Dame Emma Kirkby Soprano

Dame Emma Kirkby Soprano Originally, Emma Kirkby had no In 2009 BIS issued a compilation entitled expectations of becoming a professional "The Artistry of Emma Kirkby", drawing on singer. As a classics student at Oxford and nine CDs in all. then a schoolteacher she sang for pleasure in choirs and small groups, In 1999 Emma was voted Artist of the Year always feeling most at home in by Classic FM Radio listeners; in 2000 she Renaissance and Baroque repertoire. She received the Order of the British Empire, joined the Taverner Choir in 1971 and in and 2007 saw her appointed a Dame 1973 began her long association with the Commander of the Order of the British Consort of Musicke. Emma took part in the Empire. She was delighted in June 2008 to early Decca Florilegium recordings with return to her alma mater, Oxford both the Consort of Musicke and the University, and receive an Honorary Academy of Ancient Music, at a time when Doctorate of Music. Most surprisingly of most college-trained sopranos were not all, BBC Music Magazine, April 2007, in a seeking a sound appropriate for early survey of critics to find “The twenty instruments. She therefore had to find her greatest sopranos”, placed Emma at own approach, with enormous help from number 10. While such media flurries Jessica Cash in London, and from the can be discounted as parochial, partial, directors, fellow singers and controversial, and outdated as soon as instrumentalists with whom she has they appear, she was pleased at the worked over the years. recognition this implied for an approach to singing where ensemble, clarity and Emma feels privileged to have been able to stillness are valued alongside the more build further long-term relationships with usual features of volume and display. chamber groups and orchestras, in “For two decades, Emma particular London Baroque, Freiburger Despite all the recording activity, Emma Kirkby’s clear, agile voice has Barockorchester, L’Orfeo (of Linz), The still prefers live concerts, especially the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, pleasure of repeating programmes with epitomised the pure sound of Fretwork, the Purcell Quartet, and the colleagues; every occasion, every venue early music. She remains one of London Handel Players; and now with and every audience combine to create some of the younger groups, such as something new from this wonderful the treasures of the music Florilegium, Armonico Consort and Daniel repertoire. In 2019, Emma celebrated her Taylor's Theater of Early Music. th .” 70 birthday with a concert at Wigmore world Hall, and continued the celebrations with Toronto Globe and Mail To date, she has made well over a hundred her programme 'Dowland among Friends' recordings of all kinds, from sequences of with Leamington Music in February 2020. Hildegarde of Bingen to madrigals of the . Italian and English Renaissance, cantatas and oratorios of the Baroque era, and works of Mozart, Haydn and J. C. Bach. Valid for use until 1 February 2022 Favourites among these projects were: For updated versions please contact [email protected] “Handel – Opera Arias and Overtures” for Hyperion, Bach wedding cantatas for Decca, Bach Cantatas 82a and 199 for Carus, J.C.Bach Motets for CPO, and Byrd Consort Songs for Harmonia Mundi USA. Since 2000 Emma's happiest collaboration has been with the Swedish record company, BIS. With them she has recorded Handel motets and cantatas, Christmas pieces and Couperin with London Baroque, lute songs with Anthony Rooley and Jakob Lindberg, songs by Amy Beach, and more, mostly in the magical acoustics of Laenna church in Sweden. Rayfield Allied Member of the International Artist 9-12 The Stableyard Managers’ Association Broomgrove Road London, SW9 9TL, UK Rayfield Allied acts as agent only and can www.rayfieldallied.com accept no responsibility as principal E-mail [email protected] Telephone +44 (0) 20 3176 5500 Facsimile +44 (0) 700 602 4143 .

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