Alison Kettlewell

Alison Kettlewell was born in Taunton, Somerset and graduated in drama before studying singing at the Royal Northern and on the Opera Course at the Royal College of Music. She was a winner of the AsLiCo Competition for Young Opera Singers of Europe and a finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier Awards.

Among her recent highlights are Madame Larina Eugene Onegin (Scottish Opera); and Little Buttercup HMS Pinafore (English National Opera). In the current season she makes her debut at Welsh National Opera as La Frugola Il trittico, and next season her debut with The Royal Opera as Madame Larina Eugene Onegin and Rossweisse Die Walküre.

Her operatic roles include Venus Tannhäuser, Fricka and Waltraute Der Ring des Nibelungen (Longborough Festival Opera); Charlotte Werther, Suzuki Madama Butterfly, Dorabella Così fan tutte and The Secretary The Consul (Opera Holland Park); Kate Pinkerton Madama Butterfly and Mercédès Carmen (Raymond Gubbay); Donna Elvira Don Giovanni (Como, Pisa, Lucca); Diamantina L’isola di Merlino (Cremona, Mantova and Brescia); Dorisbe Gustavo il re di Svezia (Montepulciano Festival); Diana La Calisto (Batignano Festival); Ramise Arminio (London Handel Festival); and Lucilla La scala di seta (Wexford Festival Opera). Concert performances include Delilah Samson and Delilah (Brangwyn Hall); and Dangeville Adriana Lecouvreur (Chelsea Opera Group).

 She has also covered Ježibaba Rusalka (The Royal Opera); Kostelnička Jenůfa (The Royal Opera, Welsh National Opera); Kabanicha Káťa Kabanová (The Royal Opera, Glyndebourne); Mère Marie Dialogues des Carmélites (Glyndebourne); Amneris Aida, Katisha The Mikado, Judith in Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, Marguerite The Damnation of Faust, Herodias Salome (English National Opera); Geneviève Pelléas et Mélisande, Azucena Il trovatore (Scottish Opera); and Roméo I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Opéra national de Montpellier).

In contemporary opera she has performed Matilda and George Cautionary Tales by Errollyn Wallen (Opera North); Mother The Juniper Tree by Roderick Watkins (Almeida Opera, Munich Biennale) and Servant in Param Vir’s Ion (Opéra national du Rhin and Music Theatre Wales in Strasbourg, Berlin and the Linbury Theatre at the Royal Opera House). She also sang the role of Giraffe Early Earth Operas (ENO Baylis).

In concert Alison has performed repertoire from the Bach Passions through to Elgar The Dream of Gerontius and Verdi Requiem. She sang Mary in Berlioz’s L’enfance du Christ with the Northern Sinfonia, and has performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, London Mozart Players, and the Orchestra of St John’s at venues including the Barbican, Royal Albert Hall, Symphony Hall, Birmingham and live on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune. She also performed Siegrune Die Walküre with the Hallé Orchestra under Sir Mark Elder which was also recorded.