I am a singer/songwriter, soprano/actress and pianist. I initially studied piano classically, going to the Guildhall school of Music aged 19. Already singing since my early years, after leaving college I began a fascinating musical journey through many styles and for a long time left classical music. During this time I discovered songwriting, something which is now my natural expression of all I experience.
Beginnings
I was drawn to music from as early as I can remember and I cannot imagine life without this wonderful element. I grew up in a family with a German mother who played , taught and listened only to classical music and a French father who was involved with writing pop songs. I started playing the piano by ear at the age of 3 and began lessons at aged 7 with my mother, but although she is a wonderful teacher I soon went to another teacher. I sang, played piano and flute, and joined many musical ensembles as well as singing in numerous choirs. After leaving school I become a cantor (solo singer) at Leeds Cathedral and also went weekly to the Royal Northern College of Music for piano lessons. At 18 I won the Harrogate Young Musician of the Festival as a pianist and later that year came to London to study piano at the Guildhall School of Music.London and new horizons
Although
grateful to the Guildhall School for all I learned there, I found it hard
being in an institution and after
graduating I immersed myself in all sorts of styles of music, feeling the need to
leave classical music behind completely for a while. I went on a jazz
singing course, studied musical theatre, listened to all sorts of popular music, including celtic folk music and celtic rock. I realised there was a whole world of music out there unknown to me!
Thinking for a while musical theatre was my path, I studied singing with
Mary Hammond and went to Richmond Drama School where I completed the
one year diploma course. Song writing
just after leaving drama school, encouraged by others around me I began to write
songs for the first time. For the next
four years after leaving college I devoted myself to song writing and
took the stage name Astraea. I enjoyed performed around London with my band at
various venues including the 12 Bar Blues Club and the Putney Half Moon,
who described my songs as being like "atmospheric film music" and
during this time I also independently recorded 2 EPs. It was through
songwriting that I met the wonderful composer and my husband to be Mark Glentworth.
Return to classical music and a converging of threads
Feeling a yet unfulfilled urge to explore my voice further I next decided it was time to train
my voice classically. Studying with some wonderful teachers I discovered
how physically demanding singing is and classical music took over my musical life
once more. Now engaged to a composer I did the natural thing and asked asked him to write me an opera! He replied that if I wrote the words he would write the music and so Blood
Rose, an adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Nightingale and the Rose was created in 2008 and performed at the Dulwich Festival. The following year I was persuaded to write an original story and
libretto and sang in the first act of our second opera, “Ula” which was
performed in 2009 at The Riverside Studios and received encouraging reviews. Since 2007 I have been performing in a diverse cross section of classical music from opera to recitals and experimental work including performances at the ICA and Brighton Festival with Matthew Stone and Alex Nikoporenko. Opera roles performed include Amor ( Orfeo and Euridice- Gluck), Daphne- ( The Ruined Maid- Barab) and the Dew Fairy- (Hansel and Gretel).
2016- Now song writing once more the central focus in my life I am thrilled to be getting out there playing and singing my songs with the wonderful guitarist Stuart Clark in our new band Storm Deva!
