Soprano Rebecca Ryan first came to international prominence when she gave the UK première of the newly rediscovered Gloria by Handel at London’s Royal Academy of Music conducted by Nicholas McGegan. Born in New Zealand, Rebecca graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Music from the University of Otago. She won the New Zealand Performing Arts National Award for Singing before moving to London where she studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Penelope Mackay. Until recently she was an Associate Artist with the Classical Opera Company in London and is a recipient for a second year of an Independent Opera at Sadler's Wells' Voice Fellowship enabling her to continue advanced study with Dame Anne Evans.
Concert engagements have included performances with the Bath Philharmonia, the City of London Sinfonia, the Irish Baroque Orchestra,the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Soloists’ Chamber Orchestra, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, in a repertoire including the Canteloube Songs of the Auvergne, Haydn Creation, Mahler Symphony No. 8, Mozart Exsultate Jubilate, Mass in C Minor and Requiem, Pergolesi Stabat Mater, Poulenc Stabat Mater and Tippett A Child of Our Time, as well as many oratorios by J. S. Bach and Handel and concert arias by Mozart. Rebecca made her concert debut in New Zealand with the Auckland Philharmonia as Mademoiselle Silberklang in Mozart's Der Schauspieldirektor and returned in 2007 to sing in Mendelssohn’s Elijah. In 2008 Rebecca stepped in at the last minute to sing in British premiere of John Taverner's Sollemnitas in Conceptione Immaculate, Beatae Maria Virginis (2007) at the Brighton Festival. As an Associate Artist of the Classical Opera Company Rebecca made her Wigmore Hall debut and sang at the opening festival of the King's Place concert venue in London. Her Wigmore Hall debut was later followed by a another concert at the prestigious venue singing Angelica in Handel's Orlando with Gary Cooper and supported by Independent Opera at Sadler's Wells.
Her operatic roles have included Micaëla Carmen for University of Otago Opera, Opera Project (performed at Bristol's Tobacco Factory), and in concert with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra both conducted by Nicolae Moldoveanu, Angelica Orlando for Independent Opera at Sadler’s Wells in concert at the Wigmore Hall, Cherubino Le nozze di Figaro (including performances at the Buxton Festival) and Barmherzigkeit Die Schuldigkeit des Ersten Gebotes (The First Commandment, which was performed at London's first music hall, Willtons) for the Classical Opera Company and Mme Silberklang Der Schauspieldirektor for Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, as well as Opera Galas for Castleward Opera and the Four Seasons by Candlelight tour for Raymond Gubbay Ltd performed in full 18th century costume. More recently Rebecca made her debut as Lidka The Two Widows for Scottish Opera which included performances at the Edinburgh Festival, sang the four heroines Olympia / Giulietta / Antonia / Stella The Tales of Hoffmann for Mid Wales Opera and sang Fauno Ascanio in Alba at Kings Place, London for the Classical Opera Company.
Her recordings include Silete venti on CD for Naxos, Ch’io mi scordi di te (with Barry Douglas) for RTÉ TV’s The Symphony Sessions and Exsultate Jubilate for RTÉ TV’s The Mozart Sessions. Current engagements include Dorotea Don Chischiotte in Sierra Morena for Musikwerkstatt Wien, Pamina Die Zauberflöte for Southern Opera, Christchurch, Heavenly Voice Don Carlos for Opera North (to be recorded by Chandos) and a Handel 250th Anniversary Celebratory Concert for the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra which will be broadcast to Portugal, Spain, Germany, Romania, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Estonia, Hungary, Greece and on the BBC via the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
