Soulpranos

Donna-Maree Dunlop

Mezzo soprano

Australian born Donna-Maree Dunlop was the winner of the 1997 Australian Singing Competition Armstrong-Martin and Nelly Apt Scholarships. She completed her Diploma of Music (Vocal Performance) at the Australian National University in 1992 and a Graduate Diploma of Music (Opera Performance) at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in 1993.

She has worked extensively with Opera Australia, the Victorian State Opera, Opera Queensland and Canberra City Opera. Donna-Maree’s work with the Victoria State Opera included the title role in Madama Butterfly in their 1996 MODD Opera Production and covering the roles of the High Priestess in Aida and Ungeborenes Kind in the John Cox production of Die Frau ohne Schatten for the 1996 Melbourne International Festival of the Arts conducted by Simone Young.

For Opera Queensland, Donna-Maree covered the role of Hansel in the Opera Australia production of Hansel & Gretel.

In 1998, Donna-Maree traveled to London to further her studies. She performed the title role in Tosca to critical acclaim for European Chamber Opera, Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro for Mecklenburgh Opera, recorded for On Line Classics and, having been awarded a scholarship to study with Sherrill Milnes, participated in the Sherrill Milnes televised Masterclasses for London Masterclasses. Whilst based in the United Kingdon, she appeared as soloist in Mahler’s Lieder eine fahrenden Gesellen for Bristol Sinfonia

In 2002, Donna-Maree Dunlop sang the roles of the Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos, Siebel in Faust and Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro for Opera Australia.

The following year, she sang principal roles in Carmen, Salome and Lulu for Opera Australia whilst 2004 featured appearances as Wellgunde in Das Rheingold/Götterdämmerung and Rossweisse in Die Walküre for the State Opera of South Australia (recorded and subsequently released by Melba Recordings) and Cock/Jay in The Cunning Little Vixen and Cherubino for Opera Australia.  Donna-Maree recently toured Asia as a cast member of The Phantom of the Opera.

In late 2009, she covered the role of Senta in State Opera of South Australia’s production of The Flying Dutchman.

Angela Town

Soprano

Melbourne-born singer, Angela Town (nee Coote) was the winner of the Sleath Lowrey Scholarship 1991, McDonalds Performing Arts Junior Aria 1994, Finalist for the German Operatic Awards 1997 and finalist in the Melbourne Song Recital 1998. She studied with Dame Joan Hammond at the Victorian College of the Arts, graduating in 1992. And also, Qld Conservatorium of Music with a Grad. Dip. Performance (Opera) in 1993 and Sydney Conservatorium in 1994 with a Grad. Dip. Mus. (Opera).

Angela has studied and performed in Australia, England and Germany. In 1998, she went to London to study voice on scholarship. In 2002, she was granted a full scholarship by the Goethe Institute to study German in Bonn, Germany.

Whilst in London, Angela produced ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’ and also performed the title role of Countess (Mecklenburg Opera). She performed Soprano II in Bach’s Magnificat with the Leicestershire Chorale and sang carols at London Museum in a quartet.

Other title roles include ‘Magda’ in La Rondine (Syd Con), ‘Soprano’ in the Mozart Requiem (Melbourne), ‘Maria Corona’ in The Saint of Bleeker Street (National Theatre), ‘Fortuna/Venus’ in The Coronation of Poppea (Scotland 1998), ‘Marguerte’ in Faust and ‘Nella’ in Gianni Schicchi (Qld Con).

She sang with the Victoria State Opera in 1991/1992 in their productions of Cosi fan Tutte, La Traviata (and country tour), Aida, Die Fledermaus and Iolanthe.