Recommendations
SARA JONSSON
To whom it may concern
I am happy to have the opportunity to write a reference for Sara as she is someone in whom I have a good deal of confidence, who, during her time here, has proved herself to be a serious, single-minded and dedicated student.
I should perhaps highlight among her abilities her recital work, which is remarkable. She has deservedly won a good number of song prizes (including the John Ireland prize-and she is not English). This is because she consistently impresses adjudicators, singers and non-singers alike. with her understanding and her authoritative delivery of song and text. And singers like good singing too.
She has always taken the initiative in performing repertoire that she has herself searched out and has gone to great lengths with her pianists to ensure completely prepared performances of that repertoire. She is an excellent musician, having played the piano and particularly the violin to a high level before opting for singing.
I recommend her to you
wholeheartedly.
Fiordiligi Blenheim Palace
Since writing the above
Sara left Birmingham with a well deserved 1st class degree
and I should add that
she distinguished herself additionally with a fine and widely
admired
interpretation of the title role of Giulio Cesare by Handel. This was in
addition to her having played, earlier in the year, the role of Florence Pike in
Britten's
Albert Herring. These roles could scarcely be more contrasting and in
each she was
singled out by the directors as having fine, natural stage ability.
Professor Julian Pike
Head of Vocal & Operatic
Studies
Birmingham Conservatoire
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Sara Jonsson
I have known Sara for some years after she approached me for an audition. We have coached together on a variety of operatic and oratorio repertoire. In performance she has sung, under my direction, Mahler's song cycle Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer) and the role of Dorabella in a concert performance of Mozart's Cosė fan tutte. On both occasions Sara's performances were well-prepared, musical and well-recieved by the audiences. Her stage presence is warm and engaging.
I urge my colleagues to audition her and provide her with performing opportunities and I wish her well with her singing career.
Christopher Fifield
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To whom it may concern,
She is very talented and has a beautiful, strong soprano voice. She is extraordinarily intelligent and familiar with all kinds of styles in the field of music literature. She learns very easily and is very diligent.
I warm heartedly support all kinds of possibilities which give a helping hand to her further development.
Budapest
Professor Erika Sziklay/DLA merited artist
Franz Liszt Academy, Budapest, Hungary
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Dear Sir/Madam,
Sara is a young and talented soprano that
I have been coaching.
She has a strong and well-placed voice of
top quality and is a performer of immense style, great intelligence and musicality.
She has gone up from being a mezzo to becoming a soprano and the transition has been a fairly easy one thanks in part to her dedication, hard work and quick brain. She has already sung several performances of the Governess in The Turn of the Screw with considerable success since going up to the higher tessitura and I have strong hopes for her future.
In all things she is of a high standard and
is already advanced enough to be getting work in the profession.
I consider her to be an interesting,
intense and exciting performer and I strongly recommend her to you with no
reservation whatsoever.
Yours sincerely,
Teresa Cahill
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Comments
She is a marvellous
performer and has a fabulous voice and is well worth hearing.
Gillian Stansfield, Secretary, St Albans
Symphony Orchestra
Sensitive, warm and
immediate singing with a beautiful, ringing quality. Marvelous feeling for
words in all languages and completely convincing singing of them.
Linda Hirst, Head of
Vocal Department, Trinity College, London
St John's Singing Competition, Adjudicator
Beautifully poised
performance, held attention throughout. An excellent recital, beautifully
performed and held the audience and myself enraptured.
Michal Lessiter, The
Royal Opera
St John's Singing Competition, Adjudicator