British mezzo soprano Bethany Horak-Hallett is an Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Rising Star alumna, and a recent Samling Artist. This season, concert highlights include Verdi’s Requiem with the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, Bach’s St Matthew Passion with the Academy of Ancient Music, Bach’s B Minor Mass with La Nuova Musica, and Handel’s Messiah with the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne conducted by William Christie, and later with Orquesta Ciudad de Granada conducted by Eamonn Dougan. She will make her role debut as Flora in the Peter Konwitschny production of La Traviata for English National Opera, perform the title role in Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas with the Gabrieli Consort & Players, and Sorceress in the same work with Monteverdi Choir & Orchestra for an international tour directed by Andy Staples. Bethany returns to Ludlow English Song Festival for recitals with Ian Tindale and Iain Burnside, and will also partner with Delphian Records to release her debut album alongside duo partner Natalie Burch.

Recent highlights include concert performances with Royal Northern Sinfonia, Dunedin Consort directed by John Butt, the Deutches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin conducted by Robin Ticciati, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the Irish National Symphony Chorus as guest soloist. She made her Royal Swedish Opera debut as Cherubino in their new production of Le Nozze di Figaro conducted by Alan Gilbert, and returned to Glyndebourne Festival to perform the role of Yolanda in the newly commissioned The Railway Children by Mark-Anthony Turnage.

She made her Opéra national de Paris role and house debut as Camila in the new Calixto Bieito production of Thomas Adès’ The Exterminating Angel, and made her role debut as Cherubino in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro for Garsington Opera.

Bethany made her role and house debut as Dorabella in the John Cox production of Così fan Tutte at Garsington Opera, covered the role of Mercédès in the ENO revival of Carmen and the role of Ino in Adele Thomas’ new production of Semele for Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and won second prize in the 2021 London Handel Festival Singing Competition. She had performances with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, made her solo recital debut at the London Handel Festival alongside her duo partner Steven Devine, and made her Wigmore Hall and Oxford International Song Festival recital debuts.

She joined the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra as soloist for their international tour of Bach’s Mass in B Minor and Handel’s L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed Moderato, making her Carnegie Hall, Alte Opera, and Château de Versailles debuts, and toured throughout the UK with the Royal Northern Sinfonia, conducted by Dinis Sousa.

She joined the the Academy of Ancient Music and Voces8 for their annual performance of Handel’s Messiah, and made her BBC Prom debut under the baton of Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and her Royal Festival Hall, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, and Kings Place solo debuts as part of the OAE Rising Stars scheme.

Photograph: Ben Reason