"A
wealth of shimmeringly beautiful soprano sound" Amelia Farrugia - Bio“...Generously
endowed when God was handing out the gifts.”
“…Her physical charms
are matched by a voice that was made in heaven.” “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…”
“The dazzling
accuracy of her upper register could shatter glass…" “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" “Amelia Farrugia gives the star singing performance of the evening" Amelia Farrugia is regarded as one of the brightest stars of opera in Australia. This year she starred in the title role of Manon for Opera Australia in the Sydney Opera House and Adele in Die Fledermaus for Opera Australia. In July, Amelia will perform in Maestro Richard Bonynge’s 80th Birthday Gala and with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Bernstein concerts. In October, Amelia will perform the role of Musetta in La Boheme for Opera Hong Kong. In November, she will perform for Musica Viva in the Huntington Estate Music Festival. 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. Last year, Amelia performed for Carols in the Domain, Mazda’s Opera in the Domain (Pagliacci), Opera Australia’s New Years Eve Concert at the Sydney Opera House and made her role debut as Nedda in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci for Opera Australia (2009). On the concert platform, she performed Carmina Burana with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and St John Passion (Richard Mills) with The Queensland Orchestra. Amelia was a soloist in the internationally televised Final Mass for Pope Benedict XVI, World Youth Day 2008. She also performed Musetta, La Boheme (Sydney Summer and Sydney Winter seasons, televised live on ABC 2) and Oscar, A Masked Ball for Opera Australia, for which she received a Green Room Award. Amelia performed in recital in Hong Kong, Malta,Florence and in the presence of HRH Crown Princess Mary and HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. 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); World Youth Day 2008 Final Mass (DVD) INTERNATIONAL OPERA ROLESAmelia 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. AUSTRALIAN OPERA ROLESAmelia Farrugia made her debut with Opera Australia (OA) as Casilda, The Gondoliers in 1994. 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, Carmina Burana (2009), 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, 2008), 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). Recitals in Malta, Florence, Hong Kong (2008). Amelia was also invited to perform in a fundraising recital for OA with Bryn Terfel; The Queensland Orchestra, Richard Mills St Mark’s Passion (2009). 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 received a Green Room Award for Oscar in Opera Australia's A Masked Ball (2009); Amelia has been nominated for a Classical Aria (2006); four-times nominated for Opera Australia’s Remy Martin Award and four-times nominated for a Green Room Award for her leading roles; title role Manon, Adina, L’elisir d’amore, Susanna, Le nozze di Figaro and her supporting role as Papagena, Die Zauberflote. Nominated for a Helpmann Award for Musetta , La Boheme (2005), nominated for a MO Award in 2007 and 2008. 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, 2008), 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, Musetta in La Boheme live on ABC 2 (2008). CORPORATE EVENTS Amelia is one of Australia’s Celebrity Speakers, 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, National Breast Cancer Foundation, Victor Chang Institute and Piaget (Shanghai). HONOURS Amelia was invited to sing for Pope Benedict XVI in the Final 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 Eisteddfod (2003) and became an Ambassador for St Lucy’s School Wahroongah (2007). She has recently been invited to join the Council of Patrons for Pacific Opera (2008). Amelia Farrugia joined the Board of Directors for Opera Foundation Australia in 2010.
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May 2010
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