Biography
'Marta Fontanals-Simmons had an intense, expressive and attractive voice which reminded me keenly of Susan Gritton’s' - Daniel Jaffé - BBC Music Magazine - 26/11/10
Originally from Somerset, 25 year old mezzo-soprano, Marta Fontanals-Simmons is now in her second year of Postgraduate vocal training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under the tuition of Marilyn Rees.
Marta has had the privilege of taking part in master classes and workshops with Anne Sofie von Otter, Gerald Finley, Martin Katz, Malcolm Martineau, Graham Johnson, Emma Kirkby DBE and Robert Tear CBE. In competition, Marta was recently awarded first prize in the Maureen Lehane Vocal Awards 2011 (formerly the Jackdaws Vocal Award), performing at the Wigmore Hall and on BBC Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’. In addition, Marta was awarded Runner-Up in the Thelma King Award 2011, finalist in the Hampshire Singing Competition 2011, the Odette Sansom Award for English Song at the Guildhall School and reached the Semi-Final of the Mozart Singing Competition 2011.
Operatic experience includes Eva in Martinů’s Comedy on the Bridge (Mintoaur Music Theatre, Oct 2011) cover Lucretia The Rape of Lucretia (British Youth Opera, Sept 2011) Dido Dido and Aeneas (St Edmund’s Church, July 2011), Lucifer in the premier of Peter Foggitt’s Genesis (Holy Trinity Church, July 2011) chorus Die Luistigen Weiber von Windsor, chorus Iolanta, chorus Dialogues des Carmélites (Guildhall School, 2011) cover Proserpina in Stephen Oliver’s Euridice, chorus La Bohème (British Youth Opera, September 2010), chorus The Rake’s Progress (British Youth Opera, September 2009), Ellie in Brian Irvine’s The Calling of Maisy Day (Welsh National Youth Opera, July 2008) and with the University of Birmingham; Public Opinion Orpheus and the Underworld (2007), First Lady The Magic Flute (2006) and Marcellina The Marriage of Figaro (2005).
Marta has appeared as a concert and oratorio soloist in a variety of venues throughout the UK; most recently performing with the Guildhall Orchestra in the BBCSO Total Immersian performance of Jonathan Harvey's Song's of Li Po and a Pre-LSO performance of Copland’s 12 Emily Dickinson Poems both at Barbican Hall. Marta has also recently given a solo recital at St Martin-in-the-Fields as part of the Concordia Foundation Concert Series as well as Duruflé Requiem with the London Mozart Players at St John’s Smith Square and Howell’s English Mass with the City of London Choir at Dorchester Abbey as part of the English Music Festival. Other works Marta has performed are Handel Messiah, Vivladi Magnificat, Bach Canatas BWV 82 & 142, Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle, Haydn Nelson Mass, Vivaldi Gloria, Mozart and Fauré Requiem. Marta appears as a soloist alongside the City of London Choir and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on the forthcoming Naxos recording of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy.
Later this year, Marta will perform the roles of Kate Pinkerton Madama Butterfly at Grange Park Opera, Hansel Hansel and Gretel at Clonter Opera and Ruggiero in Steffani's Orlando Generoso with The Barber Opera. Marta will be continuing her vocal training on the Guildhall School Opera Course in September 2012.
Marta is grateful to the Leathersellers' Company, Sidney Perry Foundation and Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust for their generous suppor and is proud to be a Susan Chilcott Scholar, Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artist for 2011-12 and Concordia Foundation Artist.
Originally from Somerset, 25 year old mezzo-soprano, Marta Fontanals-Simmons is now in her second year of Postgraduate vocal training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under the tuition of Marilyn Rees.
Marta has had the privilege of taking part in master classes and workshops with Anne Sofie von Otter, Gerald Finley, Martin Katz, Malcolm Martineau, Graham Johnson, Emma Kirkby DBE and Robert Tear CBE. In competition, Marta was recently awarded first prize in the Maureen Lehane Vocal Awards 2011 (formerly the Jackdaws Vocal Award), performing at the Wigmore Hall and on BBC Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’. In addition, Marta was awarded Runner-Up in the Thelma King Award 2011, finalist in the Hampshire Singing Competition 2011, the Odette Sansom Award for English Song at the Guildhall School and reached the Semi-Final of the Mozart Singing Competition 2011.
Operatic experience includes Eva in Martinů’s Comedy on the Bridge (Mintoaur Music Theatre, Oct 2011) cover Lucretia The Rape of Lucretia (British Youth Opera, Sept 2011) Dido Dido and Aeneas (St Edmund’s Church, July 2011), Lucifer in the premier of Peter Foggitt’s Genesis (Holy Trinity Church, July 2011) chorus Die Luistigen Weiber von Windsor, chorus Iolanta, chorus Dialogues des Carmélites (Guildhall School, 2011) cover Proserpina in Stephen Oliver’s Euridice, chorus La Bohème (British Youth Opera, September 2010), chorus The Rake’s Progress (British Youth Opera, September 2009), Ellie in Brian Irvine’s The Calling of Maisy Day (Welsh National Youth Opera, July 2008) and with the University of Birmingham; Public Opinion Orpheus and the Underworld (2007), First Lady The Magic Flute (2006) and Marcellina The Marriage of Figaro (2005).
Marta has appeared as a concert and oratorio soloist in a variety of venues throughout the UK; most recently performing with the Guildhall Orchestra in the BBCSO Total Immersian performance of Jonathan Harvey's Song's of Li Po and a Pre-LSO performance of Copland’s 12 Emily Dickinson Poems both at Barbican Hall. Marta has also recently given a solo recital at St Martin-in-the-Fields as part of the Concordia Foundation Concert Series as well as Duruflé Requiem with the London Mozart Players at St John’s Smith Square and Howell’s English Mass with the City of London Choir at Dorchester Abbey as part of the English Music Festival. Other works Marta has performed are Handel Messiah, Vivladi Magnificat, Bach Canatas BWV 82 & 142, Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle, Haydn Nelson Mass, Vivaldi Gloria, Mozart and Fauré Requiem. Marta appears as a soloist alongside the City of London Choir and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on the forthcoming Naxos recording of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy.
Later this year, Marta will perform the roles of Kate Pinkerton Madama Butterfly at Grange Park Opera, Hansel Hansel and Gretel at Clonter Opera and Ruggiero in Steffani's Orlando Generoso with The Barber Opera. Marta will be continuing her vocal training on the Guildhall School Opera Course in September 2012.
Marta is grateful to the Leathersellers' Company, Sidney Perry Foundation and Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust for their generous suppor and is proud to be a Susan Chilcott Scholar, Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artist for 2011-12 and Concordia Foundation Artist.
