Ann Murray, (born 27 August 1949) is an Irish mezzo-soprano.

Life and career

Murray was born in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

. Having won a number of prizes at the

Feis Ceoil Feis Ceoil ( ; "Festival of Music") is an Irish music organisation which holds an annual competitive festival of classical music. It was first organised in Dublin in 1897 by Dr. Annie Patterson and Edward Martyn for the purpose of stimulating musi ...

, she studied singing at the College of Music (now the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, Dublin) with Nancy Calthorpe, as well as arts and music at

University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...

. In 1968, she made her Irish opera debut performing the shepherd role in a concert performance of ''

Tosca ''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1887 French-language dr ...

''. She pursued further studies with

Frederic Cox Robert Frederic Cox (1905–1985) was a British singer, composer and music educator. Cox was the Professor of Singing (1949–53), Principal (1953–1970) and Principal Emeritus (1970– ) at the Royal Manchester College of Music and then a singi ...

at the Royal Manchester College of Music and made her stage debut as Alcestis in

Christoph Willibald Gluck Christoph Willibald (Ritter von) Gluck (; 2 July 1714 – 15 November 1787) was a composer of Italian and French opera in the early classical period. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of the Holy Roman Empire, he g ...

's '' Alceste'' in 1974. She has since sung at all major opera houses and is particularly noted for her performances in works by George Frideric Handel,

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

and

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic music, Romantic and early Modernism (music), modern eras, he has been descr ...

. Murray performs mainly at

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...

(where she performed as Siphare in Mozart's ''

Mitridate, re di Ponto ''Mitridate, re di Ponto'' (''Mithridates, King of Pontus''), K. 87 (74a), is an opera seria in three acts by the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The libretto is by , after Giuseppe Parini's Italian translation of Jean Racine's play '' Mithrid ...

''), the

English National Opera English National Opera (ENO) is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in Englis ...

and the

Bavarian State Opera The Bayerische Staatsoper is a German opera company based in Munich. Its main venue is the Nationaltheater München, and its orchestra the Bayerische Staatsorchester. History The parent ensemble of the company was founded in 1653, under Ele ...

(where she was made Kammersängerin in 1998). Murray was the featured singer in volume three of the Hyperion Schubert Edition,

Hyperion Records Hyperion Records is an independent British classical record label. History Hyperion is an independent British classical label that was established in 1980 with the goal of showcasing recordings of music in all genres and from all time period ...

' complete

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...

''lieder'' project, in 1988, led by pianist Graham Johnson. She maintains her links with Ireland and was a patron of the Young Associate Artists Programme of Dublin's Opera Theatre Company. In September 2010, she was appointed professor of singing at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke ...

in London, where she was previously (since 1999) an honorary fellow.

Recognition

She received an

honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad ho ...

in music from the

National University of Ireland The National University of Ireland (NUI) ( ga, Ollscoil na hÉireann) is a federal university system of ''constituent universities'' (previously called '' constituent colleges'') and ''recognised colleges'' set up under the Irish Universit ...

in 1997. In 2002, she was made an Honorary

Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

in the Diamond Jubilee Honours for her services to music. She was awarded the

Bavarian Order of Merit The Bavarian Order of Merit (german: Bayerischer Verdienstorden) is the Order of Merit of the Free State of Bavaria. It is awarded by the Minister-President of Bavaria as a "recognition of outstanding contributions to the Free State of Bavari ...

in 2004.Ann Murray
at the Royal Academy of Music. Retrieved 16 December 2013.

Family

Murray was married to the late English

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors i ...

Philip Langridge Philip Gordon Langridge (16 December 1939 – 5 March 2010)Millington (7 March 2010) was an English tenor, considered to be among the foremost exponents of English opera and oratorio. Early life Langridge was born in Hawkhurst, Kent, educ ...

. The couple had one son, Jonathan, also a tenor.Millington, Barry
"Philip Langridge Obituary: Leading British tenor committed to the theatrical dimension of the operatic stage"
''The Guardian'', 7 March 2010

Recordings

*Mozart: Mass No. 18 in C Minor KV427 (with Amor Artis Chorale, English Chamber Orchestra, cond. Johannes Somary: LP, Vanguard, 1976) *Donizetti: ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' (with Ambrosian Opera Chorus, New Philharmonia Orchestra, cond. Jesús Lopez-Cobos: LP, Philips, 1977; re-issued CD, 1991) *Verdi: ''La Battaglia di Legnano'' (with Austrian Radio Chorus & Symphony Orchestra, cond. Lambert Gardelli: LP, Philips, 1979; re-issued CD, Philips, 1989) *Gay: ''The Beggar's Opera'', arr. Bonynge/Gamley (with London Voices, National Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Richard Bonynge: LP, Decca, 1981) *Charpentier: ''

Te Deum The "Te Deum" (, ; from its incipit, , ) is a Latin Christian hymn traditionally ascribed to AD 387 authorship, but with antecedents that place it much earlier. It is central to the Ambrosian hymnal, which spread throughout the Latin Chu ...

'' H.146, ''Magnificat'' H.74, with Academy Chorus of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, conducted by Neville Marriner. CD Emi Classics 1991 *Stravinsky: Songs (with Ensemble Intercontemporain, cond. Pierre Boulez: LP, Deutsche Grammophon, 1982; re-issued CD, 1992) *Haydn: ''Stabat mater'' (with Lausanne Vocal Ensemble & Chamber Orchestra, cond. Michel Corboz: LP, Erato, 1983) *Purcell: ''Dido and Aeneas'' (with Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus, cond. Nikolaus Harnoncourt: LP, Telefunken, 1983) *Gounod: ''Romeo et Juliette'' (with Midi-Pyrenées Regional Choir, Toulouse Capitole Chorus & Orchestra, cond. Michel Plasson: LP, HMV, 1985) *Offenbach: ''Les Contes d'Hoffmann'' (with Chorus & Symphony Orchestra of the Brussels Opéra National du Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, cond. Sylvain Cambreling: LP/CD, EMI, 1988) *Brahms/Schumann: Voices of the Night (The Songmakers' Almanac: CD, Hyperion, 1989) *Hyperion Schubert Edition vol.3 (with Graham Johnson, pf: CD, Hyperion, 1989) *Mozart: ''Cosi fan tutte'' (with Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. James Levine: LP/CD, Deutsche Grammophon, 1989) *Berlioz: ''L'Enfance du Christ'' op.25 (with Choir of King's College Cambridge, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Stephen Cleobury: MC/CD, EMI, 1990) *Mahler: ''Songs from 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn (with London Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Charles Mackerras: CD, Virgin Classics, 1991) *Purcell: ''The Fairy Queen'' (with The Sixteen Choir & Orchestra, cond. Harry Christophers: CD, Collins Classics, 1992) *Vivaldi: Gloria in D major RV589 (with Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chorus & Orchestra, cond. Neville Marriner: LP/CD, EMI, 1992) *Rossini: ''La Cenerentola'' (with Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Riccardo Chailly: CD, Pioneer, 1993) *''The Last Rose of Summer: Best Loved Songs of Ireland'' (with Graham Johnson, pf: CD, Hyperion, 1993; re-issued 2005) *De Falla: ''El sombrero de tres picos'' (with Academy of St Martin in the Fields, cond. Sir Neville Marriner: CD, EMI, 1994) *Beethoven Folksong Arrangements vols 1 & 2 (with Marieke Blankestijn, vn, Elizabeth Layton, vn, Krysia Osostowicz, vn, Ursula Smith, vc, Malcolm Martineau, pf: CD, Deutsche Grammophon, 1997) *''Irish Songs: Bid Adieu'' (with Graham Johnson, pf: CD, Forlane, 1998) *Songs by Bizet (with Graham Johnson, pf: CD, Hyperion, 1998) *Fauré Requiem/Duruflé Requiem (with Corydon Singers, English Chamber Orchestra etc.: CD, Hyperion, 1998) *Vivaldi: ''Juditha triumpharis'' RV644 (with The King's Consort Choir, The King's Consort, cond. Robert King: CD, Hyperion, 1998) *L. Boulanger: ''D'un matin du printemps'' etc. (with City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Chorus, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Yan Pascal Tortelier: CD, Chandos, 1999) *Handel: ''Serse'' (with Bavarian State Opera Chorus & Orchestra, cond. Ivor Bolton: CD, Farao Classics, 2000) *Hummel: Mass in E flat etc. (with Collegium Musicum 90, cond. Richard Hickox: CD, Chandos Chaconne, 2004) *''The Songs of Robert Schumann'' vol. 9 (with Felicity Lott, S, Graham Johnson, pf: CD, Hyperion, 2004) *Britten, Mahler, Schumann (with Malcolm Martineau, pf: CD, Avie/Crear Classics, 2005)

Bibliography

*"Soprano Is Discovery of 1968 Feis Ceoil", ''The Irish Times'', 18 May 1968 *"Memoranda: Busy Singer", ''The Irish Times'', 29 September 1979 *Edward Seckerson: "The Right Repertoire", ''Gramophone'' 65 (December 1988), p. 933 *Gus Smith: ''Irish Stars of the Opera'' (Dublin, 1994), p. 113–30 *David Nice: "Murray: Mezzo Ann Murray on the Art of Opera", ''Gramophone'' 71 (May 1994), p. 26–29 *Michael Dervan: "Songs in the Key of Home", ''The Irish Times'', 15 January 1999, p. 14

References

External links

Artist page
at Hyperion Records.

at Bach-Cantatas.com

September 15, 1995 {{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Ann 1949 births Living people 20th-century Irish women opera singers Operatic mezzo-sopranos Honorary Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Musicians from Dublin (city) Honorary Members of the Royal Academy of Music Irish mezzo-sopranos Singers awarded knighthoods 21st-century Irish women opera singers