Sweet Chance: POSTPONED

Two of Aotearoa’s leading classical singers, Morag Atchison and Catrin Johnsson, step off the opera stage into the intimate chamber music setting, perfectly matched by the luminous warmth of Serenity Thurlow’s viola and Rachel Fuller’s piano accompaniment. A programme of beloved favourite - and lesser-known gems—of German and French art song.

Morag, Catrin, and Rachel all studied together at the Royal Academy of Music in London and have performed as soloists in NZ and internationally. Recital repertoire is at the heart of their music-making: from the sublime to the ridiculous, this vocal duo with piano aim to ensure that the art of the vocal recital is an integral part of 21st Century music. For this tour, they are delighted to collaborate with Christchurch-based violist Serenity Thurlow.

Morag Atchison is one of New Zealand’s leading sopranos. She studied at the University of Auckland and Royal Academy of Music (London) and was a finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier and Royal Over-Seas League Competitions. She has performed numerous operatic roles and concerts including Berta in The Barber of Seville (NZ Opera, 2019) to great acclaim and concerts with many of New Zealand’s orchestras and choirs. In 2018 she joined Voices New Zealand on their European tour and was a soloist on the soundtrack for the major motion-picture Mortal Engines.

Catrin Johnsson (ARAM), mezzo-soprano, was born in Sweden and trained at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm and at the Royal Academy of Music, London. Awards include the prestigious Christina Nilsson Award. She has worked as a principal artist for companies such as English National Opera and Opera Holland Park and in 2016 Catrin made her debut for NZ Opera as Second Lady in their production of The Magic Flute. In concert she has performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and St John's, Smith Square in London.

Rachel Fuller (ARAM), pianist, studied with Dierdre Irons at the University of Canterbury then went on to gain her Masters in Piano Accompaniment from the Royal Academy of Music in London. Rachel lived in London for 18 years, working as a vocal accompanist, répétiteur and vocal coach with leading British opera companies including Diva Opera, Opera della Luna and London Opera Players at such prestigious venues as The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, at Opera Kristiansund and Opera Nordfjord in Norway.

Following studies at University of Canterbury and Victoria University, violist Serenity Thurlow moved to Austria in 2006 to complete her Masters at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. There she studied with Peter Langgartner and Thomas Riebl. She was a prize-winner in the Lionel Tertis viola competition in Salzburg. While in Austria she was an active chamber and orchestral musician, performing across Europe and the USA with orchestras such as the Salzburg Chamber Soloists, Camerata Salzburg, Deutsche Kammerakadamie Neuss among numerous others.

80 minutes, no interval