Ann Murray facts for kids
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Ann Murray is a famous Irish opera singer. She is known as a mezzo-soprano, which means she sings in a middle vocal range, lower than a soprano but higher than a contralto. She was born on August 27, 1949.
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Ann Murray's Life and Career
Ann Murray was born in Dublin, Ireland. She showed great talent for singing from a young age. She won several awards at the Feis Ceoil, which is a big music festival in Ireland.
Early Studies and First Performances
Ann studied singing at the College of Music in Dublin. She also studied arts and music at University College Dublin. In 1968, she performed in her first opera in Ireland. She played a shepherd in a concert version of Tosca.
She continued her studies in England at the Royal Manchester College of Music. In 1974, she made her official stage debut. She played Alcestis in an opera called Alceste by Christoph Willibald Gluck.
Performing on Big Stages
Ann Murray started performing at major music festivals in 1981. These included the Salzburg and Zurich Festivals. Since then, she has sung in many of the world's most famous opera houses. She is especially well-known for her performances in operas by George Frideric Handel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Richard Strauss.
She often performs at the Royal Opera House in London. She has also sung at the English National Opera and the Bavarian State Opera in Germany. In 1988, she was a featured singer in a special project. This project recorded all the songs, or lieder, by the composer Franz Schubert.
Connecting with Ireland and Teaching
Ann Murray has always kept strong ties to her home country, Ireland. She supported the Young Associate Artists Programme in Dublin. This program helps young singers develop their skills. In September 2010, she became a professor of singing. She teaches at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She had been an honorary member there since 1999.
Awards and Special Honours
Ann Murray has received many important awards for her contributions to music.
- In 1997, she received an honorary doctorate in music. This was from the National University of Ireland.
- In 1998, she was named Bavarian Kammersängerin. This is a special title given to distinguished opera singers in Bavaria, Germany.
- In 2002, she was made an Honorary Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. This honor was given for her great services to music.
- She was awarded the Bavarian Order of Merit in 2004. This is a high honor from the state of Bavaria.
Ann Murray's Family Life
Ann Murray was married to Philip Langridge. He was also a talented English opera singer, known as a tenor. They had one son together, Jonathan, who also became a tenor.
Selected Recordings
Ann Murray has recorded many operas and songs throughout her career. Here are a few examples:
- Mozart: Mass No. 18 in C Minor KV427 (1976)
- Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (1977)
- Verdi: La Battaglia di Legnano (1979)
- Purcell: Dido and Aeneas (1983)
- Mozart: Cosi fan tutte (1989)
- The Last Rose of Summer: Best Loved Songs of Ireland (1993)
- Handel: Serse (2000)
See also
- Monteverdi: Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (Raymond Leppard recording)
