“Watch out for ....Catherine Hopper”
Hilary Finch | The Times 14/12/07 | The Best of Music 2007
Catherine Hopper studied Music at the University of Leeds and the Franz Liszt Hochschule in Weimar, Germany (First Class Hons BMus). She graduated from the Royal Academy Opera with a DipRAM and the Vice-Principal’s Prize, having studied with Elizabeth Ritchie and Jonathan Papp and last year completed her studies at the National Opera Studio. She currently studies with Noelle Barker.
Roles have included Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel, directed by Stephen Barlow and conducted by Peter Selwyn, for Opera Holland Park 2009, Popova in Walton The Bear for Mahogany Opera, Lucretia in Britten Rape of Lucretia, Ramiro in Mozart La Finta Giardiniera, Mezzo-Actress in Judith Weir’s Night at the Chinese Opera, Zita in Gianni Schicci and Marta in Iolantha, conducted by Steuart Bedford (all for RAO), Second Lady in Die Zauberflote at Clonter Opera, Mme. Larina in Eugene Onegin and Mrs. Herring in Albert Herring for British Youth Opera, both directed by Will Kerley and conducted by Peter Robinson.
Concerts include L’Enfance du Christ with the Choir of London at the Cadogan Hall conducted by Sir Colin Davis, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for Raymond Gubbay at the Barbican, Vaughan Williams Serenade to Music in BBC Prom 54 with Sir Andrew Davies and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire as part of the South Bank Max Festival and subsequent cover at ROH, Elgar’s Sea Pictures at St. John’s Smith Square with the YMSO and Dream of Gerontius at RAH with Concerts from Scratch and Brian Kay. Oratorio includes Verdi Requiem, Bach St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion with Jeremy Jackman, Durufflé Requiem, Vivaldi Gloria with Ronald Corp and Emma Kirkby, Mozart Requiem at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Haydn Nelson Mass with Jonathan Wilcocks and Bliss Pastoral. She has taken part in Masterclasses with Thomas Quasthoff in Verbier, Ann Murray, Malcolm Martineau, Roger Vignoles, Thomas Hampson, Dennis O’Neill, Udo Rhineman, Paul Kiesgen, Julian Pike and Felicity Palmer. A keen recitalist, she gave a lunchtime recital this summer at the Cheltenham Music Festival 2009 with Simon Lepper and recently made her Wigmore Hall debut with accompanist Joseph Middleton as a Maisie Lewis award winner. She also had the priviledge of sharing a recital with Sir Thomas Allen, accompanied by John Reid as part of the Oxford Lieder Festival. Other recitals include the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (for ROSL) and the National Portrait Gallery both with Simon Lepper, and an evening at the Wigmore Hall performing the music of Ronald Corp. Future engagements include, a Kirckman recital with Joseph Middleton and a recital with Julius Drake, both at the Wigmore Hall; the role Dinah of in Berstein’s Trouble in Tahiti with the Psappha ensemble, conducted by Nicholas Kok and her Opera North debut as the Kitchen Boy in Dvorak’s Rusalka.
"The star for me was the mezzo Catherine Hopper, singing the part of the Angel. It is hard to follow the many famous interpreters of this part, in particular Janet Baker, but Catherine rose to the challenge magnificently and her “Softly and gently” was heart-melting."
Dream of Gerontius 1/03/08 Stephen Benson Buzz, Spring 08
"Catherine Hopper as Popova the Crow was remarkable, while Alex Ashworth as Smirnov the Bear equally matched her voice and stage presence…. "
Tony Cooper 21/04/08 | http://new.edp24.co.uk