Catherine Hopper studied Music at the University of Leeds and the Franz Liszt Hochschule in Weimar, Germany graduating with a BMus Hons. She subsequently graduated from the Royal Academy of Music Opera Course with a distinction and the Vice Principal’s prize, before completing her studies at the National Opera Studio. She has taken part in masterclasses with Alfred Brendel, Thomas Quasthoff, Ann Murray, Malcolm Martineau, Roger Vignoles, Thomas Hampson, Dennis O’Neill, Udo Rhineman, Paul Kiesgen, Julian Pike and Felicity Palmer.
Whilst at the Royal Academy, Catherine sang the roles of Lucretia/Rape of Lucretia, Ramiro/La Finta Giardiniera, Mezzo-Actress in Judith Weir’s Night at the Chinese Opera, Zita/Gianni Schicci and Marta/Iolanta.
Since completing her formal studies, her roles have included Dinah in Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Buxton Festival, Lucretia/Rape of Lucretia at The Arcola Theatre, Kitchen Boy/Rusalka for Opera North, Hänsel/Hänsel und Gretel for Opera Holland Park, Popova in Walton’s The Bear for Mahogany Opera, Second Lady/Die Zauberflöte at Clonter Opera and Garsington, Mme. Larina/Eugene Onegin and Rossweisse in Opera North’s 2012 acclaimed semi-staged production of Wagner’s Die Walküre.
Very active on the concert platform Catherine has worked with such eminent conductors as Sir Colin Davis (L’Enfance du Christ), Sir Andrew Davis (Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music) at the 2008 BBC Proms and Valery Gergiev (The Page in Strauss’ Salome) at the 2010 Verbier Festival. Ensembles and orchestras that she has performed with include The King’s Consort, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Gabrieli Consort and La Nuova Musica.
A committed recitalist, Catherine has given recitals at the Cheltenham Music Festival with Simon Lepper, Wigmore Hall with Joseph Middleton and again with Julius Drake, premiering Michael Zev Gordon’s Mandelstam Settings, and at the Oxford Lieder Festival with Sholto Kynoch and the Doric Quartet.
Recent highlights include the role of Suzuki in the revival of David Freeman’s production of Madame Butterfly at the Royal Albert Hall, Ottavia/L’Incoronazione di Poppea for Opera North, Dido/Dido and Aeneas at the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon with Os músicos do Tejo, a tour of Australia with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in performances of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, as well as a performance of Handel’s Messiah in Budapest with The King’s Consort. She most recently sung the roles of Mum/Mad Hatter in the revival of Will Todd’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland for Opera Holland Park.
Highlights of the 15/16 season include the role of The Page in a concert performance of Salome with Orchestre National de Lyon conducted by Leonard Slatkin, a recital with the pianist James Baillieu at the Oxford Lieder Festival, performances of Messiah with the Hallé Orchestra under Laurence Cummings, and the Orchestra of Granada under Daniel Reuss, and Irene/Tamerlano for the Buxton Festival.