|
The English soprano, Jacqueline Delman (neé: Naomi Jacqueline Aler), was trained first as a pianist in her home town, London. She then studied singing in London and Milan and made her opera début in Rome at the age of 21. The same year she sang Cherubino in W.A. Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro at the festival of Aix-en-Provence.
Jacqueline Delman was one of Great Britain’s most well-known singers of opera, Lieder and oratorio during the period 1950 to 1970. Among her roles in opera and operetta can be mentioned Violetta (La Traviata), Mimì (La Bohème), Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Countess and Cherubino (W.A. Mozart's Marriage of Figaro), Antonia and Giulietta (Tales of Hoffmann), Helena (Benjamin Britten's Midsummer Night’s Dream), Rosalinda (Fledermaus), Hanna Glawari (Merry Widow), etc. She has also sung in many Baroque and contemporary operas and she has made guest appearances in opera houses throughout Europe.
Jacqueline Delman has not only performed in opera but just as much in the fields of Lieder and Oratorio. She speaks fluent Italian, French, Swedish and German and some Russian and has a vast repertoire of songs in all these languages. Her oratorio repertoire includes all the major works of J.S. Bach, W.A. Mozart, Haydn, Johannes Brahms, Verdi, B. Britten, Dmitri Shostakovich etc.
Her versatility is reflected in her recordings, which include George Frideric Handel's L'Allegro ed il Penseroso, Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah, D. Shostakovich's 7 Blok Songs, Messiaen's Poèmes pour Mi, Lehar's Merry Widow and solo recordings with Lieder of J. Brahms and Wolf and songs in many languages. She recorded two J.S. Bach's works in the early 1950's: the Wedding Cantata BWV 202 and the Magnificat BWV 243.
Since her marriage to a Swede and her engagement as a soloist with the Royal Opera in Stockholm in 1960, Jacqueline Delman has made Sweden her home. She has taught singing for more than 35 years, and has had pupils in all voice categories and on all levels. She has held many courses in Lieder and opera interpretation and most of her pupils have continued their training at major music academies and opera schools. Many have been engaged by opera houses in Sweden and abroad. She is a past President of The Swedish Association of Singing Teachers, SSTPF, and is at present the association’s International Co-ordinator. She also represents SSTPF in EVTA, European Voice Teachers Association, and in 2002 was one of the Master Teachers in AOTOS course for the further education of singing teachers at Harrow, England. In addition to her individual teaching, she gives many courses, in the form of master-classes and workshops. In 1982 she founded a part-time opera school, Opera Workshop, for the training of young singers, where she was artistic director and principal producer. Eventually the school became a free opera group, performing one-act operas produced by Jacqueline.
After a break from singing of 20 years, Jacqueline Delman started to perform again a few years ago. She now makes several concert appearances per year and apart from her traditional repertoire now even performs songs by Gershwin, Kern, Berlin, Cole Porter etc. in a programme entitled ‘Tea for Two’. Another much appreciated programme is ‘If my concert dresses could only sing!’ a fashion show accompanied by a light-hearted mixture of reminiscences and recordings from Jacqueline's long career. |
