Biography - Flora McIntosh

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

Owing to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the following engagements were variously cancelled or postponed in 2020: Maurya in Vaughan Williams Riders to the Sea (Aldeburgh, UK Mastersingers); Waltraute in Die Walkure (Longborough Festival Opera); Judith in Duke Bluebeard's Castle for Grimeborn Festival and a revival of Maria Stuarda on tour. During the periods of lockdown Flora performed and recorded Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder with Kelvin Lim for the OperaUpClose Coffee Break Concert series, and recorded Dido’s Lament for English National Ballet Laid in Earth now available to stream as part of ‘Ballet On Demand.’

2019 work included Popova in Walton’s The Bear (Camaratina and Mastersingers UK), the title role in 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. 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 and the title role in 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. Also: Filipyevna in Eugene Onegin (OUC/Arcola Theatre), 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 with Imperial War Museum), 2nd/3rd Lady in The Magic Flute (Grange Park Opera/ETO), Myrtale in Thais (Grange Park Opera), Fanny Nelson/Emma Hamilton in Bawden’s A Sailor's Tale (world premiere) later recorded for NMC. Flora spent two seasons at the Batignano Festival in Italy and performed La chatte/L'ecureuil in L'enfant et les sortileges with the European Opera Centre on tour in Greece and Cyprus.

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 Waltraute for Longborough Festival Opera 2021 in their postponed Die Walkure and live performances of Laid in Earth with English National Ballet. Flora took on the role of Artistic Associate for OperaUpClose in 2019 and is also a highly experienced teacher and vocal coach.

Flora is represented worldwide by Music International.