Abigail Kelly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Abigail Kelly
Born	Birmingham, U.K.
Occupation	Opera singer (soprano), voice teacher/vocal coach/actress
Years active	2006–present

Abigail Kelly is a talented English opera and concert singer. She is known for her beautiful soprano voice, which is the highest singing voice for women.

Early Life and Learning

Abigail Kelly grew up in Birmingham, England. She loved performing from a very young age. Her time at a dance school in Birmingham helped shape her early life.

She studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire. There, she earned a top degree in music. She also won an award for being a great first-year singer. Abigail received high marks in her class.

She also won the Rae Woodland opera competition at the Leamington Spa Festival. She got help from groups like the Peter Moores Foundation and English Touring Opera (ETO). This support helped her continue her opera training. After her first degree, she studied opera further in Glasgow. She attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

Singing Career and Performances

Abigail Kelly has performed in many different types of music. She has sung in oratorios, which are like big musical stories without acting. Some of these include Mozart's Vespers and Mass in C minor. She also sang in Haydn's The Creation and Handel's Messiah.

Opera Roles

Abigail has played many exciting roles in operas. These include Amour in Rameau's Pygmalion. She was also Helena and Juno in Purcell's The Fairy Queen. Another role was Belinda in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas.

She has toured with the British Youth Opera in Italy, France, and London. She sang in the chorus for famous operas like La bohème, Don Giovanni, and Eugene Onegin.

Working with English Touring Opera

Abigail Kelly has worked a lot with English Touring Opera (ETO). She played Despina in Così fan tutte. She also sang in the chorus for other operas. These included Simon Boccanegra and Don Pasquale.

She also joined ETO's special education program called "Midnight Moon." Abigail shared that this program allowed her to connect with the audience. She could sing and interact closely with people with disabilities. She found this experience very special.

In 2014, she played Fido in Benjamin Britten's Paul Bunyan. Critics praised her performance. One reviewer said she gave a "notably fine, passionate performance."

New and Exciting Works

Abigail has also performed in brand new musical pieces. She was a singer and actress in Luca Francesconi's Lips, eyes…..bang. She also played Dido Elizabeth Belle in Shirley J. Thompson's Spirit of the Middle Passage. This was at the Queen Elizabeth Hall with the London Philharmonia orchestra.

In Mary Seacole, The Opera, she played a young Jamaican girl and Mrs Grant. She also sang in Mass Carib by Felix Cross. She was a featured artist at the Bollington Festival in 2009. There, she sang Sara in Tobias and the Angel. She also performed as Bess, Clara, and Selena in a concert version of Porgy and Bess.

International Performances

Abigail Kelly has performed all over the world. She has sung with Opera South Africa. She also performed with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra. She has visited Jamaica, Hungary, and Poland. She toured Germany as part of the Arianna Consort.

In 2014, she played Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro in France. She performed this role again in England later that year.

Recent Highlights

In June 2014, Abigail sang at the House of Commons in London. This was during an event called "Birmingham Day."

In March 2017, she performed in Girl Behind The Glass in Birmingham. In July 2017, she honored Caribbean servicemen from World War I.

In October 2017, Abigail sang in a concert of Porgy and Bess. This was at the Barbican Centre in London. She also sang Pamina in The Magic Flute in November 2017.

In May 2018, she sang Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro in Norwich. In September 2018, she sang spiritual songs at a church in Birmingham.

Inspiring Young Singers

In December 2019, Abigail helped with "Opera Nation." This was a free program by Birmingham City University. It aimed to help young people in the West Midlands become opera singers.

Abigail said this project was important to her. It helps remove barriers to training. It makes sure every young person can access music education. She enjoys mentoring young people. She hopes to support their futures in music.

In May 2020, English Touring Opera offered online singing lessons. Participants could learn skills from opera singers like Abigail.

Abigail Kelly was also on BBC Radio 3 in August 2020. She gave an online Masterclass in July 2020. The Royal Albert Hall presented "Royal Albert Home: Opera for Kids by Abigail Kelly" in August 2020.