Biography

Kirsty Hopkins read Music at Manchester University and then continued her post-graduate vocal training under Linda Hirst at Trinity College of Music in London where she won the Elizabeth Schumann Lieder Prize. She now enjoys a versatile career as a soloist and consort singer, performing all over the world with some of today’s most exciting and renowned conductors and ensembles.

Operatic roles include Asphodéle in L’Etoile by Chabrier for Sir John Eliot Gardiner at the Opéra Comique in Paris and for François-Xavier Roth in Nimes, Galatea in Handel’s Acis & Galatea for Jerusalem Early Music, Cupid in Purcell’s King Arthur for New Chamber Opera, and Spirit in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas for Harry Christophers and The Sixteen.

Recent solo concert performances include Handel’s Israel in Egypt for Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Haydn’s Creation at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and at the Cornerstone Festival, Taverner’s Lament for Jerusalem at the British Library for The Choir of London, a programme of Venetian music in Russe, Bulgaria for QuintEssential Sackbut and Cornett Ensemble, concerts in London, Ireland and Austria for consort soloist ensemble Alamire, Monteverdi Vespers for Richard Cooke at Chelmsford Cathedral, the title role in a semi-staged production of Purcell's Bonduca for The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at King's Place, London and the Monteverdi Vespers for The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment throughout the UK and Europe.

Kirsty features on two recent recordings - "Making Waves" by Bob Chilcott released on Signum Classics and "A Child's Prayer" and "O Bone Jesu" by James MacMillan from the album "Bright Orb of Harmony" by The Sixteen, released on their label Coro. Future releases include another recording for Bob Chilcott, “Be Thou my Vision” and MacMillan’s “A Child’s Prayer”, this time for the Gabrieli Consort . Television performances include a recent appearance on Charles Hazelwood’s BBC series “The Birth of British Music”.

Forthcoming highlights include a "Musica Transalpina" programme with QuintEssential Sackbut and Cornett Ensemble at the Lake District Summer Music Festival, concerts in the UK and Austria with Alamire, and Bach Missa Brevis BWV235 at the Grand Opening Concert of Festival Maribor 2010, Slovenia with Australian Chamber Orchestra and Maribor Festival Orchestra conducted by Richard Tognetti.