©Photo: Tristram Kenton

©Photo: Gerard Collett

©Photo: Tristram Kenton

Rachel Kelly

Mezzo-soprano

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“Rachel Kelly’s compelling Marguerite, driven wild with love and shame”
( The Times, February 2019)

Irish mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly continues to delight audiences with “sheerly lustrous singing” (Arts Desk) and her “credible, touching” portrayals (Guardian) in an impressive range of repertoire. Notable international debuts in recent seasons have taken her to both Opéra de Rennes and Opéra de Rouen Normandie as Isolier (Le comte Ory), Maggio Musicale Firenze as both Idamante (Idomeneo) and Nancy (Albert Herring), Staatstheater Karlsruhe as Annio (La clemenza di Tito), and as La Eternità/Giunone (La Calisto) at Teatro Real Madrid, where she returns this season as Second Nymph in Christof Loy’s new staging of Rusalka, conducted by Ivor Bolton.

Closer to home, Rachel made her Wexford Festival debut last season in the title role of Rossini’s Adina under Michele Spotti, and has appeared as Hansel (Hansel and Gretel) with English National Opera, Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) with Northern Ireland Opera, Dorabella (Così fan tutte) with Glyndebourne on Tour, and Annio at Glyndebourne Festival Opera. A graduate of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden’s Jette Parker Young Artists Programme, Rachel returns there this season in her debut as Siebel in Gounod’s Faust, and sings the title role of Vivaldi’s Bajazet for Irish National Opera at the Linbury Theatre, and on an extensive tour of Irish venues.

In concert, Kelly has performed as Nerone (Agrippina) with the Irish Chamber Orchestra under Jonathan Cohen, Sesto (Giulio Cesare) with Early Opera Company under Christian Curnyn, Idamante with City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, and Marguerite (La damnation de Faust) with The Hallé under Sir Mark Elder. In lesser-known repertoire, Rachel Kelly has joined Keri-Lynn Wilson and Münchner Rundfunkorchester as Anagilda in Rossini’s Sigismondo (recently released on BR Klassik), Laurence Cummings in The Choice of Hercules at the Internationale Händel-Festspiele Göttingen, and Ian Page in both Jomelli’s Il vologeso at Wigmore Hall and a programme of Guglielmi and Mozart at Cadogan Hall. A keen recitalist, Rachel Kelly appears at Wigmore Hall and West Wicklow Festival this season alongside pianist Fiachra Garvey.

Whilst a member of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme, Rachel appeared in a wide variety of roles such as Zaida (Il turco in Italia) conducted by Evelino Pidò, Javotte (Manon) conducted by Emmanuel Villaume, Mercédès (Carmen) conducted by Alexander Joel, and Pisana (I due Foscari) conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano, receiving particular acclaim for her performances as Mirinda (L’Ormindo) under Christian Curnyn at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and Proserpina (Orfeo) under Christopher Moulds at London’s Roundhouse.

Gallery

Strauss: Sein Wir Wieder Gut © Rachel Kelly

Rossini: Non più mesta (La Cenerentola) © ROH

Mozart: La clemenza di Tito - Parto, Parto © Rachel Kelly

“the sprightly mezzo Rachel Kelly (Second Nymph) showed vocal character”

(Opera Magazine, January 2021)

“The Irish mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly tackles the title role in Rossini’s Adina with full-voiced brio.”

(Irish Times, October 2019)

“Mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly sparkles in the title role as the slave girl in Rossini’s Adina.”

(Irish Examiner, October 2019)

“Above all, the mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly and soprano Susanna Hurrell, singing the title roles of the children lost in the forest, were unbeatable: credible, touching, and terrific actors and singers who know when to stop.”

(The Guardian, June 2019)

“Believable children from grown-up opera singers are a must, and glamorous Rachel Kelly’s transformation into a feisty boy is utterly convincing; she’s also the most sheerly lustrous singer of the evening.”

(Artsdesk, June 2019)

“Rachel Kelly performed the double role of L’eternita/Giunone with a dark, powerful voice and delicate vocal line.”

(Operawire, 29 March 2019)

“Mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly, stepping in at a very late stage, was a mellifluous Marguerite with the Halle”

(***** The Telegraph, March 2019)

“There’s humanity and warmth in her voice and an artful way of story-telling in the ‘King of thule’ ballad, with rich expression in her ‘D’amour l’ardente flamme’ aria in the final part”

(***** The Arts Desk, March 2019)

“[Kelly] duetting limpidly with viola and cor anglais soloist in her “Roi de Thule” ballad and the ravishing D’amour l’ardente flamme, and sensuously with her tenor in their love scene”

(Sunday Times, March 2019)

“the solo vocal performances were compelling: Rachel Kelly’s Marguerite, driven wild with love and shame”

(***** The Times, February 2019)

“Stepping in at very short notice … Kelly sang with delicate elegance and unwavering beauty of sound, most of all in an exquisitely gentle ballad about the King of Thule”

(Bachtrack, February 2019)

“Rachel Kelly’s sparky Sesto”

(Hugh Canning, Opera Magazine, June 2018)

“Rachel Kelly in the role of Isabella was absolutely perfect. She has it all; good looks, intelligent acting, a solid vocal technique and a memorable voice…Kelly’s voice has an impressively broad range and she not only moves effortless from the high pitches to the lowest notes, but she – rather unusually – seemed to deliver her best in both of those extremes; her top notes did not lose, but amplify, her voice’s velvety quality, while you were left to admire the depth of her lower notes, especially surprising at her young age and within such a slender frame.”

(Bachtrack, June 2018)

“Rachel Kelly makes light work of the coloratura in her debut in the title role.”

(Irish Examiner, June 2018)

“the tender, light-voiced Rachel Kelly as the object of [Faust’s] lust, Marguerite…Kelly charmed and touched in her two big solos”

(Hugh Canning, The Times, May 2018)

“Siroe’s brother Medarse was performed by Rachel Kelly, who has a mature, beautifully polished mezzo.”

(Opera Gazet, January 2018)

“For the role of Siroe’s brother Medarse, they engaged the Irish mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly. She sang the beautiful lines of her role with a full, smooth tone”

(Opera Magazine NL, January 2018)

“Rachel Kelly’s bright, wide-eyed Dorabella…Kelly’s winningly sly Dorabella — vocally reminiscent of Ann Murray’s — was the perfect foil”

(Hugh Canning, Opera Magazine, December 2017)

“As Dorabella, Irish mezzo Rachel Kelly glowed with a warmth expressive of the younger sister’s impulsive, passionate nature. The full, rich tone of her Act 2 confession of indiscretion, ‘È amore un ladroncello’ (Love is a little thief), was winningly honest.”

(Opera Today, November 2017)

“the mezzo Rachel Kelly was a marvellously vengeful Sesto (Giulio Cesare).”

(Opera Magazine, November 2017)

“Rachel Kelly sang a delicious Dorabella, radiating honeyed warmth”

(Bachtrack, October 2017)

“But then there’s Rachel Kelly, who plays her sister Dorabella with irresistible charm and openness, singing beautifully”

(The Guardian, October 2017)

“Rachel Kelly was a vibrant Giunone. Entering midway through Act 2, she immediately made her vengeful presence felt, her mezzo glinting darkly with outraged dignity as she transformed Calisto into a bear.”

(Opera Magazine, February 2017)

“Rachel Kelly channels Donna Elvira’s anxious vulnerability through her sensitive mezzo-soprano.”

(Guardian, George Hall, November 2016)

“Rachel Kelly as Donna Elvira furiously charges across the stage, her bright and agile mezzo-soprano effectively conveying both drama and private pain. Her rendition of Elvira’s lovesick solo was touching”

(Bachtrack, November 2016)

“her way of tempering her clear, high mezzo with subtle vocal shading – for example, when launching the quartet ‘Andrò ramingo e solo’ with heroic determination tapering off to youthful uncertainty – was highly imaginative.”

(Opera Magazine, December 2016)

“Rachel Kelly as a flirtatious Nancy”

(Opera magazine, October 2016)

“There’s a bright, focused depth to Rachel Kelly’s mezzo – splendidly demonstrated in Classical Opera’s superbly-cast performance earlier this season of Jommelli’s Il Vologeso – which suggests boundless reserves, and she lent emotion weight to Semiramide’s charming pastorale.”

(Arts Desk, September 2016)

“mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly, whose Idamante was consistently sharply focused.”

(Irish Times, August 2016)

“Ilia and Rachel Kelly as Idamante were expressive, evenly matched voices that produced some of the finest duets of the evening.”

(Irish Examiner, August 2016)

“The mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly, as the eponymous hero, was the only one of the soloists not relying on the score, and her first bravura aria was spirited and exciting. Kelly’s vocal agility and bright, well-centred tone enabled her to create a thrilling portrayal.”

(Opera Magazine, July 2016)

“Rachel Kelly, a total natural with a vibrant mezzo voice seemingly flawless throughout the range…Kelly made her urgency felt, persuading us with natural body language as well as focused urgency that the recitatives are as crucial a part of the drama as the arias and finales.”

(Arts Desk, May 2016)

“Her bravura aria “Invan Minacci” displayed an heroic, bright upper register and agile runs, while her long crescendo on the first syllable of “lasciami” in “Cara, deh serbami” gradually bled warmth into her voice – a nuanced, dramatic portrayal.”

(Bachtrack, May 2016)

“Rachel Kelly, who has the most lyrical music in the piece, is both an affecting stage presence and technically excellent”

(Seen & Heard, February 2016)