Elizabeth Watts, Rachel Podger, Florilegium & Ashley Solomon
Biographie Elizabeth Watts, Rachel Podger, Florilegium & Ashley Solomon
Elizabeth Watts
With a voice described by International Record Review as “one of the most beautiful Britain has produced in a generation” Elizabeth Watts is “now established as one of Britain’s leading sopranos” (The Guardian) and “a national treasure” (The Arts Desk). Her debut recording of Schubert Lieder for SONY Red Seal, a Gramophone ‘Editor’s Choice’, was hailed for its “milky timbre & interpretative maturity” (FT) “technical mastery” (Gramophone) and “radiant delivery” (BBC Music). Now a prolific recording artist, she has released discs of Bach Cantatas, Strauss Lieder, Mozart Opera Arias, Alessandro Scarlatti Arias (which she researched), CPE Bach’s Magnificat, JS Bach’s St John & St Matthew Passions, Handel Brockes Passion and Mahler Symphony No 4, to name a few, winning many awards and accolades along the way. Most recently her recording of Britten’s Spring Symphony with Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra was named Orchestral Album of the year by Classica magazine.
A former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist, Elizabeth is much in demand as a recitalist. She has given recitals at the UK’s leading venues, including Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Purcell Room, Aldeburgh, Edinburgh, Hay and Cheltenham Festivals. Further afield, Elizabeth has performed at prestigious venues and festivals such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Hardanger Festival in Norway, with the Orquesta de Radio Televisión Española in Madrid, at the Bad Kissinger Summer Festival, at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and at the Tonhalle, Zürich.
On the concert platform, Elizabeth sings a broad repertoire, from Bach to Brahms and Strauss, through to premieres by composers such as Richard Blackford and Ryan Wigglesworth. Performances include Ligeti Le grand macabre and Ravel L’enfant et les sortileges with Sir Simon Rattle and the LSO, Mahler Symphony No 2 with BBCSO and Sakari Oramo for the BBC Proms, and with Andrés Orozco-Estrada and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra; The Last Night of the Proms with Sakari Oramo, Mozart Requiem with the London Symphony Orchestra and Boston Handel & Haydn Society with Harry Christophers (also a CD); Mass in C Minor with Akademie für Alte Musik and Daniel Reuss and with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Olari Elts; Brahms Requiem with the LPO and Yannick Nezét-Séguin (on CD); Bach St Matthew and St John Passions (concert and recording) with the Academy of Ancient Music and Richard Egarr; Beethoven Symphony No 9 and Haydn Scena di Berenice with the SCO; Mahler Symphonies 2 and 4 and Strauss Lieder with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra; No 4 with the LSO and Michael Tilson Thomas, the Philharmonia Orchestra and Vladimir Ashkenazy, and with the Hong Kong Philharmonic and Vassily Petrenko; Vaughan Williams Sea Symphony with the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC SSO and Kurtág Kafka Fragments for Soprano and Violin with the Hebrides Ensemble, as well as performances with Bachakademie Stuttgart and Hans-Christoph Rademan and with RIAS Kammerchor, Berlin; and Handel L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato with the Mark Morris Dance Group at Teatro Real, Madrid (on DVD). Her world premiere performance of Richard Blackford’s Songs of Nadia Anjuman with the Britten Sinfonia, in which she simultaneously conducted, received multiple 5-star reviews, was named a concert of the year in The Times and is available as a live performance on CD.
Now firmly established as a lyric soprano, Elizabeth’s recent operatic roles include Aspasia in Mozart’s Mitridate (Garsington Opera) and Countess Le nozze di Figaro (English National Opera). Previous operatic appearances include Zerlina Don Giovanni and Marzelline Fidelio for the Royal Opera, Covent Garden; Susanna Le Nozze di Figaro for Santa Fe Opera and Welsh National Opera, for whom Elizabeth has also sung Donna Elvira, Pamina Die Zauberflöte and Fiordiligi Così fan tutte. On the concert platform her lyric repertoire now includes Britten’s War Requiem and Elgar’s The Apostles and The Kingdom, giving the Polish premiere of the latter.
Elizabeth was a chorister at Norwich Cathedral and gained a First in Archaeology & Prehistory at Sheffield University, before attending the Royal College of Music. Among her many prizes are the Kathleen Ferrier Award, the MIDEM Classique Outstanding Young Artist Award and the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Rosenblatt Recital Song Prize. A former member of English National Opera’s Young Singers’ Programme, she has been an Artist in Residence at the Southbank Centre, London and is the recipient of a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award. More recently, Elizabeth was made an honorary Doctor of Music by Sheffield University and a Fellow of the Royal College of Music.
Rachel Podger
he unsurpassed British glory of the baroque violin,” (The Times) has established herself as a leading interpreter of the Baroque and Classical. She was the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Royal Academy of Music/Kohn Foundation Bach Prize in October 2015, was Gramophone Artist of the Year 2018, and the Ambassador for REMA’s Early Music Day 2020. A creative programmer, Rachel is the founder and Artistic Director of Brecon Baroque Festival and her ensemble Brecon Baroque; is Principal Guest Director for Tafelmusik; Patron for The Continuo Foundation and an Ambassador for the Learned Society of Wales. Rachel was awarded BBC Music Magazine Recording of the Year and Instrumental Award 2023 for her solo album Tutta Sola.
Rachel continues to broaden her relationships with orchestras, ensembles and venues worldwide. Recent highlights are her inaugural performance with Tafelmusik as Principal Guest Director and a tour of Asia, her debut directing Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and a long-awaited return to the Netherlands Bach Society. Upcoming performances include her debut with Bavarian Radio Symphony, a return to Scottish Chamber Orchestra, a US/Canadian tour with Tafelmusik, and tours of Duologue with Lucie Horsch, ‘Just Biber’ (Biber 1681 Sonatas) and The Muses Restor’d with her ensemble Brecon Baroque.
As a soloist and chamber musician, recent collaborations have included the Austrian premiere of A Guardian Angel with VOCES8 at Vienna Konserthaus, a tour of Angels and Demons with I Fagiolini, a Vivaldi tour with Arte dei Suonatori, Bach Goldberg Variations Reimagined and Vivaldi Four Seasons with Brecon Baroque.
Recent album releases on Channel Classics include Just Biber, The Muses Restor’d with Brecon Baroque which was awarded a Gramophone Editor’s Choice, BBC Music Magazine double 5* review & Chamber Choice and a Diapason d’Or, and the world premiere recording of Bach Goldberg Variations Reimagined in a new chamber arrangement by Chad Kelly with Brecon Baroque. Upcoming recording plans include a disc of Duologue with Lucie Horsch.
A dedicated educator and inspirational coach, Rachel has begun her own training programme BOGA (Bow Yoga), she holds the Micaela Comberti Chair for Baroque Violin at the Royal Academy of Music and the Jane Hodge Foundation International Chair in Baroque Violin at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Rachel also has a regular relationship with The Juilliard School in New York. Rachel Podger is managed worldwide by Percius.
Ashley Solomon
Combining a successful career across both theory and practice, Ashley is Head of Historical Performance at London's Royal College of Music, having been appointed a professor in 1994 and in 2014 was awarded a Personal Chair. In July 2017 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music (FRAM) and in 2019 became a Fellow of the Royal College of Music (FRCM).
He has given masterclasses and lectures worldwide, including at The Juilliard School, Yale University, Jerusalem Academy of Music, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, Oslo and Bergen Conservatories, Frankfurt Hochschule and the Mozarteum in Salzburg.
He co-founded the baroque ensemble Florilegium in 1991 and has been its Director since 2001. They have a busy touring schedule and have to date made 35 recordings for Channel Classics and given over 1500 concert performances worldwide.
As a soloist, he has performed concertos in the Sydney Opera House, Esplanade (Singapore), Teatro Colon (Buenos Aires), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam) and Konzerthaus (Vienna).
He also records as a solo artist with Channel Classics and his recording of the complete Bach’s Flute Sonatas was voted the best overall version of these works on either modern or period flute by Gramophone Magazine (February 2017).
In 2002 Florilegium became involved with Bolivian Baroque and since 2003 Ashley has been training vocalists and instrumentalists there. Initially solo singers, he formed Arakaendar Bolivia Choir in 2005 and has directed them in concerts throughout Bolivia, North America and across Europe as well as on their three CDs. In 2008 Ashley was awarded the prestigious Bolivian Hans Roth Prize, given to him in recognition of the enormous assistance he has given to the Bolivian indigenous people, their presence on the international stage and the promotion and preservation of this music.
Florilegium
is internationally recognized as one of Britain’s most distinguished period-instrument ensembles, celebrated for its vibrant, stylish, and historically informed performances. Since its founding in 1991, the group has captivated audiences worldwide with interpretations that combine scholarly insight with expressive artistry. Their repertoire spans from intimate chamber music to grand orchestral and choral works, performed both as a dedicated instrumental ensemble and in collaboration with exceptional vocal soloists and leading choirs.
Florilegium’s reputation has been built on appearances at many of the world’s most prestigious concert halls and festivals. Highlights include performances at the Sydney Opera House, Singapore’s Esplanade, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Vienna’s Konzerthaus, Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Handel-Haus in Halle, and the Frick Collection in New York.From 1998 to 2000, Florilegium held the position of Ensemble-in-Residence at London’s WigmoreHall, presenting multiple concert series each season and contributing significantly to the Hall’s education initiatives. Today, they continue their commitment to nurturing the next generation of musicians as Ensemble in Association at the Royal College of Music, working closely with students on both modern and period instruments to explore the rich world of Baroque chamber music.
Florilegium’s extensive discography on Channel Classics has garnered numerous accolades, including two Gramophone Award nominations, three BBC Music Magazine Awards, multiple Gramophone “Editor’s Choice” selections, and several Diapason d’Or and Chocs de la Musique in France. Their Bach Cantatas recording with Johannette Zomer won the Edison Award, Dutch music’s highest honour. In 2014, their landmark 25th recording—the complete Bach Brandenburg Concertos—received a Dutch Luister 10 Award, was named Classical CD Choice of the Month, and featured as Classic FM’s Album of the Week.
Subsequent releases have also garnered international praise. Their recording of Telemann’s Concertos & Cantata “Ihr Völker hört” with mezzo-soprano Clare Wilkinson earned Gramophone’s “Editor’s Choice” and was shortlisted for Best Baroque Chamber Music CD. Recent projects include Haydn’s early symphonies (Morning, Noon and Night), and the Spohr Collection—a trilogy of recordings featuring rare 17th- and 18th-century flutes from a private German collection. Their latest album, Trale fiamme, showcases vocal and instrumental works by Handel, Bach, and Vivaldi with soprano Rowan Pierce and has been met with critical acclaim.
Several of these projects have been generously supported by the Continuo Foundation, enabling Florilegium to continue its mission of bringing historically informed performance to new audiences.
