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.
Kirsty has worked at many of the UK’s leading opera houses including the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Glyndebourne, English Touring Opera and West Green House Opera. In February 2023 Kirsty returned to the Royal Opera House to cover the role of Markéta in Kaija Sariaaho's opera 'Innocence', directed by Simon Stone and had the privilege of singing for all the stage and orchestral rehearsals on the stage with the orchestra of the Royal Opera House conducted by Susanna Mälkki. She has also sung the role of Jano alongside Asmik Grigorian playing Jenůfa conducted by Vladimir Jurowski on the main stage at ROH.
Upcoming engagements include returning to the ROH to join the esteemed chorus in their production of Lucia Di Lammermoor directed by Katie Mitchell and to take a leading role in Cumbria Opera Groups newly commissioned Folktale Opera.
Recent roles include Jano Cover for ROH, Gretel in Hansel und Gretel for OperaEd, 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. She has been a member of the Opera Holland Park chorus for three years 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 enjoys a varied career as a crossover artist, singing regularly and performing worldwide with supergroup- ‘IDA Girls London’ and as a soloist most recently performing on the luxury resort of Soneva Jani for NYE 2023.
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.
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.
