MARGARET FIELD (Soprano): BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
GENERAL
Described in the British press as
"this golden-voiced Australian soprano", Margaret Field was born in
Melbourne and is a graduate of Melbourne University. She began her career
in Australia as a principal soprano with Victorian State Opera and was a
regular broadcaster for the ABC. She now lives in England.
CONCERTS
Margaret has given over 80 recitals
for BBC Radio. She has had solo appearances at most major music
festivals, including Bournemouth International Festival, Exeter Festival, the
"Towards the Millennium" concert series and several Three Choirs
Festivals, at one of which she was the soloist in the Te Deum by Paul
Patterson, who wrote the solo part especially for her.
She has sung as soloist with many of Britain's foremost orchestras, including
the RPO, BBC SO, London Sinfonietta, City of Birmingham SO, Royal Scottish
National Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Royal
Liverpool Philharmonic. Concert halls where she has performed include The Royal
Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Wigmore Hall, Royal Opera House Covent
Garden, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, St David's Hall Cardiff, Symphony Hall
Birmingham.
OPERA
Margaret sang many roles as
Principal Soprano with the Victoria State Opera, Melbourne, Australia. She sang
Susanna in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
London, Alice Ford in Verdi's Falstaff and Mimi in Puccini's La
Boheme with English National Opera at the London Coliseum. She was cast in
a principal role in the BBC Artium release of Delius's opera Margot la
Rouge, and has sung various principal roles in productions at the Barber
Institute, Birmingham.
INTERNATIONAL
She gave a highly acclaimed
performance of Richard Strauss's Four Last Songs with the Turku
Philharmonic in Finland, conducted by Frank Shipway. She undertook a much
praised UK tour with the Polish State Philharmonic singing Gorecki's Symphony
of Sorrowful Songs (Symphony No.3) at the composer's express invitation,
and also a tour of Israel (also singing Gorecki's work) with the Haifa Symphony
Orchestra. She has given Oratorio performances in Switzerland and Norway, and
performed Mahler's Fourth Symphony with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
under Hubert Soudant in Melbourne and Canberra.
REPERTOIRE
Margaret is an extremely versatile
singer and is highly regarded as an interpreter of 20th century music. She has
given first performances of many works by contemporary composers, several of
whom have written pieces especially for her. Most recent engagements include a
performance of Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire under the direction of Peter
Hill at the Firth Hall in Sheffield. For full repertoire list, please click on 'Margaret's repertoire'.
RECORDINGS
Margaret made her first record
"Cabaret Songs of the Jazz Era" for the ABC. Her CD of British
Song was released in 1995 by Redcliffe Recordings. She is the soloist in
Borodin's Prince Igor Suite with the RPO for Cala
Records.
Her CD of rose songs "A Garland of Roses"
was released in 1995 on the Walsingham
Classics
"Voice of Australia" label.
TEACHING
Margaret enjoys a high reputation
as teacher and is Visiting Lecturer in singing at Birmingham Conservatoire. She
conducts regular master classes in solo singing and frequently gives workshops
in singing technique for choirs and choral societies, including the National
Youth Choir, the International Choral Summer School, and courses organised by
the Association of British Choral Directors. She was invited to give master
classes at the 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2003 Austrian-American Mozart Academy in
Salzburg, Austria, organised under the auspices of Austin University, Texas and
is scheduled for similar work in 2005. She gives private tuition at her home in
Ledbury, Herefordshire.
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