Rowan Hellier
Lauded worldwide for her stage and concert appearances, critics have praised Scottish mezzo Rowan Hellier for ‘the lovely richness of her tone’ (Opera Today) and her ‘focus, drama and clarity’ in performance (The Herald).
In the 2018/2019 season, Rowan will appear in Babylon and Die Liebe zu den drei Orangen at the Staatsoper unter den Linden, Berlin. On the operatic stage, Rowan has performed at Welsh National Opera as Cherubino Le nozze di Figaro, Berlin Staatsoper as Second Lady Die Zauberflöte, Annina La Traviata, Der Trommler Der Kaiser von Atlantis and Kate Pinkerton Madama Butterfly, at the Hamburg Staatsoper in Sciarrino’s Vanitas, with Theater Magdeburg and was previously a member of the Salzburg Landestheater ensemble, where her roles included Hänsel Hänsel und Gretel in the Felsenreitschule, Orfeo Orfeo ed Euridice, Zaida Il turco in Italia, Lureen Brokeback Mountain, Donna Elvira Don Giovanni and Idamante Idomeneo, under the baton of Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla. She performed the roles of Frau Grubach and Washerwoman in the world premiere of The Trial by Philip Glass at Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House. With Classical Opera, she sang Cecilio in Lucio Silla and Adriano Adriano in Siria in London and Penelope Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria with Iford Arts, conducted Christian Curnyn. Recent engagements include Wellgunde in Das Rheingold at the Royal Festival Hall conducted Vladimir Jurowski, and Zidiana in Vivaldi’s Teuzzone with La Serenissima in Venice.
Rowan appears regularly in concert with the world’s leading orchestras including BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Stavanger Symphony Orchestra. She recently made her American debut as mezzo soloist in the Mozart Requiem with the Seattle Symphony, conducted Itzhak Perlman. Rowan performs as soloist with prominent baroque ensembles The King’s Consort, Trevor Pinnock and Friends, with whom she sang the title role Dido in Dido and Aeneas, and the Dunedin Consort. Rowan was mezzo soloist on the Dunedin Consort’s Gramophone Award-winning Mozart Requiem recording. She has made appearances at Bregenz Festival, St. Magnus International Festival and as a recital artist at the Wigmore Hall, London. Rowan is a passionate recital artist and has given concerts for Opéra de Lille, the Oxford Lieder Festival, Perth Festival of the Arts and with the Prince Consort. Rowan has appeared on numerous live radio broadcasts and recordings in Europe and for the British Broadcasting Corporation.
Her discography includes Mozart’s Requiem with the Dunedin Consort for Linn Records, The Trial by Philip Glass for Orange Mountain Music, and Honegger’s König David with the Prometheus Ensemble and Junges Ensemble Berlin for Rondeau Productions.
As a member of the International Opera Studio at Staatsoper Unter Den Linden, Berlin, under the artistic direction of Daniel Barenboim, she was the recipient of the Liz Mohn Kultur und Musikstiftung scholarship.