Who is she?
A Glasgow-born soprano with star potential who has been winning rave reviews for her performances at Scottish Opera in Verdi’s Rigoletto and Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. Now she’s coming to the Edinburgh Festival to try something a bit racier — Anna in Brecht and Weill’s satirical opera-ballet The Seven Deadly Sins, a fable of vice and virtue in the cities of Depression-era America.
How did she get involved in opera?
'As a child, I was into Destiny’s Child and R and B. But when I was 13, my great-uncle took me to see Tosca at Scottish Opera and I was instantly hooked. My friends all thought I was a bit weird, but I just dreamed of being an opera star.'
How did the dream come true?
Nine hard years of vocal study followed, after which she was snapped up on a two-year contract with Scottish Opera. 'I’ve been hugely fortunate to have had a wonderful teacher in Barbara Robotham,' she says.
'I’m terribly excited that next year I’ll make my debut at Covent Garden, singing one of the three Rhinemaidens who launch Wagner’s Ring. And there’s so much I’m still longing to sing: more Mozart, more lieder, more Russian music. Anna in The Seven Deadly Sins is something a bit different — dry and witty and a real stylistic challenge.'
And what does she do when she’s not singing?
She lives in Mugdock Park outside Glasgow, where she loves walking her retrievers Archie and Ellie. 'But I’m not altogether a romantic country girl: a little bit of me is a shopaholic too!'" [Source]
Listen to the soprano sing "Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém," "Come Scoglio," "Donde lieta," "Si, mi chiamano Mimi" and "Adieu, notre petite table" on her official website by clicking here. Read a full biography after the jump.
Nadine Livingston is 26 years old and studies with Barbara Robotham. Nadine studied at the Royal Northern College of Music where she gained a First Class BMus Honours and a Postgraduate Diploma, with Distinction. She is also a Samling Scholar. Nadine is now an Emerging Artist at Scottish Opera.
In 2004 Nadine was the winner of the Alexander Young Prize for third and fourth year girls at the RNCM. In 2006 Nadine was the winner of the Joyce and Michael Kennedy Prize for the Singing of Strauss and also received an Eva Turner Award. Nadine was re-awarded an Eva Turner for the two following years. In February 2007 Nadine was the winner of the Frederic Cox Award and was also the winner of the 2008 Clonter Opera Prize. Nadine has been the recipient of a Countess of Munster Scholarship, Ian Fleming Scholarship, Sybill Tutton Award and a Caird Scholarship. Nadine has sung in masterclasses with Sir Thomas Allen, Sir Willard White and Jane Eaglen and Dame Anne Evans.
In a series of excerpts at the RNCM, Nadine sang roles including Mimi in Puccini’s La Boheme, Gretel in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Ilia in Mozart’s Idomeneo and the Governess in Britten’s Turn of the Screw. On the concert platform Nadine has sung oratorios including Handel’s Messiah, Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem and Mozart's Requiem. In December 2006 Nadine enjoyed traveling to China to sing Bach's Christmas Oratorio with the Macao Orchestra, and returned to sing with them again for Easter 2008. Last summer Nadine sang with the National Youth String Orchestra of Scotland as part of the Edinburgh Festival and later performed Britten's Les Illuminations with the Goldberg Ensemble. In January 2008 Nadine sang Schoenberg's 2nd String Quartet with the Vertavo String Quartet. She also sang Vaughan Williams Symphony No.3 and Neilson Symphony No.3 with the Halle Orchestra and Sir Mark Elder. These performances were also broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
Having performed the role of Polly in the College’s production of Weill’s The Threepenny Opera in March 2006, the lead role of Tatyana in the college's production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin Nadine sang the role of Susanna in the RNCM’s production of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. In December 2008 Nadine performed the role of Rosalinde in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus at the RNCM and then went on to cover Fiordiligi, Cosi fan tutte, for Scottish Opera. Nadine is currently an Emerging Artist at Scottish Opera and having sung the title role in Janacek’s Katya Kabanova and Musetta in Puccini's La Boheme, Nadine has just sung the role of Susanna in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and is currently singing Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto with Scottish Opera. Future engagements include Anna in Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins with Scottish Opera and Company Chordelia and Woglinde in Wagner’s Ring Cycle at the Royal Opera House.
