Biography - Flora McIntosh

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London born Flora McIntosh has already attracted wide attention and praise for her 'wonderfully rich' mezzo-soprano, ‘thrilling’ stage presence and ‘vivid’ characterisation.

In 2019 Flora’s work included Popova in Walton’s The Bear (Camaratina and Mastersingers UK), a nationwide tour of Maria Stuarda with OperaUpClose, the premiere of Robert Hugill’s opera The Gardeners at Conway Hall (world premiere), Romeo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi for Grimeborn and Wellgunde in Das Rheingold at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall.

Other notable and critically acclaimed engagements include Das Lied von der Erde with English National Ballet, Pauline in the UK premiere of Gounod’s Polyeucte (UCOpera), Dryad in Ariadne auf Naxos for Longborough Festival, Carmen for OperaUpClose. In 2016 Flora created the role of The Goddess of the Sea in a new opera for children Ulla's Odyssey and made her Wagnerian debut covering Brangäne in Tristan und Isolde for Longborough Festival Opera 2017. She has sung Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni and Suzuki in Madame Butterfly (Regents Opera), Flora in La Traviata (Soho/Tricycle Theatre), The Drummer in The Emperor of Atlantis (Halle and Imperial War Museum), 2nd/3rd Lady in The Magic Flute (Grange Park Opera/ETO), Myrtale in Thais (Grange Park Opera), and Fanny Nelson/Emma Hamilton in the world premiere of Bawden’s A Sailor's Tale which was later recorded for NMC. Flora spent two seasons at the Batignano Festival in Italy and sang La chatte/L'ecureuil in L'enfant et les sortileges with the European Opera Centre in Greece and Cyprus.

Also a regular on the concert platform, Flora has extensive oratorio experience. She has been a soloist several times for the Southbank Sinfonia and Parliament Choir, and given recitals around the UK, most recently at London’s Garrick Club. During her training at the RNCM Flora was the winner of the Anne Ziegler Award and Ricordi Prize for Opera and received generous support from the Peter Moores Foundation and the Countess of Munster Musical Trust. Flora is a Samling Foundation scholar and currently studies with Arwel Treharne Morgan. Future plans include Maurya in Vaughan Williams Riders to the Sea (Aldeburgh UK Mastersingers); a return to Longborough Festival Opera as Waltraute in Die Walkyre; and Judith in Duke Bluebeard's Castle for the 2020 Grimeborn Festival.