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The English-born soprano, Ana Beard Fernández, is a multi-disciplinary soprano with roots in Manchester, London, Córdoba and Lugo, Galicia. She is bilingual English and Spanish thanks to her Galician mother and Derbyshire-born father, and speaks Italian. Born in Manchester, she received a vocal chorister scholarship to Chetham’s School of Music and sang with Manchester Cathedral Choir for five years. She performed on BBC Songs of Praise, sang in BBC Radio 3 broadcasts, and received a world-class musical grounding in performance and musicianship. Upon leaving Chetham’s in 2006 she joined the Hallé Youth Choir and Orchestra, with whom she gave her solo debut as the cante-jondo soloist in De Falla’s El Sombrero de Tres Picos with the Hallé Orchestra at the Bridgewater Hall. With the Hallé Youth Choir, she sang at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, and for the highly-acclaimed recording of Edward Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius with Bryn Terfel and Alice Coote. Other highlights of her time with the choir include recording UK rock band Elbow’s album "Build A Rocket Boys" which led to performances on ‘Comic Relief’ and broadcasts on BBC Radio 1, and in 2020 a lockdown version of Lippy Kids for #elbowrooms.
Ana Beard Fernández completed her undergraduate studies at the University of York, where she was recipient of the Ed Burrell Award for Excellence in Performance. She graduated with a Distinction in her Master of Performance from the Royal College of Music, London in September 2020. She was semi-finalist of 2020’s Kathleen Ferrier Competition. During her studies, she performed Agnès in Written on Skin; Mariein La Fille du Régiment; Controller Flight; Miss Wordsworth Benjamin Britten's Albert Herring in scenes. She performed George Frideric Handel's Rodelinda, Charpentier's Louise, and Floyd's Susanna in master-classes online with Lisette Oropesa and in-person with Lynn Eustice and Amand Hekkers, and was coached by Caroline Dowdle, Michael Lloyd, Lisa Engelbrecht, Andrew Robinson and John Blakely.
Ana Beard Fernández has performed contemporary works including Traffick, by Emma-Ruth Richards, in a workshop at the Royal Opera House, Linbury Studio, Ondřej Adámek’s Karakuri: Poupée Mechanique, Unsuk Chin’s Akrostichon Wortespiel, Judith Weir’s King Harald’s Saga, Dorothea in Tim Watt’s opera Kepler’s Trial at the V&A, Luca Francesconi’s Etymo, Jonathan Dove’s Far Theatricals of the Day, and John Adam’s Grand Pianola Music. As a keen recitalist, she has toured Berlioz’ Les Nuits D’Été arranged for soprano and two harps, performed Barbara Strozzi songs at the Royal Academy of Art, a programme of new commissions for her marimba-voice duo ‘percussing’ at Southbank Centre, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater at the Tower of London St. Peter ad Vincula, and has appeared at York Late Music Festival and the German Embassy, among others. She is in the Making Music UK Selected Artists Guide, and is looking forward to performing oratorio around the country post-pandemic, including at the Stour Music Festival this summer.
Ana Beard Fernández will perform Mother/Witch/Dew Fairy in East Anglia Opera’s new production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, and Venere/Fedra in Hampstead Garden Opera’s production of Cavalli’s L’Egisto in summer 2021. Alongside appearances at the Stour Music Festival, she is looking forward to performing Lili Boulanger’s Clairières dans le Ciel in August 2021.
Ana Beard Fernández currently lives in London. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, walking and climbing, and plays the viola da gamba, violin and piano. |
