Biography
© Elina Ramirez
Described as “a voice of the future” (The Telegraph), Olivia Warburton is increasingly recognised as a captivating performer and versatile young artist on opera stages and in concert halls across the world. As a member of the the solo ensemble at Staatsoper Hamburg for the 2024/25 season, Olivia will perform roles including Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Najade (Ariadne auf Naxos), Nannetta (Falstaff) and Anne Frank (Das Tagebuch der Anne Frank).
A prize winner at the 1st International Haydn Competition in Vienna, her wide ranging operatic repertoire includes Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Euridice (L’anima del Filosofo), Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Fox (The Cunning Little Vixen), the Child (L’enfant et les sortilèges), and Valetto (L’incoronazione di Poppea). She has performed at major theatres including: Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Staatsoper Hamburg, Festival d’Aix en Provence, Deutsches Nationaltheater Weimar, Nevill Holt Opera and Opera North - collaborating with directors including Dmitri Tcherniakov, David Bösch, Melly Still and Simon McBurney, as well as conductors including Jane Glover, Alexander Joel, Jan Pascal Tortelier and Finnegan Downie Dear.
With a strong interest in baroque and early repertoire, Olivia made her debut as the title role in Handel’s Teseo at the London Handel Festival with David Bates and La Nuova Musica. Other Handel roles include Ernando in the modern day premiere of Venceslao at the Halle Handel Festival with Opera Settecento and Leo Duarte, Ino in Semele under Laurence Cummings and the title role in Dido and Aeneas under the direction of Michael Chance. Olivia has worked with Masaaki Suzuki and Trevor Pinnock on tour to the Lincoln Centre, New York, the Boston Early Music Festival, the Royal Festival Hall, London and the Bach Festival, Leipzig.
Olivia is a committed and passionate performer of contemporary music. Recent concert engagements include George Benjamin’s A Mind of Winter with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra under Finnegan Downie Dear, John Adams’ Grand Pianola Music under the baton of the composer and the role of role Max in Oliver Knussen’s Where the Wild Things Are with both the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Tampere Filharmonia. In 2021 she made her German operatic debut at the DNT Weimar in the world premiere of Stewart Copeland and Jonathan Moore’s Electric Saint.
As a recitalist, Olivia has performed to critical acclaim at Wigmore Hall, The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace and the Aldeburgh Festival. A Samling Artist and Britten-Pears Young Artist she is also the founder of Sunday at Six, a concert series connecting audiences from around the world during the Covid 19 pandemic. On the concert platform Olivia has performed as soprano soloist in Mahler’s 4th Symphony, Fauré’s Requiem, Concert arias by Mozart, Bach’s Magnificat in D and Johannes Passion as well as Handel’s Messiah with orchestras including the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Janáček philharmonic Orchestra, Ars Eloquentiae, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, and Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.
Born in the UK, Olivia’s musical education began aged eight when she began piano and singing lessons. She later became a chorister at Lincoln Cathedral under the direction of Aric Prentice and played child parts for Opera North in productions of The Magic Flute and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She went on to graduate from the Royal Academy of Music, London with first class honours and distinction and was a young artist at the Georg Solti Accademia and the Deutsches Nationaltheater, Weimar. Olivia is based in Berlin.
“It is left to Olivia Warburton to shine as Pamina, bright and decisive, breaking the heart in her single phrase “Tamino mein” as they come together to face the trials: she is surely a voice of the future.”
“Olivia Warburton’s Pamina is full of spirit, and her singing has clarity and beautifully floated top notes.”
“Olivia Warburton as Anne Frank is phenomenal. She takes her soprano to extremes - a prayer at the end of which she calls for help ‘God! Got! God!’ - she almost screams. Warburton sings and plays the role with tenderness, vulnerability, power, playfulness and a sweet yearning. ”
“The title role was taken by Olivia Warburton, who characterised the role skilfully. I was impressed by the way that she showed appreciation of the way the Handelian rhythms can lighten the voice and convey heroic optimism and brightness. Moreover, the busy runs caused no problem; equally, the simple lyricism of ‘Tengo in pugno l’idol mio’ was beguiling. ”
“We had a totally captivating performance of the Child in Ravel’s magical one acter from Olivia Warburton. A real and rare treat to see a young artist of such accomplishment.”
“Benedict Nelson’s sturdy Masetto is expertly matched by Olivia Warburton’s smart cookie of a Zerlina.”
