Sophie Anna Magdalena Bevan (born 1983) is a British lyric

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

appearing in

concert A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

s, recitals, and

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

Early life

Bevan was born in

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

in 1983, the first-born of eight siblings. Her father was a singer and all of her siblings are musically gifted. Her father was one of 14 siblings; they formed a choir under the direction of her grandfather. “They formed the Bevan Family Choir”, performing and making records. In her childhood, her stepfather encouraged her in singing, which interested her more than playing piano, her first goal. She graduated from the Benjamin Britten International Opera School where she studied as a Karaviotis Scholar with

Lillian Watson Lillian Debra Watson (born July 11, 1950), commonly known by her nickname Pokey Watson, and later by her married name Lillian Richardson, is an American former competition swimmer, a two-time Olympic champion, and a former world record-holder i ...

and was awarded the Queen Mother Rose Bowl for excelling in music.

Career

Her concert repertoire ranges from Handel to James Macmillan and she has worked with conductors that include Sir Antonio Pappano, Edward Gardner, Laurence Cummings, Harry Bicket, Sir Neville Marriner, Phillipe Herreweghe, Sir Mark Elder, Ryan Wigglesworth, Daniel Harding and Sir Charles Mackerras. Already highly accomplished on the operatic stage, her engagements include her first Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier for English National Opera; the title role in The Cunning Little Vixen for Welsh National Opera; her first Susana Le Nozze di Figaro for Garsington Opera; Michal Saul for Glyndebourne Festival Opera; and Waldvogel Siegfried, Pamina and Ilia for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Engagements include Susana and Antigone Oedipe at Covent Garden; concerts with the Sao Paulo State Symphony, CBSO, and recitals at the Wigmore Hall; Pamina for the Teatro Real, Madrid. Her debut at the Salzburg Festival as Beatrice in the world première of Thomas Adès’

The Exterminating Angel ''The Exterminating Angel'' () is a 1962 Mexican surrealism, surrealist black comedy film written and directed by Luis Buñuel. Starring Silvia Pinal and produced by Pinal's then-husband Gustavo Alatriste, the film tells the story of a group of ...

met with good reviews. She sang that role in her debut at the Metropolitan Opera, New York. Sophie is also the recipient of the 2010 Critics’ Circle award for Exceptional Young Talent, The Times Breakthrough Award at the 2012 South Bank Sky Arts Awards and the Young Singer award at the 2013 inaugural International Opera Awards. Bevan was appointed

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(MBE) in the

2019 Birthday Honours The 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as ...

for services to music.

Operatic repertoire

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 at ...

: ''

La clemenza di Tito (''The Clemency of Titus''), K. 621, is an ''opera seria'' in two acts composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Caterino Mazzolà, after Pietro Metastasio. Mozart completed the work in the midst of composing ''Die Zauberfl ...

'' (Publio) *

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...

: ''Riccardo I'' (Costanza) *

Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string player. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is considere ...

: ''

L'Incoronazione di Poppea ''L'incoronazione di Poppea'' (Stattkus-Verzeichnis, SV 308, ''The Coronation of Poppaea'') is an Italian List of operas by Claudio Monteverdi, opera by Claudio Monteverdi. It was Monteverdi's last opera, with a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Buse ...

'' (Poppea/Amor) *

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

: ''

Le nozze di Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna ...

'' (Susanna/Barbarina); ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...

'' (Zerlina); ''

Così fan tutte (''Women are like that, or The School for Lovers''), Köchel catalogue, K. 588, is an opera buffa in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was first performed on 26 January 1790 at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. The libretto was written ...

'' (Despina); ''

Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots ' (complete title in historical spelling: '; The Obligation of the First and Foremost Commandment), Köchel-Verzeichnis, K. 35, is a sacred musical play (''geistliches Singspiel'') composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1767 when he was 11 years o ...

'' (Worldly Spirit) *

Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist, impresario of Baroque music and Roman Catholic priest. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lif ...

: ''L'Incoronazione di Dario'' (Alinda)

Personal life

Sophie Bevan is married to conductor and composer Ryan Wigglesworth. They have two children. Bevan is cured of bowel cancer, which was diagnosed in 2022 after the birth of her second child. Her father died of the same cancer a few months before her diagnosis. She was not singing during the treatments and earlier with the birth of two children. She has resumed a full schedule of performances. She is expecting their third child in 2024. She performed at the first night of

BBC Proms The BBC Proms is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in central London. Robert Newman founded The Proms in 1895. Since 1927, the ...

at the Albert Hall in July 2024.

Discography

*''Perfido!'' (with Ian Page (conductor) and The Mozartists),

Signum Records Signum Records, also known as Signum Classics, is a classical musical record label in the UK founded in 1997. The label began with a project to make the first recording of the complete works of Thomas Tallis. The artists for the Tallis recordi ...

(2017) *''

Max Reger Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 187311 May 1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic teacher. He worked as a concert pianist, a musical director at the Paulinerkirche, Leipzig, Leipzig University Chu ...

: Songs'' (with

Malcolm Martineau Malcolm Martineau, OBE (born 3 February 1960) is a Scottish pianist who is particularly noted as an accompanist. Life Martineau was born to the pianist Hester Dickson Martineau and Canon George Martineau in 1960. He was an only child but he had ...

(

Hyperion Records Hyperion Records is a British classical music record label. It was independent until February 2023, when it was acquired by the Universal Music Group. Under Universal, Hyperion is one of the three main classical record labels, alongside Decca a ...

CDA68057, 2016) *'' Paul Carr (composer), Paul Carr: Requiem For An Angel'' (with

Mark Stone Mark Stone (born May 13, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the sixth round, 178th overall, of the 201 ...

- baritone, Chorus Angelorum, the Bath Philharmonia,

Gavin Carr Gavin Carr is a British conductor and baritone working with major choruses in the UK and appearing in opera and concert in the UK and around the globe. Biography Gavin Carr is Music Director of the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus, Bath Minerva Cho ...

- conductor),

Stone Records Stone Records is a British, independent, classical record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the compa ...

(2010) Hail Windsor, Crown'd with lofty towers - with Café Mozart (Derek McCulloch), DanubiaDiscs CM003, 2005 Haydn & the Earl of Abingdon - with Café Mozart (Derek McCulloch), Naxos 8.570525, 2007 Begone dull care! Music from Jane Austen's library - with Box&Fir Co (Jenny Thomas), DanubiaDiscs DD006, 2009

References

Other sources

* *

External links

Management websiteEnglish National Opera websiteGarsington Opera websiteHandel's Messiah with Vignette ArtsSophie Bevan sings "I know that my Redeemer liveth" to the Messiah Community Ensemble for the English National Opera's production of Handel's Messiah, directed by Deborah WarnerHyperion Records website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bevan, Sophie 1983 births Living people English operatic sopranos British sopranos Singers from London 21st-century British women opera singers Members of the Order of the British Empire