Soprano Katie Gilbert graduated with Distinction in 2018 with an MMus in Vocal Performance from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and continues to study with Louise Crane. Katie is currently returning from maternity leave in 2019, and pursing stage, solo and recital performance, as well as her interests in pedagogy, singing group facilitating and conducting. This year she co-founded the Oizys Ensemble, dedicated to promoting mental health awareness, and performed Schubert and Monteverdi in Schott's Music, London in May. In November 2019 she will perform with regular duo partner guitarist Sue Whittaker in a recital at St Paul's Parkside Church, London. During her studies she participated in numerous stage and concert works both internally and externally, most notably as 'Venus' in Monteverdi's 'Ballo delle Ingrate', 'Pauline' in Offenbach's 'La Vie Parisienne', 'Lady Penelope Rich' in Britten's 'Gloriana' (Act II Sc 2) on the stage, and as a soloist in both contemporary and traditional repertoires: Jonathan Harvey's 'Song Offerings' at the Cheltenham Festival with musicians from Ensemble Court Circuit and Lyon and Birmingham Conservatoires, and in Mozart and Fauré's 'Requiems' with the City of Wolverhampton Choir. Katie also won the 2018 Edward Brooks English Song Prize, and was Specially Commended in the 2017 Ashleyan Opera Prize.
Katie's versatility as a singer is further evident in the numerous solo, duo, early music and chamber recitals she has undertaken: whether opera duets in Derby Cathedral, art song repertoire with piano as part of, for example, the CBSO Debussy Festival 2018, the numerous recitals with her regular classical guitar duo partner, Sue Whittaker, or performing Monteverdi trios with 2 other sopranos and lute/theorbo continuo in Great Malvern Priory and Old St Martin's, Worcester.
BIOGRAPHY
Prior to her studies in Birmingham Katie performed in many solo recitals in Oxford and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and worked as a singing teacher and community singing group leader, both aspects of her music making which greatly enrich her performance life. Katie has a particular strength in musicianship, sight-singing and fast learning of music: during her undergraduate studies at the University of Oxford (BA (Hons) Music, 1st Class), she was a choral scholar at Exeter college, and sang with Schola Cantorum of Oxford as well as one to a part Renaissance masses with the Oxford Unversity Gregorian Chant Society. In addition, she was until the age of 21 primarily a flautist.