Anna Dennis
Soprano
At a glance
Anna Dennis
Soprano
Dennis’s golden tone and rounded upper register held us enchanted.The Times (London)
Described by the Times as a “delectable soprano and a serene, ever-sentient presence”, Anna is especially noted for her work in Modern and Baroque repertoire. Previous opera stages include ROH, ENO, La Scala, Göttingen and Aldeburgh. Concert work includes Berlin Philharmonie, Lincoln Center, Royal Albert Hall, Gulbenkian Lisbon, and Sydney Opera House.
Biography —
Described by the Times as a “delectable soprano and a serene, ever-sentient presence”, Anna studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Noelle Barker. Notable concert performances have included Britten’s War Requiem at the Berlin Philharmonie, a programme of Russian operatic arias with Philharmonia Baroque in San Francisco, Thomas Adès’ Life Story accompanied by the composer at the Lincoln Centre’s White Light Festival in New York, Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Orquestra Gulbenkian in Lisbon, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in Sydney Opera House and with Concerto Copenhagen in Amsterdam, and Haydn’s Schöpfung with Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa in Japan. Her BBC Proms appearances include performances with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Britten Sinfonia and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
Recent operatic roles have included: Florinda/Handel’s Rodrigo (with Laurence Cummings, Göttingen Händel Festspiele), Lucy Schmeeler & Claire/Bernstein’s On The Town (Hyogo Performing Arts Japan), Paride/Gluck’s Paride ed Elena (Nuremberg Opera House), Katherine Dee/Damon Albarn’s Dr Dee (English National Opera), Emira/Handel’s Siroe (with Laurence Cummings, Göttingen Händel Festspiele), Bersi/Andrea Chenier (Opera North), Ilia/Mozart’s Idomeneo directed by Graham Vick (Birmingham Opera Company), Pamina/The Magic Flute (Lichfield Festival) and Strawberry Seller & Strolling Player/Britten’s Death in Venice (La Scala, Milan). This season she returns to Göttingen to sing Romilda in Handel’s Serse.
A keen interpreter of contemporary music, Anna has created roles in premieres of Francisco Coll’s Café Kafka (Royal Opera House/Opera North/Aldeburgh), Jonathan Dove’s The Walk From The Garden (Salisbury Festival) and The Enchanted Pig (Young Vic), Edward Rushton’s The Shops (Bregenz Festspiele/Royal Opera House), Will Tuckett’s Pleasure’s Progress (Royal Opera House), and Yannis Kyriakides’ An Ocean of Rain (Aldeburgh Festival/Amsterdam Muziekgebouw).
Recent concert performances have included major roles in all three Monteverdi operas with John Eliot Gardiner, Schoenberg’s 2nd String Quartet at the Auditorio de Tenerife, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under Masaaki Suzuki, Queen of the Night/The Magic Flute with Clarion Music Society in New York City, Bach Easter Oratorio with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Jonathan Cohen, and Messiah with Paul McCreesh and the Casa da Música Baroque Orchestra and Choir.
This season highlights include the New Dark Age project at Covent Garden, Ravel’s Shéherazade with Anima Eterna Brugge, Handel’s Il Trionfo di Dori and Blow’s Venus and Adonis in Moscow, Ariodante at Göttingen Händel Festspiele, St Matthew Passion in Casa da Musica Lisbon with Laurence Cummings, concerts with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and with the Early Opera Company conducted by Christian Curnyn at Wigmore Hall.
Her recordings include the 2021 Grammy-nominated album of Kastalsky’s Requiem for Fallen Brothers, Purcell’s King Arthur with the Gabrieli Consort and Players, Rameau’s Anacreon of 1754 with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria with John Eliot Gardiner and the English Baroque Soloists, three Handel works Siroe, Rodrigo and Joshua with Laurence Cummings and Festspiel Orchester Göttingen, Landscape with Three People a recital of Russian composer Elena Langer’s chamber works, and Sweeter than Roses, a Purcell recital with Julian Perkins.
News —

Anna Dennis sings in new recording of John Eccles: Semele (c.1707)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for performance, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for recording and Recording of the Month from BBC Music Magazine Read more

Anna Dennis soprano soloist in Grammy-nominated album 2021
Alexander Kastalsky’s "Requiem for Fallen Brothers" Read more

Live From London – Christmas festival 2020
After the global success of the 'Live From London' vocal festival, the VOCES8 Foundation and friends return with a snow-dusted selection of your favourite holiday pieces this Christmas Read more

Anna Dennis sings Handel, and John Blow premiere in Moscow
Venus and Adonis gets its first performance in Russia Read more

Anna Dennis records Purcell King Arthur with Gabrieli Consort & Players
Fabulous ensemble singing recording Read more
Photos —


Reviews —
Anna Dennis gibt Florinda [Handel's "Rodrigo"] mit flammendem Temperament und einem großen, spinto-artig anspringenden Organ, sie zeigt magische Bühnenpräsenz.
Opernwelt
Anna Dennis, a sure Queen of the Night
Opera Magazine
Anna Dennis offered a startlingly accurate, musically articulated Queen, all five high F in place, winning ovations.
Opera News USA
Selected Discography —

Kastalsky: Requiem for Fallen Brothers
2021 Grammy Nominated

Sweeter than Roses

Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (Claudio Monteverdi)

Landscape with Three People (Elena Langer)

Anacréon (Rameau)

Joshua (Handel)

Conversazioni II
Related Media —
Anna as Princess Ilia in Mozart's Idomeneo
View on YouTubeAnna sings Dido's Lament
View on YouTubeAnna sings Quia Respexit from the Bach Magnificat
View on YouTubeDownloads —
Contact —
Name
- Robin Tyson