The Lesley Garrett Appreciation page
Her first five collections of popular arias, DIVA! A Soprano at the Movies (1991), PriMadonna (1992),
Simple Gifts (1994), Soprano in Red (1995) and Soprano in Hollywood (1996) were in the classical charts
for many weeks. Lesley received a silver disc to recognise sales in excess of 60,000 units for DIVA!,
Soprano in Red and Soprano In Hollywood. In 1996 she received the prestigious Gramophone Award for the
best selling classical artist of the year for Soprano in Red. A Soprano Inspired, her first album for
BMG Conifer was released in the UK in November 1997 and internationally in April 1998. After just five
weeks of release the disc achieved Silver Status in the UK, achieving Gold Status in the summer of 1998.
While it was the number one album in the classical charts, Lesley also found herself number one in the
singles chart with the BBC's Perfect Day, a single released in aid of Children in Need and number one
in the compilation chart with the Diana, Princess of Wales Tribute Album. Lesley's latest album for BMG,
simply entitled 'Lesley Garrett' was released on 2nd November, and was based on the music she performed
in her four-part BBC television series 'Lesley Garrett Tonight', aired in November and December 1998.
The album has been her fastest selling album to date, achieving gold status in just five weeks! Lesley
Garrett is a fervent believer in making opera accessible to all and she has won fans all over the world
as a result.
|
Her career began with engagements at the Wexford Festival, Welsh National Opera, Opera North, the Buxton
Festival and Glyndebourne. As a student, she won several prizes including the Countess of Munster Award
and the Decca-Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Prize. Lesley completed her education at the National Opera Studio
and became a member of the English National Opera in 1984, where she has since starred in many productions
and has won critical acclaim for her portrayals of both comic and serious roles. Her repertoire includes
the title role of Mozart's 'Zaide', Susanna in 'The Marriage of Figaro', Despina in 'Cosi Fan Tutte',
Carolina in Cimarosa's 'The Secret Marriage', Atalanta in 'Xerxes', Eurydice in 'Orpheus in the Underworld',
Bella in Tippet's 'Midsummer Marriage' and Musetta in 'La Boheme'. In November 1998 she opened as Rosina
in Rossini's 'The Barber of Seville' at the ENO, to great critical acclaim. Other opera appearances include
her debut with the Royal Opera House as Valencienne in Lehar's 'The Merry Widow', Adele in a controversial
performance of 'Die Fleidermaus', Rose in Kurt Weill's 'Street Scene', Zerlina in 'Don Giovanni', Dalinda
in 'Ariodante', the title role in 'The Cunning Little Vixen' and Jenny in Kurt Weill's 'The Rise and
Fall of the City of Mahagonny'. Her performance in the title role of 'La Belle Vivette' ('La Belle Helene'
reworked by Michael Frayn) achieved immense popularity.
|
Lesley is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and now studies with Joy Mammen. She performs in concert
all over the British Isles, with material ranging from sacred oratorio to Broadway, from the concert
hall to open air mass events. She made her USA debut recital tour in 1995, returning to the States in
September 1997 to perform three concerts of excerpts from 'My Fair Lady' at the Hollywood Bowl with Jonathan
Pryce. In April 1998 she spent two weeks in America on a recital tour and promoting the album A Soprano
Inspired. Among her many TV appearances Lesley has appeared on The Lily Savage Show (BBC1) and in the
documentary Jobs for the Girls (BBC1) with Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson. Her first television special
Viva La Diva (BBC2), featured popular operatic arias with Lesley and guest artists. This format proved
to be so popular that she was given her own four-part series on BBC2 last year. 'Lesley Garrett Tonight'
was a huge success, achieving an average audience of 3 million viewers per show. In November 1998 a 'South
Bank Show' devoted to Lesley was also screened. 1998 was one of Lesley busiest years ever. After several
sell-out concerts in the UK, she was star of the Holders Festival in Barbados as well as visiting the
United States to promote A Soprano Inspired. On May 9th she appeared as a special guest on the Eurovision
Song Contest and in June she performed at Cardiff Castle as a guest of Bryn Terfel, the Hampton Court
Palace Festival and the Diana, Princess of Wales Tribute Concert at Althorp. In July she starred in a
gala open-air concert at Ascot followed by concerts at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, the Greenwich and
Docklands International Festival and was 'Artist in Residence' at the Harrogate Festival. The Autumn
saw the launch of her latest album Lesley Garrett, along with the recording and screening of her television
series Lesley Garrett Tonight.
|
The year culminated with two Christmas concerts, one at the Royal Albert Hall and one at Birmingham's
Symphony Hall. So far in 1999 Lesley has completed a sell-out tour of the UK, a Far East tour where she
received rave reviews and the release of 'Lesley Garrett' internationally. She also has been performing
at UK summer festivals. In October she will be performing two gala concerts at the Royal Albert Hall
and will perform a Christmas gala concert there on 22 December 1999. She will also be appearing at the
opening of the Millennium dome on New Year's Eve. Lesley will start 2000 with a 10-city tour of the UK
in January. A new album is due for release in the spring and in addition a further six part television
series featuring Lesley will be made for BBC2. In addition her Autobiography will be published in May
2000. Lesley's husband Peter, is a doctor and they live in London with their son Jeremy and daughter
Chloe.
"I'm absolutely against elitism, ignorance and the patronising of audiences. I'm very
pro presenting the best music I can to the widest audience possible. I suppose anything that limits the
audience - that includes elitism, ticket prices, a misguided idea that you've got to have a degree in
classical music to enjoy it - I'm firmly against."
|
If you would like to see a little more of Lesley, then click the link below to my friend Terry's website, and say 'hi!' to him from me! :-) |
|
www.lesley-garret.uksingers.com |
I hope you enjoy this tribute to Lesley a great british artist, thank you for visiting, if you have
any comments or new pics please contact me at the email link below, live long and prosper Ian.
|
|
