Kathryn Rudge
Liverpool-born mezzo soprano Kathryn Rudge studied with Susan Roper at the Royal Northern College of Music (2004-2011). She was a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist (2015–17), an ENO Young Artist (2010–13), and a YCAT artist (2010–13). Named ‘A Rising Star of Classical Music’ by The Times, she has won numerous accolades, including the MBF Sybil Tutton Award, the Bridgitte Fassbaender Award, the Joyce and Michael Kennedy Strauss Prize, RPS Susan Chilcott Scholarship, and Kathleen Ferrier Bursary.
Kathryn made her operatic debut as Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro) with English National Opera and as Sesto (Giulio Cesare) for Opera North. She has since performed principal roles for Glyndebourne, Garsington Opera, Opera North, and ENO, including Rosina (The Barber of Seville), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), and the title role in Carmen at Glastonbury with the British Paraorchestra.
A passionate song recitalist, Kathryn has performed at Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall, and major festivals including Oxford Lieder, Leeds Lieder, Lammermuir, Aldeburgh, Ludlow Festival of English Song, and Cheltenham Festival (BBC Radio 3). She toured the UK in 2021–22, performing Wolf’s ‘Italian Songbook’ in a new English translation by Jeremy Sams alongside Roderick Williams, Christopher Glynn, and Robert Murray.
On the concert platform, Kathryn works regularly with all the BBC orchestras and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, with conductors such as Vasily Petrenko, Carl Davis, and John Wilson. She has performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (Philharmonia Orchestra, RFH), Mahler’s Das Knaben Wunderhorn (Bridgewater Hall), Elgar’s Sea Pictures (RLPO and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) and The Dream of Gerontius (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) and Michael Nyman’s Hillsborough Symphony (Liverpool Cathedral). She has also recorded Elgar’s Sea Pictures with RLPO/Petrenko. Kathryn also works regularly with composers on new works, collaborating on world-premiere performances and recordings, including compositions by Roxanna Panufnik, Sir Karl Jenkins, Kenneth Hesketh, Brian Elias, Rhian Samuel, and Gary Carpenter.
Alongside her performing career, Kathryn is committed to music education, regularly delivering workshops and classes for organisations such as The Richard Shepherd Music Foundation and the Rudolfus Choral Course. She is also a vocal tutor at Chetham’s School of Music, the University of Liverpool, and the University of Manchester.
Her discography includes ‘Love’s Old Sweet Song’ with pianist James Baillieu (Champs Hill), ‘Songs by Donald Swann’ (Hyperion), ‘Eric Coates Songs’ and ‘Elgar Orchestral Songs’ BBC Concert Orchestra (Somm), ‘Judith’ (Chandos), and recordings with Opera Rara. Forthcoming projects include Vaughan Williams’ Songs for Albion Records.
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