If you’d like to find out more about the Shakespeare and Music Group, please visit shakespeareandmusic.wordpress.com and @shakesmus on Twitter.
Episode 6
Michelle Assay talks to British-Ukranian mezzo-soprano Rozanna Madylus about her multi-role performance in John Casken's King Lear adaptation, The Shackled King. The opera receives its world premiere at the Buxton International Festival in July 2021, following its livestream performance for the Shakespeare and Music Study Group's conference in December 2020. Rozanna discusses her approach to researching, rehearsing, and performing her characters, how concepts of family differ between Ukraine and the UK, and the profound impact of personal experience on operatic performance.
Rozanna Madylus was born in Leicestershire, England, of Ukrainian descent. After completing her undergraduate degree in English Literature and Philosophy at the University of East Anglia, Rozanna decided to dedicate herself to classical singing. During her time at the Academy, she was a member of Academy Song Circle and a finalist in the Patrons Award. Rozanna was also awarded The Karaviotis Prize at Les Azuriales Young Artist Competition, Nice, France, in August 2012 and, in the summer of 2013, attended the Solti Accademia in Castiglione della Pescaia. Rozanna was on the Young Artist Platform at The Oxford Lieder Festival and, since then, she has been invited to perform in various concert halls around the UK and abroad, including the Holywell Music Room, Kings Place, The Mendelssohn-Remise Berlin, the Prokofiev Hall at the Mariinsky Theatre and the St Petersburg Philharmonic.
Previous roles include Rosina in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Barefoot Opera), Third Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute (Waterperry Opera Festival), Prinz Orlofsky in Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus (Berlin Opera Academy), Alma Mahler in The Art of Love / Kokoschka’s Doll (Counterpoise Ensemble), Mother Goose in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress (cover for Festival d’Aix-en-Provence), Second Woman/Second Witch in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (Birmingham Opera Company), Jezebel in Goehr’s Naboth’s Vineyard (Melos Sinfonia), Beggar Woman in Britten’s Death in Venice (Garsington Opera), Smeraldina in Dove’s The Little Green Swallow (British Youth Opera), the title role in Handel’s Ariodante (Royal Academy Opera), Madame de la Haltière Cendrillon (RAO), Fidalma in Cimarosa’s The Secret Marriage (cover for BYO), the title role in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges (RAO and the BBC Symphony Orchestra), Hansel in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel (Sinfonia d’Amici) and Maddalena in Verdi’s Rigoletto (Stanley Opera).
Her first CD, performing alongside Sir John Tomlinson in Kokoschka’s Doll is available on Champs Hill records. She will sing the role of Forester’s Wife in Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen at Longborough Festival Opera next year as well as create the role of Cordelia/The Fool in John Casken’s world premiere of The Shackled King.
If you’d like to find out more about the Shakespeare and Music Group, please visit shakespeareandmusic.wordpress.com and @shakesmus on Twitter.
Episode 6
Michelle Assay talks to British-Ukranian mezzo-soprano Rozanna Madylus about her multi-role performance in John Casken's King Lear adaptation, The Shackled King. The opera receives its world premiere at the Buxton International Festival in July 2021, following its livestream performance for the Shakespeare and Music Study Group's conference in December 2020. Rozanna discusses her approach to researching, rehearsing, and performing her characters, how concepts of family differ between Ukraine and the UK, and the profound impact of personal experience on operatic performance.
Rozanna Madylus was born in Leicestershire, England, of Ukrainian descent. After completing her undergraduate degree in English Literature and Philosophy at the University of East Anglia, Rozanna decided to dedicate herself to classical singing. During her time at the Academy, she was a member of Academy Song Circle and a finalist in the Patrons Award. Rozanna was also awarded The Karaviotis Prize at Les Azuriales Young Artist Competition, Nice, France, in August 2012 and, in the summer of 2013, attended the Solti Accademia in Castiglione della Pescaia. Rozanna was on the Young Artist Platform at The Oxford Lieder Festival and, since then, she has been invited to perform in various concert halls around the UK and abroad, including the Holywell Music Room, Kings Place, The Mendelssohn-Remise Berlin, the Prokofiev Hall at the Mariinsky Theatre and the St Petersburg Philharmonic.
Previous roles include Rosina in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Barefoot Opera), Third Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute (Waterperry Opera Festival), Prinz Orlofsky in Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus (Berlin Opera Academy), Alma Mahler in The Art of Love / Kokoschka’s Doll (Counterpoise Ensemble), Mother Goose in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress (cover for Festival d’Aix-en-Provence), Second Woman/Second Witch in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (Birmingham Opera Company), Jezebel in Goehr’s Naboth’s Vineyard (Melos Sinfonia), Beggar Woman in Britten’s Death in Venice (Garsington Opera), Smeraldina in Dove’s The Little Green Swallow (British Youth Opera), the title role in Handel’s Ariodante (Royal Academy Opera), Madame de la Haltière Cendrillon (RAO), Fidalma in Cimarosa’s The Secret Marriage (cover for BYO), the title role in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges (RAO and the BBC Symphony Orchestra), Hansel in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel (Sinfonia d’Amici) and Maddalena in Verdi’s Rigoletto (Stanley Opera).
Her first CD, performing alongside Sir John Tomlinson in Kokoschka’s Doll is available on Champs Hill records. She will sing the role of Forester’s Wife in Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen at Longborough Festival Opera next year as well as create the role of Cordelia/The Fool in John Casken’s world premiere of The Shackled King.