D'été with Ulster Orchestra
Rachel will debut with the Copenhagen Symphony Orchestra on Thursday 23rd February in the Copenhagen Concert House. Rachel will be singing the role of Dersagrena in the opera Comala by Niels W. Gade under the baton of Laurence Equilbey. This concert will be broadcast and a CD will be made at a later date of the performance. Further information is available here.
Rachel will sing Dvorak's Stabat Mater with the Fleischmann Choir and the Cork School of Music Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Conor Palliser. This concert will take place in Cork City Hall on Saturday 18 February at 8pm. More information available here.
