Described as an “impressively silken soprano” (The Times) and “resplendent” (The New York Times) Rachel Redmond began her career with the prestigious Jardin des Voix, performing with Les Arts Florissants under the direction of William Christie and Paul Agnew in France, Spain and New York. At William Christie’s invitation she made her début at the Opera Comique as Iris in Lully’s Atys, and performed Irene, Léontine and Flore in Robert Carsen’s production of Les Fetes Venitiennes at the Opera Comique, The Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse and Brooklyn Academy of Music. She subsequently made her début at the Théâtre du Châtelet as Loena in La belle Hélène.

Rachel Redmond’s other operatic roles include the role of Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro for English Touring Opera, Dalinda in Ariodante at the Göttingen International Handel Festival, Fortuna in L’incoronazione di Poppea at Opera du Rhin, Fairy Queen at Atelier Lyrique de Tourcoing, Dona Isabel in The Indian Queen at the Salzburg Festival with Utopia Orchestra, Belinda with Les Arts Florissants and, a return to Aix-en-Provence Festival, as Second Woman in Dido and Aeneas.

Recent highlights for Rachel Redmond include Myrtilla in Telemann’s opera Der neumodische Liebhaber Damon with Nederlandse Bachvereniging, Mozart Mass in C minor with the Royal Northern Sinfonia, Galatea in Handel Acis and Galatea with the Dunedin Consort, Graun Der Tod Jesu with Nederlandse Bachvereniging, Calypso in Alessandro Scarlatti Telemaco with Concerto de’ Cavalieri, Papagena in Mozart Die Zauberflöte at the Edinburgh International Festival with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Bach Christmas Oratorio with the Gulbenkian Orchestra, Scarlatti Stabat Mater with Ensemble Caravansérail, Esther in Handel’s Esther with Le Stagioni, Pergolesi Stabat Mater with le Poème Harmonique, and Bach Magnificat, Couperin Leçons de Ténèbres and Handel L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato with Les Arts Florissants.

With William Christie and Les Arts Florissants Rachel Redmond has also performed Belinda Dido and Aeneas (USA tour), Caecilia in Charpentier’s Caecilia, Virgin and Martyr, Artebuse in Charpentier’s Actéon, Damon in Acis and Galatea, Bach Cantatas, Magnificat, B Minor mass and St John Passion, Grands Motets by Rameau and Mondonville, Charpentier’s Te Deum and works by Purcell and Boismortier at William Christie’s inaugural Festival at Thiré and Monteverdi Madrigals with Paul Agnew.

Rachel Redmond’s other concert performances have included Haydn’s The Creation with the Academy of Ancient Music, Bach, B Minor Mass with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightlenment, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, Purcell’s Fairy Queen and Vivaldi’s Juditha Triumphans with Jordi Savall and the Centre Internacional de Música Antiga, works by Handel, Jommelli, Galuppi, Vivaldi and Pergolesi with Giulio Prandi and Guislieri Musica, Climène in Mondonville’s Isbé for the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, Purcell Welcome to all the pleasures with Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, and Israel in Egypt with Les Cris de Paris at the Beaune, Lessay and La Chaise-Dieu Festivals.

Her considerable concert repertoire also includes, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Handel’s Dixit Dominus, Jeptha, Neun Deutsche Arien, Samson, Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disonganno, and Saul, Bach St Matthew Passion and Ascention Oratorio, Graupner Diese Zeit ist ein Spiel der Eitelkeit, Charpentier Les plaisirs de Versailles, Les pastorelles de Noël and La descente d’Orphée aux enfers, Brockes Passion by Reinhard Keiser, Beethoven Mass in C, Brahms Requiem, Bernstein Chichester Psalms, Karl Jenkins Gloria, and Orff Carmina Burana. She has performed as a soloist with the European Union Baroque Orchestra, Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra, Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Dunedin Consort, The English Concert, Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, Barokkanerne-Norwegian Baroque Ensemble, and in Aldeburgh, London’s Wigmore Hall and the Auditorio Manuel de Falla in Granada.

Highlights this season for Rachel Redmond include Dorinda in Orlando with the Academy of Ancient Music, Aminta in Vivaldi’s L’Olimpiade with Irish National Opera, Messiah with Tafelmusik, St John Passion with Les Arts Florissants, Galatea in Acis and Galatea and Venus in Venus and Adonis with Ensemble Masques.

Rachel Redmond was born in Glasgow and sang in the Junior Chorus of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra before studying at the Music School of Douglas Academy, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She was awarded the Florence Veitch Ibler prize at the RCS for oratorio performance.

Image: Chris Wallace