About

Katrina Sheppeard is one of the UK’s most exciting up and coming dramatic sopranos. Since moving from Australia to London in 2008 Katrina has worked extensively with UK companies, and in particular with English National Opera. Roles covered by Katrina for ENO include Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana, Turandot, Marta in Weinberg’s The Passenger, Leonore in Fidelio, Katerina in Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Norma and Tosca. 

Katrina performed the role of Norma for ENO in 2016 to great acclaim  

“…magnificent…she effortlessly took control of the stage…” Dave Snowden, Cognitive Edge

In 2015 Katrina made her German stage debut with Theater Hagen performing the title role in Samuel Barber’s Vanessa conducted by Florian Ludwig and directed by Roman Hovenbitzer receiving two nominations from Welt am Sonntag.

“…the Australian Soprano Katrina Sheppeard sings Vanessa with glowing, penetrating power…” Monika Willer, Waz.de

“…a dramatic but vocally subtle interpretation of the title role…” Matthew Rye, Distant Sounds

“…she sang the somewhat hysterical role with abandon. Her ‘Why did no one warn me’ had great dramatic power…” Peter Franken, operamagazine.nl

Other UK companies Katrina has performed with are Welsh National Opera, Opera Brava, Riverside Opera, Swansea Opera, Midland Opera and Bloomsbury Opera her roles including Tosca, Aida, Turandot, Tatiana from Eugene Onegin and Rosalinda from die Fledermaus.

Katrina is a prolific concert performer, her repertoire including Beethoven 9th Symphony, Strauss Four Last Songs, Verdi’s Requiem and the Wesendonck Lieder and has been invited to sing for many UK festivals including the Ealing Festival and Bloomsbury Festival. Katrina has performed with many of the world’s top conductors – Stephen Lord, Ed Gardener, Richard Hickox and Simone Young. Pianists Katrina has performed with include Dmitri Alexeev, Jayson Gillham, Richard Hetherington and Malcolm Martineau.

Australian born, Katrina completed her undergraduate vocal studies at the Western Australia Conservatorium of Music. In 2002 she joined Opera Australia and remained as part of the ensemble until 2007 when she became a Young Artist for Opera Queensland. In Australia, Katrina covered and performed many roles at Opera Australia, Opera Queensland and Victorian Opera including The Beggar Woman, Donna Elvira, Lace Seller/Russian Mother from Britten’s Death in Venice and Aphrodite and Echo in the Richard Mills’ Love of the Nightingale.

In 2016 Katrina performed the UK premier of Wagner’s ‘Vorspiel and Liebestod’ from Tristan und Isolde, arr. by James Ledger with the Tait Chamber Orchestra conducted by Jessica Cottis, at St John’s Smith Square

‘…Katrina Sheppeard was the soprano soloist, her performance amply exhibiting the dramatic skill and vocal flexibility that have already made her a significant figure in UK opera.’ Limelight Magazine

Katrina also performed a concert of Wagner highlights at Australia House with fellow Australian, Baritone Warwick Fyfe

‘…Singing excerpts as Ortrud and Senta as well as her opening ‘Battle Cry’ as Brünnhilde, Sheppeard’s voice revealed a mezzo-ish quality and reminded me more than a little of Nina Stemme but her dramatic soprano was revealed as its impressive best by the time she sang her ‘Hojotohos’ again at the end. Her wonderful Schlussgesang as Strauss’s Salome had by then thoroughly warmed up her voice. This was a heartfelt confession of deranged love and at this point the venue didn’t matter and she engaged us with her engrossing performance.’ Jim Pritchard, Seen and Heard International

In both 2017 and 2018 Katrina was awarded the coveted Wagner Scholarship from the Wagner Society of NSW http://www.wagner.org.au/ study scholarship, and recently performed Wagner excerpts in concert with Australian Heldentenor Stuart Skelton.

For more information about Katrina please visit her Katrina Sheppeard Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Katrina-Sheppeard-168444193255679/ to read reviews and articles, see photos from performances, listen to interviews and recordings and keep up with her upcoming projects. In addition to her performing, Katrina is currently enrolled on the MA of Vocal Pedagogy with UWTSD and Voice Workshop where she is undertaking voice research alongside her teaching. Katrina is very grateful for the ongoing support of the Tait Memorial Trust http://taitmemorialtrust.org/.

Kate Sheppeard – Vanessa, Theater Hagen from Bobby Williams on Vimeo.