This morning I received a letter in the post from the Royal Academy of Music stating that I had been elected by the Governing Body as an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM). What a lovely surprise!! 

The Associateship is only offered to past students of the Academy who have distinguished themselves in the music profession and made a significant contribution to it in their particular field.

We have finished! The last performance was Saturday 28 February, delivered to a very appreciative audience. 

It has been a pleasure to work with such wonderful colleagues, hopefully we will work again in the future. 

I now travel back to New Zealand for one month before heading to the UK to work with Opera North.

I am currently rehearsing the role of Dorotea in Conti’s opera of 1719, Don Chisciotte in Sierra Morena with Musikwerkstatt in Vienna. 

The international cast together with a very fine baroque orchestra makes this a very exciting project! 

The opera will be premiered Wednesday, 18 February 2009.