For Hurn Court Opera:
Winner of Hurn Court Opera Singer of the Year - 2024

Ellen Pearson, alongside winning our 2024 Singer of the Year Competition, was also a participant in our 2023 masterclass with Michael Chance, performing Purcell’s Bess of Bedlam. Ellen is a seasoned masterclass performer, and was recently selected to perform at Wigmore Hall for the distinguished German Baritone, Michael Quasthof. A quick glance at Ellen’s biography indicates many achievements over the last year since she graduated with distinction in her Master’s of Music degree at the Royal College of Music. She is currently an Oxford International Song Young Artist, an Opera Prelude Artist, Wigmore Hall French Song Exchange Artist, Shipston Song Rising Star, a Britten Pears Young Artist, and has just joined the Samling development programme. Ellen will also join the Royal Ballet and Opera’s Jette Parker Programme for 2025-2027.

​

When asked about her experience in Hurn Court Opera’s Singer of the Year Competition, Ellen commented:

“I saw a lot of my colleagues and friends enter last year. You don’t often find a competition which invites both songs and arias. I was really excited about performing a lot of song…song can be the most moving and emotional to sing -  the singer’s version of a poem rather than a novel [as is the case for many operas]. I love getting into the head of each poet and researching the text. I also love singing in French and Italian, but I am still working on my German - there are so many consonants!
 

Ellen’s love of art song was very evident in her choice of programme for our competition. Her performance of Rebecca Clarke’s The Seal Man was mesmerising, but the audience will also not forget her sparkling coloratura and accomplished bel canto technique in Rossini’s ‘Una voce poco fa’. Ellen was also recently awarded the Ferrier Loveday Song Prize at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards - the most prestigious of all UK competitions.

Congratulations to Ellen, and we can’t wait to see what happens next in your wonderful career.

Upcoming performances include:

Isabella in L’Italiana in Algieri for Longhope Opera.

Lucia di Lammermoor Opera Holland Park.
La Ciesca in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland.
Die Zauberflöte, Second Lady. Royal Opera House, London.