Performing
I am a mezzo-soprano, singing teacher and vocal animateur of British-Egyptian (Coptic) heritage. I trained in the western classical tradition, but have also have come to specialise in singing music of other cultures, and have built up an eclectic performing career. I often work with contemporary classical composers to premiere works that include elements of Arabic and Sephardic repertoire, such as Bushra El-Turk’s one-woman opera, Silk Moth, at Grimeborn in 2019. I sang the Egyptian composer, Nahla Mattar’s Songs on Colloquial Arabic at the Royal Opera House Engender Festival in July 2021. My CD, Daughter of Arabia is the culmination of a three-year project exploring the rich musical styles of my heritage. In November 2021 I completed a PRS Resonance Residency with Opera North. This was a funded week to research and develop a new performance piece fusing western classical song with Arabic music. The result is an exciting new song-cycle called Mezzaterra, which will receive its first full performance at Tête-à-Tête in August 2022.
