Janice Watson – Soprano

A flautist originally, Janice began taking singing seriously at the instigation of tenor Philip Langridge, studying firstly with Johanna Peters at the Guildhall in London, then later with Renata Scotto.  There followed a period at the Ravel Institute in Ciboure, culminating in a Concert performance of Sheherazade with Michel Plasson and the Toulouse Symphony Orchestra.  Then at the age of 23 she won the Kathleen Ferrier Award and the Royal Overseas League Gold Medal, which launched her into the upper levels of the singing profession.

Janice has performed in most of the major opera houses of the world including Covent Garden, Metropolitan Opera New York, Chicago, Santa Fe, San Francisco, Vienna, Paris, Lyon, Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg, La Scala Milan, Naples, Turin, Sydney, Beijing, Tokyo, and she has been a regular guest with both English National Opera and Welsh National Opera.

Conductors she has worked with include: Riccardo Chailly, Edward Gardner, Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Bernard Haitink, Neeme Järvi, Trevor Pinnock, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Franz Welser-Möst, Daniele Gatti, Robin Ticciati, David Atherton, David Parry, David Hill, Richard Hickox, Frans Brüggen, Gustavo Dudamel, Antonio Pappano, André Previn, Kurt Masur, Sir Mark Elder, Donald Runnicles, Martyn Brabbins, Vassily Sinaisky, and Sir Andrew Davis.

Roles include: Countess (Nozze di Figaro), Ellen Orford, Arabella, Daphne, Ariadne, Marschallin, Salome, Musetta, Katja Kabanova, Jenůfa, Blanche & Stella (Streetcar named Desire), Alice Ford, Leonore, Elisabetta (Don Carlos), Elsa (Lohengrin), Elisabeth (Tannhäuser), Sieglinde, Isolde, Kundry, Madame Lidoine (Carmelites) and Hecuba (King Priam).

Janice has also made many recordings.  Her performance of Ellen Orford in Peter Grimes for Chandos with Richard Hickox and LSO won her a Grammy, and she has received two further nominations.  Other recordings include Elisabeth (Don Carlos) and Jenůfa for Chandos, A Poisoned Kiss, Owen Wingrave, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Dvorak Stabat Mater, Beethoven Missa Solemnis & Ah Perfido, Poulenc Gloria and Stabat Mater, Bernard Hermann’s Citizen Kane – Salammbo’s Aria with the Scottish National Orchestra.  A recent recording of Delius Mass of Life and Prelude & Idyll for Naxos was recently CD of the week both on Radio3 and in Gramophone magazine.

Concert work includes the Britten Spring Symphony at The Tanglewood Festival in Boston, Die Walküre in Hong Kong, a concert tour of the Far East with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, many performances of the Britten War Requiem, Vaughan-Williams’ Sea Symphony, Mahler Symphonies, Strauss Four Last Songs, Walton’s Facade (Janice has performed the Speaking role in duet with Sir Andrew Davis), Rachmaninov’s “The Bells”, Beethoven Masses, Mozart Mass in C and Requiem, and many Oratorios by Handel and Mendelssohn.  She has sung many times at the Royal Albert Hall Proms and the Edinburgh Festival.