Emma Kirkby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emma Kirkby
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|---|---|
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| Born |
Carolyn Emma Kirkby
26 February 1949 |
| Occupation | Classical soprano in |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Andrew Parrott
(m. 1971–1983)Howard Williams
(m. 2015) |
Dame Emma Kirkby, born on February 26, 1949, is a famous English singer. She is known as a soprano, which is a type of high female singing voice. She specializes in "early music," which means music from long ago, like the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Emma Kirkby has recorded over 100 albums!
Contents
Emma Kirkby's Early Life and Training
Emma Kirkby went to school at Hanford School and Sherborne School for Girls. She then studied classics at Somerville College, Oxford University. Her father, Geoffrey John Kirkby, was an officer in the Royal Navy.
Originally, Emma did not plan to become a professional singer. In the late 1960s, while at Oxford, she joined a student choir called the Schola Cantorum of Oxford. This choir was led by Andrew Parrott, who she later married.
After finishing university, Emma worked as a school teacher. However, she became more and more involved in singing. Many new music groups were starting up during the "Early music revival" in the early 1970s.
She sang with Andrew Parrott's Taverner Choir, which he started in 1973. Throughout the 1970s, her singing career grew. She became a well-known soloist, performing and recording with famous early music artists. These included Anthony Rooley and the Consort of Musicke, and Christopher Hogwood's Academy of Ancient Music.
Emma Kirkby also taught music for many years. She taught at the Dartington International Summer School and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
Her Amazing Recordings
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Emma Kirkby has made over 100 recordings. These include madrigals from the Italian and English Renaissance periods. She has also recorded cantatas and oratorios from the Baroque era. She even recorded works by famous composers like Mozart, Haydn, and Johann Christian Bach.
Some of her most famous recordings are:
- A 1981 recording with the Gothic Voices of music by Hildegard of Bingen, called A Feather on the Breath of God.
- The Taverner Consort's 1984 recordings of Monteverdi's Selva Morale e Spirituale and Bach's Mass in B minor.
- Her 1980 recording of Handel's Messiah, led by Christopher Hogwood. This recording brought her international fame. BBC Music Magazine later called it one of the top 20 recordings of all time.
She has also recorded for many different music labels. These include Hyperion, Decca, Carus, and BIS. Her recordings include Handel's opera songs and Bach's wedding cantatas. She also recorded Handel's newly found Gloria.
In the 2000s, she continued to record many albums. These included "Classical Kirkby" with Anthony Rooley. She also recorded songs by John Dowland called "Honey from the Hive."
A Look at Her Albums
Here are some of Emma Kirkby's recordings:
- Messiah, A Sacred Oratorio (1980)
- A Feather on the Breath of God (1982)
- Monteverdi – Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610 (1983)
- Claudio Monteverdi – Selva Morale e Spirituale (1984)
- Mozart: Exsultate, Jubilate (1984)
- J S Bach – Mass in B minor (1985)
- Time Stands Still (1986)
- Dowland – The English Orpheus (1989)
- Vivaldi — Opera Arias (1994)
- Handel— Opera Arias vol. I and II (1996)
- Bach: Wedding Cantatas (1996)
- Handel – Sacred Cantatas (2001)
- Classical Kirkby – 17th Century English Songs on classical themes (2002)
- Chanson d´amour – Songs and instrumental works by Amy Beach (2002)
- Cataldo Amodei – Cantatas (2003/2004)
- Byrd – Consort Songs (2004)
- Alessandro Scarlatti – Stabat Mater (2005)
- Honey from the Hive – Songs by John Dowland (1563–1626) (2005)
- Musique and Sweet Poetrie – Jewels from Europe around 1600 (2006)
- In Nativitate Domini – Festive Christmas Music (2007)
- Handel in Italy – Solo Cantatas (2008)
- Montéclair – Cantates à Voix seule (2011)
- Haydn - Songs and Cantatas (2011)
Awards and Recognition
Emma Kirkby has received many honors for her musical work.
- In 1994, she received an honorary degree (Doctor of Music) from the University of Bath.
- In 1999, listeners of Classic FM Radio voted her 'Artist of the Year'.
- In November 2000, she received the Order of the British Empire.
- In April 2007, BBC Music Magazine asked critics to name "The 20 greatest sopranos." Emma Kirkby was placed at number 10.
She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2007. This is a very high honor in the United Kingdom. In 2010, she became President of the Dartington Community Choir.
On January 21, 2011, it was announced that Emma Kirkby had been given the Queen's Medal for Music. This award is given to someone who has greatly influenced the musical life of the nation.
In 2018, she received the REMA Early Music Award. This award recognized her long career as an artist and her work helping young early music performers. In 2019, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Gramophone Classical Music Awards ceremony.
Personal Life
Emma Kirkby was married to conductor Andrew Parrott from 1971 to 1983. Later, she had a child with lutenist Anthony Rooley, who was her long-term partner. On April 30, 2015, she married conductor Howard Williams.
Emma Kirkby is also a co-president of the opera company Hampstead Garden Opera.
See also
In Spanish: Emma Kirkby para niños
