West Wight Arts Association

Hanya Chlala

Born in Lancashire, Caroline Macphie studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal Academy Opera course, graduating with distinction in 2009. Prior to this she read languages at Bristol University.

Over the last year Caroline has given concerts at the Purcell Room, Cadogan Hall, Kings’ Place, the Oxford Lieder and Chichester Festivals. She appeared as soloist on BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night and gave a series of Johann Strauss Gala Concerts at major venues throughout the UK and Ireland. Her operatic roles included the title role in Janacék’s Cunning Little Vixen at the Banff Centre in Canada.

At the opening of the 10/11 season she joined Scottish Opera performing the role of Frasquita (Carmen) and in 2011 sings Nerone (Agrippina) with Cambridge Handel Opera. Engagements include a recitals at Wigmore Hall and the Cheltenham Festival and Mozart’s Requiem with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Caroline is a YCAT Artist. She has been a Britten-Pears Young Artist and taken part in masterclasses and concerts as a Samling Scholar.

Reviews

This is a young soprano we will hear more of, whether it be in opera or as here, as a song recitalist, an area she was said to excel in – she does! For a young singer barely out of music college, she is remarkably accomplished and confident in her ability….It’s an extremely well-tuned light lyric soprano with a bell-like top and tonal warmth exuding from a pliant middle register. Very well projected, she didn’t impose interpretation on the songs but let it grow out of her meaningful but not overdone use of words….

Sheffield Telegraph Music in the Round Upper Chapel March 2010

The Academy cast was packed with promise….Caroline MacPhie sang Berenice’s difficult music surely and truly….in the aria she spun her notes into touching, lovely lines’.

Opera Magazine Royal Academy Opera/Rossini’s L’occasione fa il ladro May 2009

But my personal favourite was the Lancashire born Caroline MacPhie. Her light-lyric instrument was clean-toned and perfectly tuned, and she delivered an enterprisingly original programme with flair, style and musical imagination’.

Daily Telegraph/Rupert Christiansen Wigmore Hall/Ferrier Competition Final April 2009

Caroline MacPhie, the only Brit, put over her material with far more dramatic verve than anyone else; her Cunning Little Vixen extract, sung in Czech, was especially gripping.

The Times/Richard Morrison Wigmore Hall/Ferrier Competition Final April 2009