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The renowned Welsh soprano and singing teacher , Gail Pearson, obtained her Bachelor of Music degree from Cardiff University and The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester.
Gail Pearson has divided her time between Operatic, Concert and teaching work, and brings over twenty five years of experience to a wide range of repertoire, from Baroque to contemporary. Her extensive appearances in the UK include Pepik in The Cunning Little Vixen, Pernille in Maskarade, Papagena in W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. Jano in Jenufa, First Priestess in Iphigénie en Tauride, Die Stimme des Falkens in Die Frau Ohne Schatten and Blumenmädchen in Parsifal for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Her long association with English National Opera includes performances of Musetta in La Boheme, Oberto in George Frideric Handel's Alcina, Naiad Ariadne on Naxos, Frasquita in Georges Bizet's Carmen, Nanetta in Falstaff, Salvation Army Girl in From Morning to Midnight, Karen in A Better Place, Poussette in Manon and Alyeya in From the House of the Dead. At Welsh National Opera she has sung Gilda in Rigoletto, Gretel in Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, Despina in W.A. Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, Frasquita, Oscar in Un ballo in Maschera, Naiad in Ariadne auf Naxos, and Clorinda in La Cenerentola. She created the role of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin in the world premiere of Sally Beamish's Monster for Scottish opera, a company for whom she has also sung Pamina in W.A. Mozart's The Magic Flute and Asteria in Tamerlano. She is a regular performer at Opera Holland Park where she has sung Gilda, Lisette in La Rondine, Oscar and Garsenda in Francesca da Rimini.
For Aldeburgh Festival Gail Pearson appeared as Second Niece in Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes, while for Buxton Festival she has sung Ninetta in La finta semplice, Anne Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Alison in The Wandering Scholar and Nora in Riders to the Sea. Other engagements have included Lisette for Opera North, Agilea in Teseo, Gilda, and Sophie in Werher for English Touring Opera and Iris in Semele for Grange Park Opera.
Highlights of Gail Pearson's international engagements include a critically acclaimed Anne Trulove in Igor Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress for Angers-Nantes Opéra, Arbate in Mitridate at the Théatre du Chatelet, Paris, Caroline in The Fairy Queen for ENO and Liceu Barcelona, Erster Knappe and Blumenmädchen in Parsifal at the Opéra National de Paris, Bastille, Jano at the Opéra National de Lyon, First Niece in Peter Grimes for Opéra de Nancy and Oberto for Opernhaus Zürich.
Gail Pearson's concert work includes many successful collaborations with the Raymond Gubbay organization both in this country and in Europe. With the BBCNOW and Richard Hickox she performed W.A. Mozart's Exultate Jubilate, Hoddinott's A Contemplation Upon Flowers, Robert Schumann's Requiem für Mignon and Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8. With the Philharmonia Orchestra she sang The Lady In Waiting in Gloriana (Richard Hickox) and Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah (Wolfgang Sawallisch). Cherubini's Medée with the Wiener Philharmoniker (Charles Mackerras) at the Salzburg Festival, Oberto with the Academy of Ancient Music (Paul Goodwin, 2000) in Poissy and Montreux, G.F. Handel's Messiah with the City of London Sinfonia (Richard Hickox) and Blow's Venus and Adonis with the Early Opera Company (Christian Curnyn).
Gail Pearson also enjoys recital work, and has had the pleasure of sharing the recital platform with Llyr Williams, Phillip Thomas, Michael Pollock and Martin Pacey in venues and festivals around the UK.
Alongside a busy professional career, Gail Pearson is also a well regarded singing teacher and vocal consultant through the UK but particularly in Cardiff. She has been teaching for over fifteen years with students ranging from talented amateurs to professional opera singers across the UK. She is passionate about music-making and strives to nurture her students in a vocally healthy and fun environment. She is currently a teacher at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff University School Of Music, also privately at her home. She currently lives in Cardiff, Wales.
Gail Pearson's recordings include Iris in Semele with the Early Opera Company and Curnyn, Jano with the Royal Opera House (Bernard Haitink), Ralph Vaughan Williams' The Poisoned Kiss (BBCNOW/Richard Hickox) and Echo in Ariadne on Naxos with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra with Sir Richard Armstrong. |
