Wendy has always been singing. Her parents would tell you that there has never been a time when she was not singing, and they even have a cassette recording of her singing a nursery rhyme before she could pronounce the words.
Her musical training started properly at the age of four with piano lessons. At secondary school, she took up the offer of free introductory lessons on the oboe, and was hooked. She steadily worked her way to become the principal oboist of the Coventry Youth Symphony Orchestra. She grew to love classical singing through the training she received in the award-winning Coventry Blue Coat C.E. School choir, and went on to continue her love of choral music as a member of the Chester Cathedral Nave Choir while she was at university.
After gaining a first class honours degree in English from the University of Chester, Wendy continued her studies at the University of Liverpool, studying Science Fiction and Contemporary Literature. She had been continuing her singing whilst at University, studying under Edward Hartwell-Jones, and with his training her voice started to develop and take on a much fuller tone. It was then that sought out a teacher with experience teaching opera, and in her first lesson with Jayne Wilson she caught the seed of what could be a future career in singing. Jayne pointed her towards opportunities to gain experience in performing opera, and in 2012 Wendy was in her first professional opera, as a member of the choruses of Verdi's Il trovatore and Puccini's Suor Angelica at Dorset Opera.
Later in 2012, Wendy had the opportunity to study in Dublin at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama on their part-time vocal studies course. This enabled her to bridge the gap in her studies, and take all of the undergraduate vocal classes at the same time.
After returning from Ireland, Wendy went on to study with Colin Baldy at the City Lit Opera School, where she really began to develop her understanding of the repertoire which suited her. Under Colin's guidance, she studied the roles of Cornelia in Giulio Cesare, Katisha in The Mikado, Third Lady in Die Zauberflöte, and performed her first principal roles, as Maurya in Riders to the Sea, and Maman/La Libellule in Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortileges as part of the 2015 Maldon Festival.
The roles came in fast that season, and she also performed Lucia in Rossini's The Thieving Magpie with Midland Opera, closely followed by Orfeo in Gluck's Orfeo ed Eurydice and La Zia Principessa in Puccini's Suor Angelica with The New London Opera Players. In early 2016 she played Hänsel for Secret Opera's production of Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel, Florence in Britten's Albert Herring for Harrow Opera, and Ulrica in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera for Stanley Opera. Later that year Wendy performed her first Zita in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi as part of the 2016 Scheggino Opera Summer School, and then on tour in locations around the UK in conjunction with Hand Made Opera.
In 2016 Wendy gained a place at the Opera School of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where she studied under Kathryn Harries. During her time in Cardiff Wendy performed excerpts from a variety of roles including Angelina La Cenerentola, Mary Seton Mary Queen of Scots, Penelope Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria. She also covered the role of Athamus for the touring production of Handel's Semele, which was produced in conjunction with Mid Wales Opera. Wendy also performed the principal roles of Olga Olsen in Kurt Weill's Street Scene, and took on the role of Zita again under the baton of Carlo Rizzi during a gala concert with the orchestra of Welsh National Opera. Wendy graduated with a Master of the Arts in Opera Performance in 2018.
Since graduating, her performance contracts have also taken her into the USA. In 2019, Wendy took part in Utah Vocal Arts Festival, participating in their Dramatic Voices Showcase, and singing Dritte Damen in their Principal Artist production of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. January 2020, Wendy travelled to New York, to work with New York Dramatic Voices as one of their Winter Intensive Artists. In New York, Wendy performed the role of Rossweisse in DieWalküre, as well as excerpts from the roles of Mistress Quickly Falstaff, and Ježibaba Rusalka.
Wendy's awards include the 2020 Richard Wagner Stipendienstiftung, and she looks forward to taking part in these events at the Bayreuth Festival in 2022. In 2020, Wendy also received a Certificate of Distinction in the Best Opera Singer category of the Nomea Competition.
Plans for 2021 include preparing the role of Klytaemnestra in Strauss's Elektra with both New York Dramatic Voices, and then again with Dramatic Voices Programs Berlin. Wendy will also be launching her new online opera platform Scenic Opera.
Her musical training started properly at the age of four with piano lessons. At secondary school, she took up the offer of free introductory lessons on the oboe, and was hooked. She steadily worked her way to become the principal oboist of the Coventry Youth Symphony Orchestra. She grew to love classical singing through the training she received in the award-winning Coventry Blue Coat C.E. School choir, and went on to continue her love of choral music as a member of the Chester Cathedral Nave Choir while she was at university.
After gaining a first class honours degree in English from the University of Chester, Wendy continued her studies at the University of Liverpool, studying Science Fiction and Contemporary Literature. She had been continuing her singing whilst at University, studying under Edward Hartwell-Jones, and with his training her voice started to develop and take on a much fuller tone. It was then that sought out a teacher with experience teaching opera, and in her first lesson with Jayne Wilson she caught the seed of what could be a future career in singing. Jayne pointed her towards opportunities to gain experience in performing opera, and in 2012 Wendy was in her first professional opera, as a member of the choruses of Verdi's Il trovatore and Puccini's Suor Angelica at Dorset Opera.
Later in 2012, Wendy had the opportunity to study in Dublin at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama on their part-time vocal studies course. This enabled her to bridge the gap in her studies, and take all of the undergraduate vocal classes at the same time.
After returning from Ireland, Wendy went on to study with Colin Baldy at the City Lit Opera School, where she really began to develop her understanding of the repertoire which suited her. Under Colin's guidance, she studied the roles of Cornelia in Giulio Cesare, Katisha in The Mikado, Third Lady in Die Zauberflöte, and performed her first principal roles, as Maurya in Riders to the Sea, and Maman/La Libellule in Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortileges as part of the 2015 Maldon Festival.
The roles came in fast that season, and she also performed Lucia in Rossini's The Thieving Magpie with Midland Opera, closely followed by Orfeo in Gluck's Orfeo ed Eurydice and La Zia Principessa in Puccini's Suor Angelica with The New London Opera Players. In early 2016 she played Hänsel for Secret Opera's production of Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel, Florence in Britten's Albert Herring for Harrow Opera, and Ulrica in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera for Stanley Opera. Later that year Wendy performed her first Zita in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi as part of the 2016 Scheggino Opera Summer School, and then on tour in locations around the UK in conjunction with Hand Made Opera.
In 2016 Wendy gained a place at the Opera School of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where she studied under Kathryn Harries. During her time in Cardiff Wendy performed excerpts from a variety of roles including Angelina La Cenerentola, Mary Seton Mary Queen of Scots, Penelope Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria. She also covered the role of Athamus for the touring production of Handel's Semele, which was produced in conjunction with Mid Wales Opera. Wendy also performed the principal roles of Olga Olsen in Kurt Weill's Street Scene, and took on the role of Zita again under the baton of Carlo Rizzi during a gala concert with the orchestra of Welsh National Opera. Wendy graduated with a Master of the Arts in Opera Performance in 2018.
Since graduating, her performance contracts have also taken her into the USA. In 2019, Wendy took part in Utah Vocal Arts Festival, participating in their Dramatic Voices Showcase, and singing Dritte Damen in their Principal Artist production of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. January 2020, Wendy travelled to New York, to work with New York Dramatic Voices as one of their Winter Intensive Artists. In New York, Wendy performed the role of Rossweisse in DieWalküre, as well as excerpts from the roles of Mistress Quickly Falstaff, and Ježibaba Rusalka.
Wendy's awards include the 2020 Richard Wagner Stipendienstiftung, and she looks forward to taking part in these events at the Bayreuth Festival in 2022. In 2020, Wendy also received a Certificate of Distinction in the Best Opera Singer category of the Nomea Competition.
Plans for 2021 include preparing the role of Klytaemnestra in Strauss's Elektra with both New York Dramatic Voices, and then again with Dramatic Voices Programs Berlin. Wendy will also be launching her new online opera platform Scenic Opera.
Biography correct as of January 2021. Permission required prior to reproduction.
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