Martene Grimson - Soprano
Martene Grimson graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music before moving to London where she completed her studies at the Royal College of Music’s Benjamin Britten Opera School and at the National Opera Studio. She was supported by the Royal Opera House, Countess of Munster Musical Scholarship and the Madeline Finden Memorial Award.
Martene was awarded second prize in the 2006 Kathleen Ferrier Competition. She was one of the finalists of the Operalia Placido Domingo competition and has given recitals at the Aldeburgh Festival, Wigmore Hall, Royal Opera House (in the Linbury Studio and Crush Room), St John’s Smith Square, Fairfield Hall and the Harrogate Festival.
Her recent concert engagements include Bernstein’s ‘Trouble in Tahiti’ with the Bayerischer Rundfunk at the Prinzregententheater, Munich, a Strauss tour of the UK for Raymond Gubbay; Haydn with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under Frans Bruggen, Gretel (‘Hansel and Gretel’) with the BBC Concert Orchestra under Charles Hazelwood; and Brahms’ ‘Requiem’ at the Royal Albert Hall under Sir David Wilcox.
Her operatic engagements include Susanna (‘Le Nozze di Figaro’) for Longborough Festival Opera and Opera East; Ilia (‘Idomeneo’) for Pinchgut Opera in Sydney; Glauce (‘Medea’) for Nationale Reisopera; First Witch (‘Dido and Aeneas’) for Opera North; Dorinda (‘Orlando’) with Independent Opera at the Wigmore Hall; Mrs Gleaton (Floydd’s ‘Susannah’) and Laurette (Bizet’s ‘Le Docteur Miracle’) for Wexford Festival; Melia (‘Apollo and Hyacinthus’ - Mozart), Nice (‘La Danza’ - Gluck) and Sivene (‘Le Cinesi’ - Gluck) for Bampton Classical Opera. Martene has sung regularly with the Classical Opera Company in Wigmore Hall and the Barbican. Roles include; Hyacinthus (‘Apollo and Hyacinthus’), Aminta (‘Il Re Pastore’); Lucio Cinna (‘Lucio Silla’) and Sesto (‘La Clemenza di Tito’ – Gluck)
Martene’s recordings include Ilia (‘Idomeneo’) for ABC Classics; and A – Z of Mozart for the Classical Opera Company.
Her most recent engagements include performances of Howard Goodall’s Requiem ‘Eternal Light’ touring with the Rambert Dance Company, Pulcinella (Stravinsky) with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra under Thierry Fischer, Mozart’s Exulatate Jubilate and Requiem at the Albert Hall under Brian Kay.
Future performances include a recital at the Leeds Lieder Festival with Simon Lane and a concert of Handel cantatas for Classical Opera Company at Kings Place, London.