Biography
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Soprano Kirsty McLean graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Masters course with Distinction in 2020 where she studied with Sarah Pring. Kirsty graduated from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance with 1st class honours BMus degree in 2017. Supported by Draper's Hall and the Henry Wood Hall Trust, Kirsty is a Guildhall scholar and held a Baroness de Turkheim Scholarship. Kirsty is a Britten Pears Young Artist, Leeds Lieder Young Artist and a Wigmore Hall Young Artist having recently performed a french song programme at the Wigmore Hall for her debut there, under the guidance of Dame Felicity Lott and François le Roux. Kirsty is also a young artist for the Rosehill Theatre regularly performing there with pianist Anna Tilbrook.
Originally from the Lake District, Kirsty has won many awards in Cumbria including the George Nichols Young Musician of the Year, the Kenneth Hill Memorial Bursary, the Jim Noble Award and the Esther Croskery and Aprille C. Bonner Award. Whilst at Trinity Laban Kirsty studied with Linda Hirst and was a finalist in the Lillian Ash French Song and Elisabeth Schumann Lieder competitions and won 2nd place in the Roy Pleasance award. Most recently Kirsty was a finalist in the GSMD English song prize, and the recipient of the Audience Award in the Chartered Surveyors competition.
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In February 2020 Kirsty covered the role of Jano in Jenůfa at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, unfortunately due to Covid-19 the shows were unable to go ahead, but Kirsty had the immense privilege to take to the Royal Opera House stage during rehearsals and sing with the orchestra of the Royal Opera House, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski and singing alongside Soprano Asmik Grigorian. She was able to return to the ROH last year to once again cover the role of Jano.
Upcoming engagements include returning to the ROH to cover the role of Markéta in Kaija Sariaaho's opera 'Innocence', directed by Simon Stone. In the summer she will be joining the Glyndebourne Festival Chorus for the first time in their production of Dialogues des Carmélites directed by Barrie Kosky. She will also join the West Green House Opera company in their production of Sweeney Todd.
Recent roles include Swing: Beowulf in the award winning Charles Court Opera Cover: Anne Trulove in The Rake’s Progress with Opera Glass works at Wilton’s Music Hall, Ännchen in Blackheath Opera’s Der Freischütz directed by Olly Platt, Alyson in Mahogany Opera Group’s tour of The Rattler- a modern day telling of the story Rumplestiltskin which opened at The Royal Festival Hall directed by Frederic Wake-Walker and Cover: Melanto/Amore in Ulysses’ Homecoming with English Touring Opera. Last summer she rejoined Opera Holland Park for her third summer performing in Iolanta and L'Arlesiana, and making an appearance as the maid in Il Segreto di Susanna. In 2019 Kirsty made her debut as Tatyan in Eugene Onegin in a UK and France tour with Opera Loki.
Kirsty studied at Chetham’s School of Music and then took two years away from study to work at a YMCA children’s camp in Cape Cod, Massachusetts teaching Singing and Music. Kirsty works as a peripatetic singing teacher at Coloma Convent girls’ school and is currently touring with classical crossover girl group ‘IDA Girls London’ performing worldwide.
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Kirsty is available for all corporate events, and is in demand for weddings and funerals as a classical opera singer and a classical-crossover singer.
