Soprano Emma Bell offers an unrivalled dramatic intensity on the opera stage, capable of conveying raw emotion with remarkable clarity and bringing each of her characterisations convincingly to life. In recent seasons she has made several impressive debuts including at Osterfestspiele Salzburg as Venus in Romeo Castellucci’s staging of Tannhäuser under Andris Nelsons, at Bayerische Staatsoper as Eva (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg) under Kirill Petrenko, at Deutsche Oper Berlin as both Elisabeth and Venus (Tannhäuser) under Sebastian Weigle, at Opernhaus Zürich as Leonore (Fidelio) under Markus Poschner and at Staatsoper Hamburg as Elsa (Lohengrin) under Simone Young.

Making the transition from Mozart’s leading ladies, with whom she established her operatic career, to Wagner’s heroines has cemented Bell’s reputation as one of Britain’s finest dramatic sopranos with The Scotsman praising her performance as Elisabeth, under Sir Donald Runnicles, at the 2023 Edinburgh International Festival with “Bell was sensational as the devout self-sacrificing ‘angel’, giving a powerful, highly emotional and moving performance.”

Bell was acclaimed for performances at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Eva (Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg) conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano, Madame Lidoine (Dialogues des Carmélites) under Sir Simon Rattle, Elisabeth (Tannhäuser) under Harmut Haenchen and the Foreign Princess (Rusalka) conducted by Semyon Bychkov with her appearances as Strauss’ Arabella at Oper Köln under Stefan Soltesz, and her unforgettable portrayal of Barber’s Vanessa in Keith Warner’s celebrated production under Jakub Harůša at the Glyndebourne Festival bringing considerable further praise.

Other key moments in Bell’s enduring career have included performances as Anne Trulove (The Rake’s Progress), Elettra (Idomeneo) and Donna Elivira (Don Giovanni) at Teatro alla Scala, and as Contessa Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro) and Donna Elivra at the Metropolitan Opera. In works by Britten, she has appeared in The Turn of the Screw at Teatro Real, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, The Dallas Opera and Staatsoper Unter den Linden, as Ellen Orford (Peter Grimes) at Teatro la Fenice conducted by Juraj Valčuha and in Daniel Kramer’s innovative staging of War Requiem at ENO under the baton of Martyn Brabbins.

Equally known for her work on the concert platform, upcoming performances include the role of Elizabeth I in the Spanish premiere of Brett Dean’s In spe contra spem with Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España under Jaime Martín and Una poenitentium (soprano II) in Mahler’s Symphony No.8 with London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Edward Gardner.

Recent concert highlights include the world premiere of In spe contra spem with the London Philharmonic conducted by Edward Gardner and Leonore in concert at the Edinburgh International Festival with Philharmonia Orchestra under Sir Donald Runnicles. A tour of Britten’s War Requiem with Orchestre de Paris and Daniel Harding included performances in Paris, Vienna and Edinburgh and there have been performances as Magna Peccatrix (soprano I) in Mahler’s Symphony No.8 including with the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (Lan Shui) and Bergen Philharmonic (Gardner). She sang Matilde in Mascagni’s Silvano in staged concerts at Scottish Opera under Stuart Stratford and her portrayal of Freia in concert performances of Das Rheingold with the Hallé Orchestra and Sir Mark Elder is released on the

Hallé label. In core works such as Beethoven’s Symphony No.9, Strauss’ Vier letzte Lieder and Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder, Bell has appeared regularly including with Gothenburg Symphony, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic and BBC Philharmonic Orchestra under esteemed conductors including Kent Nagano, Vladimir Jurowski, Gianandrea Noseda and Sir Antonio Pappano.

Emma Bell trained at the Royal Academy of Music and is a former winner of the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Award.