"A wealth of shimmeringly beautiful soprano sound"
David Gyger, Opera-Opera, 2003

Amelia Farrugia - Bio

“...Generously endowed when God was handing out the gifts.”
Richard Bonynge Sydney Morning Herald, 10 October 1994

“…Her physical charms are matched by a voice that was made in heaven.”
As Adina in L’elisir d’amore – Herald Sun 2001

“Amelia Farrugia as Eurydice confirms her status as one of Australia’s finest artists. There is an intensity of colour in her voice that is quite outstanding…”
As Eurydice in Orphee aux enfers – Herald Sun 2003

“The dazzling accuracy of her upper register could shatter glass…"
As Manon in Manon - The Age 2004

“Over the past decade Farrugia has established herself in the first rank of Australian opera singers and is already being touted as the next superstar of opera"
Mark Chipperfield, The Sydney Magazine - The Sydney Morning Herald February 2006

“Amelia Farrugia gives the star singing performance of the evening"
The Oxford Times, Giles Woodforde, 2006

Amelia Farrugia is regarded as one of the brightest stars of opera in Australia.

With a voice of shimmering beauty and precision, dazzling virtuosity, crystal clear coloratura, outstanding skills in acting and stagecraft, and an ebullient performance energy, Amelia is now making her mark on the international stage.

Amelia Farrugia has worked with such distinguished conductors as Richard Bonynge, Richard Hickox, Carlo Felice Cillario, Markus Stenz, Paolo Carignani, Simone Young, Emmanuel Plasson, Paul Dyer, Andrea Licata, Alexander Briger, Brad Cohen, Robin Ticciati, Giovanni Reggioli and composers Richard Mills and Gian Carlo Menotti.

This year, Amelia will sing in the final mass for Pope Benedict XVI, World Youth Day 2008.
She will perform Musetta, La Boheme and Oscar, A Masked Ball for Opera Australia.

Most recently, Amelia Farrugia made her debut in the role of Rosina, Barber of Seville, under the baton of Maestro Richard Bonynge and performed in Opera in the Vineyards with Teddy Tahu Rhodes.

Amelia Farrugia’s auspicious debut solo recording, Joie de vivre! was released by Universal Music Australia in December 2005 and released in the UK October 2006. Recorded in the UK with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Alexander Briger, Joie de vivre! was nominated for a Classical Aria Award (2006).

The first Australian solo artist to record on the prestigious Decca label since Dame Joan Sutherland in 1959, Amelia was featured on national television’s ABC news, The Today Show, Good Morning Australia, Carols in the Domain and on radio as ABC Classic FM’s CD of the week and 2MBS FM’s CD of the month. Amelia was selected by The Sydney Morning Herald as one of the People to Watch in 2006 and featured in The Sydney Magazine, The Weekend Australian Magazine and a host of other publications.

RECORDINGS Debut solo album released in Australia and UK Joie de vivre! BBC Symphony Orchestra / Alexander Briger (Decca/Universal Music); Receive The Power, The Album, 2007 Sony BMG Music Entertainment (Australia Pty Ltd) & WYD 2008; Bravo Act 2 (Sony BMG); Encore! (ABC Classics/UMA); Café Vienna (Deutsche Grammophon/ UMA); The Saint of Bleecker Street, Menotti (Chandos UK). Videos: Fledermaus (OA/ ABC Classics)

INTERNATIONAL OPERA ROLES Amelia Farrugia performed the role of Adele, Die Fledermaus for Glyndebourne Touring Opera in the UK (2006). Amelia made her UK opera debut for Glyndebourne Festival Opera in 2004, performing Jano, Jenufa and covering the Queen of the Night, Die Zauberflote while joining the female chorus of Carmen.

Amelia made a significant international debut in an opera of the Spoleto Festival (Italy) in 2001, directed by the composer himself, Gian Carlo Menotti; The Saint of Bleecker Street, in the role of Maria Corona. (Released on CD by Chandos UK).

AUSTRALIAN OPERA ROLES Amelia Farrugia made her debut with Opera Australia (OA) as Casilda, The Gondoliers in 1994. For Opera Australia, she has since performed the roles of: Second Niece, Peter Grimes; Second Novice, Suor Angelica; Barbarina and Susanna, Le nozze di Figaro; Papagena and The Queen of the Night, Die Zauberflote; Clorinda, La Cenerentola; Emmie, Albert Herring; Nannetta, Falstaff (with Bryn Terfel); Adele, Die Fledermaus (released on ABC video); Despina, Così fan tutte; Damigella, L’incoronazione di Poppea; Musetta, La bohème (conducted by Maestro Carlo Felice Cillario); Tytania, A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Zerlina, Don Giovanni; Eurydice, Orpheus in the Underworld; Title role, Manon, Adina, L’elisir d’amore; Rosina, Barber of Seville.

Amelia made her role debut as Norina, Don Pasquale for State Opera of South Australia and Opera Queensland in 1997.

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERTS Amelia Farrugia is in high demand as a concert artist, having appeared with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (under Edo de Waart), all of the ABC Symphony Orchestras, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra, and Australian Philharmonic Orchestra. International engagements have included a recital at the Australian Consulate in New York in 2000 and her European concert debut in a Christmas recital at Teatru Manoel, Malta in 1998.

CONCERT REPERTOIRE Internationally televised concert with Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Strauss’ Fruhlingstimmen Waltz, The Laughing Song & Lehar’s Vilja (New Years Eve 2004); Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Haydn Scottish Songs and Mozart Vorrei Spiegarvi, O Dio (2002); MSO, Classical Spectacular (2006), Carmina Burana, All-Strauss program (1997, 1999 & 2001) and guest soloist in Valentine’s Day concert at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl (1998); SSO, Christmas concert (2004 & 1996) Chamber Music Series (Schubert Shepherd on a Rock) Corporate Event, The Phantom of the Opera (2004); QPO, Mozart Vespers (1998); TSO, Mozart Gala (1998), Viennese Gala (2005); Recital with virtuoso harpist Ieuan Jones; Mozart by Moonlight (1995); Twilight at Taronga (1996, 1998, 1999 & 2001); Opera in the Vineyards (1997 & 2007); Centenary of Federation concert in Canberra (2001); The Castlemaine Festival (Victoria); Australian Philharmonic Orchestra, Deep in my Heart (2003), national tour Best of British (2001), New Years Eve concert, Springtime in Paris (2002), From Gershwin to Lloyd Weber; Opera Australia, Fanfare for the New Millennium, Opera in the Park as Musetta, La bohème, New Years Eve Galas (2005), Olympic Gala and Tribute to Dame Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge (2004), Christmas At The House, OA (2005); Recital at Government House for the Victor Chang Institute (2003); Recital with Sharolyn Kimmorley at the Art Gallery of NSW (2003). Amelia was also invited to perform in a fundraising recital for OA with Bryn Terfel.

EDUCATION Amelia graduated in 1992 from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with a Bachelor of Music Education and High Distinction in Voice. While in her final year, she was invited to perform the role of La fee in the opera school production of Cendrillon. Other studies included Licentiate of Music in Voice, piano, musicianship and 10 years of classical ballet (honours).

MUSIC THEATRE Amelia began her performing career in musical theatre, performing in The Buddy Holly Story (1990) and in the Melbourne and Sydney seasons of The Phantom of the Opera as the alternate Christine (1992-1994). Her music theatre experience also includes Maria in West Side Story and Josephine in HMS Pinafore.

COMPETITIONS Amelia Farrugia was a winner of the 1995 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in New York and has won many major singing competitions in Australia: In the 1992 City of Sydney Eisteddfod, she won the Open Operatic Aria, Mozart Soprano Aria and Lyric Soprano Awards; In 1993, she won the Australian Singing Competition Marianne Mathy Scholarship, Commonwealth Bank Award and EMI recording prize; In 1994, Amelia won the McDonald’s Aria in the City of Sydney Eisteddfod, the Herald Sun Aria in Melbourne and the Australian Finals of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions Competition; In 1996, she won the Opera Award in the Australian Singing Competition and became the NSW Young Achiever of the Year; In 1999, she was the recipient of the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship; In 2001, Amelia represented her country and competed in the nationally televised finals of the International Singing Contest “New Voices” in Gϋtersloh, Germany.

AWARDS Amelia has been nominated for a Classical Aria (2006); four-times nominated for Opera Australia’s Remy Martin Award and three-times nominated for a Green Room Award for her leading roles as Adina, L’elisir d’amore, Susanna, Le nozze di Figaro and her supporting role as Papagena, Die Zauberflote. Amelia was nominated for a MO Award in 2007.

TV Amelia’s numerous television appearances have included: The Today Show (2003 & 2005), Mornings with Kerri-Anne (2003), Carols in the Domain (2000, 2001, 2003, 2005), In-Entertainment (2003), Good Morning Australia (2000 & 2005), Compass, Nightline (1998), The Midday Show with Ray Martin, Who Dares Wins, Ernie & Denise and the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

CORPORATE EVENTS Amelia is one of Australia’s Celebrity Speakers, speaking and performing at various corporate events. Her corporate clients include The Commonwealth Bank of Australia, McDonald’s Australia, Orlando Wyndham, Veuve Clicquot, Citibank, The AIDS Trust of Australia, Honda, Queensland Rail, Children’s Cancer Institute Australia, SAAB, Leighton Contractors, Dom Perignon and Piaget (Shanghai).

HONOURS Amelia has been invited to sing for Pope Benedict XVI in the closing mass for World Youth Day 2008.

Amelia Farrugia was named an Australia Day Ambassador in 2005 and was invited to perform the Australian National Anthem at Government House. Amelia was honoured as the very first Ambassador for the Sydney Cultural Council Performing Arts Challenge in 2003.

Singing in the winners concert in the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, 1995 Photo by Henry Grossman

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22 February, 2008

Photo by Marco Bok