Emma Curtis
Contralto

" an impressive array of vocal colours ... her deeper register is outstanding " Gramophone

Emma Curtis studied at the Guildhall School of Music and at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California where she worked with her mentor Marilyn Horne 1997-1999. Emma has also had the privilege to work with Thomas Hampson and Teresa Berganza. . She was a full-time member of the Solo Ensemble at the Staatstheater Stuttgart from 2003 to 2006.

Emma Curtis made her international debut at the Staatstheater Stuttgart as Nutrice (L’incoronazione di Poppea) in 2000, and then in 2001/02 sang Ericlea (Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria).  In 2003/04 she sang Pastore II in Monteverdi’s Orfeo with Jean-Claude Malgoire, Eine Kranke and 4. nackte Jungfrau in Schönberg’s Moses und Aron conducted by Lothar Zagrosek, and Poklízecka in Janáçek’s The Makropolous Case, conducted by Sylvain Cambreling.

Emma created the role of Galatée in the world premiere of Pastorale by Gérard Pesson for Staatstheater Stuttgart conducted by Kwamé Ryan, and the leading role of L'Ainée in the world premiere of Jacques Lenot's J'étais dans ma maison et j'attendais que la pluie vienne at Opera de Genève, conducted by Daniel Kawka.

As a Baroque specialist Emma has performed the title role in Cavalli's Giasone for Aspen Music Festival conducted by Harry Bicket, Irene in Handel’s Atalanta at the International Handel-Festival, Göttingen, conducted by Nicholas McGegan, Eduige (Handel’s Rodelinda) for Portland Opera, USA, conducted by George Manahan, Bertarido (Handel’s Rodelinda) in Santa Barbara, Cleofe in Handel’s La Resurrezione at the Lufthansa Baroque Festival in London, with Trevor Pinnock and The English Concert, Les Leçons de Ténèbres by Marc Antoine Charpentier, plus the world premiere of Les Leçons de Ténèbres by Philippe Fénelon, with La Grand Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy and Au temps de Port Royal with Les Arts Florissants and William Christie

Emma has appeared in new productions directed by Jossi Wieler, Peter Konwitschny, Hans Neuenfels, Christopher Mattaliano and Catherine Turocy, and in stagings by Joachim Schlömer, Edward Berkley and Axel Mantey.

Other operatic appearances include Geneviève (Pelléas et Mélisande), La principessa (Suor Angelica), Third Lady (Die Zauberflöte) and Modestina (Il viaggio a Reims) in Santa Barbara, Quickly (Falstaff) for Festival Opus a Gattières, and Mother Goose (The Rake’s Progress) and Maddelena (Rigoletto).

Emma's concert appearances include Sibelius’s Jokamies with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Thomas Adès and Janáçek’s Diary of One who Disappeared at the Aldeburgh Festival, and Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music with Leonard Slatkin and the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the First Night of the BBC Proms 2001.

Emma has furthered her passion for the theatre with studies and performances in Mime, Mask and Commedia dell'Arte, and research of the London Theatre scene of the early 1700s. She has become an accomplished teacher and, when appropriate, uses her development as a practitioner in psycho-acoustics to help singers overcome blocks to their professional potential.

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