‘Like the course of true love, the progress of a Wagner singer is not always smooth! It takes a huge amount of investment from the singer in terms of time and study. I believe Magdalen Ashman has the dedication and talent to succeed in this repertoire.’  Susan Bullock

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Voice and Vocal Training

Magdalen Ashman (Mezzo-soprano) was born in London, gained a degree in Italian Studies from the University of Reading and is a postgraduate of Trinity College of Music, London. She went on to further postgraduate studies at The Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, where she was awarded the prestigious Annie Ridyard Scholarship for Mezzo-sopranos. 

An experienced and versatile mezzo-soprano, with both lyric and dramatic vocal qualities, a flair for comic timing and a strong stage presence, she enjoys a varied concert and opera career and is now gaining recognition in the more dramatic mezzo repertoire, particularly that of Wagner.

Recording and concert work

Her recording work includes Alice (Robin Hood) for Naxos and Geisha (The Geisha) for Hyperion. 

Her concert work includes the Verdi ‘Requiem’ with Lincoln Choral Society in Lincoln Cathedral, the Rossini ‘Stabat Mater’ with Swindon Choral Society, the Fauré ‘Requiem’ with Oxford Harmonic Society, ‘Sea Pictures’ with the West London Sinfonia in Ealing Abbey, ‘Serenade to Music’ and ‘The Coronation Ode’ in the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations at the Royal Concert Hall Nottingham with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

She has given recitals at Ludlow Assembly Rooms with Jeremy Silver, St. James’s Piccadilly with Charles Kilpatrick and Mark Packwood and with David Syrus at St John’s Smith Square. 

General opera roles

Magdalen has sung the title role in Carmen for both Opéra de Baugé and Blackheath Halls Opera and the role of Amneris (Aida) for Opéra de Baugé at the Rose Theatre, Kingston and at their festival in France.  Other roles at the festival include; Dido (Dido and Aeneas), Nancy (Martha), The Widow (The Widow of Ephesus) and Dritte Dame (Die Zauberflöte). She has also sung the roles of Marcellina (Le Nozze di Figaro) for Winslow Hall Opera and Margaretha (Genoveva) for UCL Opera. She covered the role of Sara in Roberto Devereux for Opera Holland Park. 

Contemporary opera roles

Her contemporary roles include Mrs Noye (Noye’s Fludde) and The Moon in the premiere of the children’s opera ‘Galileo!’ for The Ealing Autumn Festival, Florence (Albert Herring) for Opéra de Baugé as well as The Minister of Culture for the premiere of Dominique Le Gendre’s ‘Burial at Thebes’ at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. 

Wagner roles  

Magdalen took her first step into the Wagner repertoire as a member of the Royal Opera House extra Chorus, when she was given the chance to sing an Apprentice in Graham Vick’s production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.  Her teacher, the late baritone, Neil Howlett, encouraged her to study the role of Fricka in Die Walküre and she performed the role shortly afterwards with the Edinburgh Opera Players Orchestra. She was awarded a Goodall Scholarship from the Wagner Society and took part in masterclasses with Sir John Tomlinson on Fricka (Das Rheingold) and with Dame Anne Evans on Waltraute (Götterdämmerung).  She impressed the Susan Chilcott Foundation panel who awarded her a full ‘Chilcott Scholarship’.  She also sang the roles of Venus (Tannhaüser) and Brangäne (Tristan und Isolde) for the Northern Wagner Orchestra and Waltraute (Götterdämmerung) with the Edinburgh Opera Players. She has since gone on to cover Schwertleite and Grimgerde in Die Walküre for Opera North’s critically acclaimed Ring Cycle and appeared as Siegrune in the Wagner 200 Celebrations at the Royal Festival Hall with the Philharmonia Orchestra, under Sir Andrew Davis, broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.  

She received an inaugural ‘Carol Rees Award’ from the Mastersingers, supporting a week of study with Dame Gwyneth Jones in Zürich, working on Waltraute, which culminated in a performance of Waltraute’s Narration (Götterdämmerung) at the Royal Academy of Music for the annual Wagner Society Bayreuth Bursary Competition in front of an audience of the UK’s most eminent Wagnerians. She covered the role of Fricka for Saffron Opera and sang the role of Grimgerde in their acclaimed concert performance of ‘Die Walküre’ at The Saffron Hall.  Following a Gala night performance in 2022, she joined the Regents Opera production of ‘Die Walküre’ at The Grand Temple, Covent Garden in 2023, singing Siegrune and understudying the role of Fricka.  Magdalen will return to this production of Die Walküre in November 2024, when Regents Opera will perform the entire Wagner Ring Cycle.