Biography

Hannah Bennett is a British mezzo soprano from Luton, Bedfordshire, currently based in London. She is a a 2023 and 2024 Alvarez Young Artist with Garsington Opera, an Opera Holland Park 2021 Young Artist, a Leeds Lieder 2019 Young Artist and semi finalist for the 2022 Kathleen Ferrier Awards. This Autumn, Hannah made her company debut with Wexford Festival Opera, singing the role of Pippetto in Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali (Donizetti).

Onstage, recent roles include: Second Bridesmaid Le nozze di Figaro Garsington Opera, Lazuli L’Étoile (Chabrier) RCS Opera, Olga Four Sisters (Elena Langer) RCS Opera, Alice Rip van Winkle (Planquette) Gothic Opera and Marcellina Le nozze di Figaro Opera Holland Park - 2021 OHP Young Artists Scheme. Hannah has also worked with Waterperry Opera Festival, Nevill Holt Opera and the National G&S Opera Company.

Hannah recently made her debut at the Edinburgh International Festival as a soloist and part of an ensemble of 12 singers, accordion and two pianos to perform Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle at Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, led by Mark Austin and James Baillieu. This concert was recorded for BBC Radio 3. This summer, Hannah also returned to Waterperry Opera Festival in “Nights Not Spent Alone”; a staged production of Jonathan Dove song cycles, alongside Musical Director / Pianist Ashley Beauchamp and directed by Thomas Henderson.

In September 2023, Hannah performed in Stravinksy’s Les Noces at Sadler’s Wells as part of English National Ballet’s triple bill production “Our Voices”, conducted by ENB Principal Guest Conductor, Gavin Sutherland, in partnership with Opera Holland Park. In concert, Hannah has performed at the Oxford Lieder Festival, the Amersham Music Festival and was a 2019 Leeds Lieder Festival Young Artist. In December 2021 she was a soloist for the World Premier of Aileen Sweeney’s Breathing Space with Helensburgh Oratorio Choir conducted by Susannah Wapshott which was recorded for BBC Radio 3.

Hannah trained on the Alexander Gibson Opera School course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, studying under Scott Johnson, and is an alumna of the Royal Academy of Music where she completed her Master of Arts (Distinction, DipRAM), studying with Yvonne Howard, and Bachelor of Music (First Class Honours), studying with Kathleen Livingstone. Whilst at the Academy, she was a member of the Song Circle; with whom she performed in recitals at Oxford Lieder, a Schubertiade in partnership with Leeds Lieder and the Wigmore Hall. She was also a Bach Cantata Scholar, featuring as a soloist and regular chorus member for the RAM / Kohn Foundation Bach Cantata Series and a regular soloist for oratorio work supported by the Josephine Baker Trust.

In masterclasses, Hannah has worked with Louise Winter, Chris Purves, Donald Maxwell, Susan Bullock CBE, Joseph Middleton, Anne Howells, Amanda Roocroft, Ann Murray DBE, Justus Zeyen, Marcus Farnsworth and Christopher Glynn.

Her studies at the RCS were generously supported by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and she was a grateful recipient of awards from the Opera Awards Foundation Bursary, Help Musicians UK Sybil Tutton Opera Award, the Aspinwall Educational Trust, the Harpenden Music Foundation and the Clemence Charitable Trust.

As a soloist for oratorio works, her repertoire includes works such as Bach B Minor Mass, Christmas Oratorio & Magnificat, Bruckner Te Deum, Chilcott Christmas Oratorio, Duruflé Requiem, Handel Dixit Dominus, Haydn Nelson Mass, Mozart Mass in C Minor & Requiem, Rossini Stabat Mater & Petite Messe Solenelle, Tippet A Child of Our Time and Vivaldi Gloria.

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