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The Scottish mezzo-soprano, Nicola Wemyss, studied at Madras College in Saint Andrews (Class of 1990) and at Dundee College (Class of 1991; Portfolio Course In Art and Design). She studied initially piano at Napier University (Class of 1993; ALCM & LLCM (TD) in piano). Then she changed to singing, graduated with honours from Birmingham Conservatoire, UK (Class of 1998; Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) & PGDip Music in Singing) and completed her postgraduate degree specializing in Early Music and Historical Performance Practise at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, the Netherlands (Class of 2001; Bachelor of Music degree, Master of Music degree in Baroque Singing) under the tutelage of Rita Dams and Marius van Altena. She won the premier prix in the first International Chimay Competition for Baroque Singing in 2000, with a jury chaired by William Christie.
Nicola Wemyss has since been invited to perform with various leading orchestras and ensembles, including: Les Arts Florissants (Director: William Christie), Orchestra of the 18th Century, Musica ad Rhenum, Nederlandse Bachvereniging (Director: Jos van Veldhoven), Capella Figuralis, Telemann Chamber Orchestra (Osaka), the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra, Halcyon Ensemble, Huelgas-Ensemble, Locke Consort, Junge Kantorei Frankfurt (Director: Joachim Carlos Martini), Trondheim Symphony Orchestra etc, working with directors such as Frans Brüggen, William Christie, Richard Egarr, Roy Goodman, Ton Koopman, Joachim Carlos Martini, Paul van Nevel, Steven Sloane, Joël Suhubiette, Jos van Veldhoven, Jan Willem de Vriend, Jed Wentz...
Next to a broad oratorio and concert repertoire ranging from the Baroque to the 20th Century, Nicola Wemyss has also performed several operatic roles which include Hébé in Rameau's Les Indes Galantes (with Frans Brüggen and the Orchestra of the 18th Century), the title roles from Purcell's Dido and Aeneas (with Jed Wentz and Musica ad Rhenum) and Rossi's Orfeo (with Jos van Veldhoven and Capella Figuralis), Serpina in Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's La Serva Padrona (with Frans Brüggen and the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra), Dorotea in Don Chisciotte in Sierra Morena by Conti (with Jos van Veldhoven and the Utrechts Barok Consort) and the Queen Mother in Turandot by Ferruccio Busoni (with Debrock and Opera Minora).
Nicola Wemyss has recorded music by Charpentier with William Christie and Les Arts Florissants for Erato; Purcell's Dido and Aeneas (Dido), Apollo e Dafne (Dafne) by George Frideric Handel, Galliard's Pan and Syrinx (Diana) and the W.A. Mozart roles of Silvia in Ascanio in Alba and Annio in La Clemenza di Tito with Jed Wentz and Musica ad Rhenum for Brilliant Classics; G.F. Handel's Solomon (The Queen of Sheba and First Woman), G.F. Handel's Hercules (Dejanira) and the pastiche oratorio Gideon (Eliakim) by G.F. Handel/Smith, with Joachim Carlos Martini and the Junge Kantorei Frankfurt for Naxos and two discs of music by Padovano and Demantius with Paul van Nevel and the Huelgas-Ensemble for Harmonia Mundi. |
