Performer Profile
Julia Sporsén
Julia Sporsén was born in Gothenburg, Sweden. The child of two professional opera singers she began her voice and piano studies at a young age. After reading drama at Gothenburg University, she joined a theatre summer festival in Stockholm for three years, playing principal roles in various plays. Then, concentrating on her singing, she studied three years at the Operastudio67 in Stockholm, where she sang Donna Elvira Don Giovanni, Vitellia La clemenza di Tito, Mimì La bohème and Micaela Carmen. During this time, she was also a member of the Poulenc-ensemble, performing French music in Sweden and abroad.
After private studies with Susanna Rigacci in Florence, she commenced her postgraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Joy Mammen and Iain Ledingham, and has recently graduated from the Royal Academy Opera Course where she was awarded a DipRAM. She was also the winner of the Opera Rara Patric Schmidt Bel Canto Prize 2007 and the Flora Nielsen Song Prize 2005. She recently became a Samling Scholar, taking part in masterclasses with Amanda Roocroft and Malcolm Martineau.
Roles performed at the RAM include Arminda La Finta Giardiniera, Armida Rinaldo, Iphise in Rameau’s Dardanus with Laurence Cummings, and the title role in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta with Steuart Bedford. Other appearances include Violetta La traviata and Micaela Carmen for Clonter Opera, Musetta (cover) La bohème for Scottish Opera, Donna Elvira Don Giovanni for Amersham Music Festival and Donna Anna Don Giovanni for English Touring Opera.
Notable concert engagements include a lunchtime recital in the Royal Opera House Crush Room with Joseph Middleton, Mozart’s concert aria Bella mia fiamma conducted by Sir Colin Davis, Haydn’s Stabat Mater with the London Mozart Players in St James’s Piccadilly and an appearance at Glastonbury Abbey where she sang Tatyana’s Letter scene from Eugene Onegin with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Charles Hazlewood. She is also touring with a one-woman show for the Liederkreis company; “Dreamlives”, a staged performance of lieder by R. Strauss, Berg and Schönberg, has been performed at various venues, including the Leeds Lieder Festival 2007.
In 2009 Julia made her debuts at English National Opera singing Jano and covering the title role in Jenufa and Musetta La bohème and at Opera North singing Tebaldo Don Carlos in a production that has been recorded for Chandos Records. Plans for this season include Micaela Carmen for Opera Holland Park, Gianetta and covering Adina L’elisir d’amore for English National Opera, and a recital at the Wigmore Hall.
