Yvonne Fontane - Biography

YVONNE FONTANE is a mezzo soprano who has received high international acclaim as a vocally and dramatically exceptional opera singer. She has been recognised for her distinctive, individual vocal quality and approach, two things that find their source within her strong commitment to dramatic purpose and intention.

Yvonne uses her rich, velvety sound and extensive vocal range with strong stylistic awareness and musicianship. Together with her striking physical appearance and acting ability, her repertoire ranges from Mozart to the living contemporary composers, from Italian Belcanto to oratorio and the great German repertoire.

STUDIES Mezzo soprano, Yvonne Fontane was born in Munich and began her music studies as a flautist at the Munich Conservatoire and the Mozarteum in Salzburg where she also started her vocal studies. Two years later, Yvonne was offered a number of scholarships to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she received her diploma in 1991 with a Merit. She won the 1993 ESSO/NFMS Young Concert Artist Award and a commendation award from the San Francisco Opera Center.

Whilst still a student, Yvonne performed her first operatic role, CHERUBINO (The Marriage of Figaro) at the Banff Festival of the Arts in Canada.

OPERA Since then, Yvonne Fontane has had outstanding success in the title role of CARMEN including at Queensland Opera in Brisbane, the Raymond Gubbay/Royal Albert Hall Production with the BBC Concert Orchestra and at Opera Holland Park with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Also, at Castleward Opera in Northern Ireland, the Belfast Grand Opera House, on the London City Opera/Columbia Artists' extensive USA tour and at Stowe Opera in Buckinghamshire.

Most recently, Yvonne Fontane joined the RTE Radio Concert Orchestra in Dublin for a concert performance of CARMEN.

In contrast, Yvonne has sung the trowser roles in LA CANTERINA and LO SPEZIALE at the Haydn Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria under the musical direction of Stephan Vladar and the New Austro/Hungarian Haydn Philharmonia. She has also performed CHERUBINO at Opera Holland Park again with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 2007, Yvonne Fontane joined the cast of Pegasus Opera for performances at the Sadlers Wells Theatre in London in the opera KOANGA by Frederick Delius singing the role of CLOTILDA. This production was in support of the bicentenary celebrations of the abolition of the slave trade in Great Britain.

2007 also offered the opportunity for Yvonne to extend her repertoire into the more dramatic soprano fach when she sang the role of SANTUZZA (Cavalleria Rusticana) at Lakeland Opera in Cumbria with great success.

Other operatic engagements included JENNY'S GIRL (The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny) and DULCINEE (Don Quixote/cover) at English National Opera. Also, MADDALENA (Rigoletto) on an extensive UK tour for Mid Wales Opera and Diva Opera and she returned to Opera Holland Park to sing LA ZIA PRINCIPESSA (Suor Angelica) with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Yvonne has performed at Stowe Opera for three consecutive seasons since 2003. She performed DIE HEXE (Hansel und Gretel), followed by the above mentioned CARMEN (Carmen) and then DORABELLA (Cosi fan tutte) in 2005.

Yvonne brought her 2007 engagements to a close by singing THE WITCH (Hansel and Gretel) in a live broadcast concert performance with the RTE Radio Symphony Orchestra under Gerhard Markson at Dublin's National Concert Hall.

FOR FUTURE ENGAGEMENTS PLEASE GO BACK TO THE MENU


CONCERT Yvonne Fontane is an accomplished concert singer. Her concert engagements reach from the MOZART REQUIEM with the London Festival Orchestra under Ross Pople, TEHILLIM (Steve Reich) with the Dresdner Symphoniker, a live MAHLER AND BRAHMS RECITAL for BBC Radio 3 with Piers Lane and the VERDI REQUIEM with the Oxford Harmonic Society.

Also, Opera Galas for Raymond Gubbay and the London Festival Opera in venues such as the Barbican in London and La Fenice in Venice, KOSTELNICKA with the Nottingham Philharmonia in a concert performance of Jenufa and GRIMGERDE (Die Walkuere) in a concert performance with the Oxford Philomusica under Mario Papadopoulos.

2007 gave Yvonne the opportunity to once more perform the music of Paul Patterson and to work together with the composer at the Hampstead and Highgate Festival in London. She joined the New London Orchestra under Ronald Corp for the composer's STABAT MATER, after having sung his MILLENIUM MASS with the Sinphonietta and the Exeter Festival Chorus the year before.

Other recent concert engangements have included the C MINOR MASS by Mozart with the Sinphonietta and the Exeter Festival Chorus as well as with the Oxford Harmonia and Chorus, and the VERDI REQUIEM with the Nottingham Philharmonia and Chorus.

Yvonne also sang a selection of MAHLER SONGS with the Orchestre National d'Ile de France under Jonathan Darlington.

OTHER INTERESTING FACTS Yvonne trained as a dancer and has worked in the field of Musical Theatre and Jazz. Following her passion for motorcycles she has appeared as a guest on the series Ridgeriders for Meridian TV, testing motorcycles on ancient Roman roads in Devon.

She has been interviewed by Sean Rafferty on Radio 3's In Tune about her various interpretations of Carmen in connection with performing the role on tour with Garden Opera in the UK and in Kenya for the HIV/AIDS Foundation.

Yvonne also works as artistic director (please refer to the menu), very much enjoys teaching her few private students and holds a diploma in Personal Training, Sports Massage and Nutrition.