Carolyn Watkinson

Who is Carolyn Watkinson?

The English mezzo-soprano Carolyn Watkinson is a well-known singer of baroque music.

Watkinson was born in Preston and studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music and in The Hague. In 1978 she sang Rameau's Phèdre at the English Bach Festival at London's Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. In 1979 she appeared as Monteverdi's Nero with De Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam. Also in 1979 she was featured as the contralto soloist in Christopher Hogwood's landmark recording of Handel's Messiah, with the Academy of Ancient Music.

In 1981 Watkinson made her La Scala debut as in the title role of Ariodante and sang Rossini's Rosina in Stuttgart. She appeared as Gluck's Orfeo with the Glyndebourne Touring Opera in 1982, and made her formal debut at Glyndebourne as Cherubino in 1984.

1987 Watkinson toured Australia. She was a soloist in Bach's St. John Passion at Gloucester Cathedral in a performance shown on BBC TV on Good Friday in 1989. In 1990, she appeared as Purcell's Dido and Aneas at the Salerno Cathedral and sang Nero at the Innsbruck Festival.