Sally Burgess

ARCM, FRCM

Repertoire professor

During her long and distinguished career, Sally has made some of the most exciting operatic roles her own.

Role highlights include Carmen; Siebel (Faust); Composer (Ariadne); Octavian (Rosenkavalier); Azucena (Il Trovatore); Judith (Bluebeard’s Castle); Eboli (Don Carlos); Amneris (Aida); Orfeo (Gluck); Kabanicha (Katya Kabanova); Ottavia (Poppea) + BBC film; Dalilah (Samson et Dalilah); Herodias (Salome); Queen Isabella (The Voyage by Philip Glass); and Hanna Glawari (The Merry Widow).

Her operatic successes include performances at major opera houses of the world including The Metropolitan Opera, Bayerisches Staatsoper, Opera National de Bastille, Opera de Geneve, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Houston Grand Opera, and English National Opera.

Sally began her career with English National Opera as Zerlina (Don Giovanni) a contract artist for 10 years, returning as a regular guest artist throughout her career to sing over 40 roles with the company.

Sally was invited to join ENO Board of Trustees in Feb 2017.

In opera and concert, she collaborated with conductors including Sir Mark Elder, Sir Charles Mackerras, Richard Hickox, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Vassili Petrenko, Riccardo Chailli, and Daniel Barenboim.

Her discography includes Judith Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, Herodias Salome, and Sorceress Dido and Aeneas for Chandos; Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio; and three jazz albums (Sally Burgess Sings Jazz, The Other Me, and Happy Talk).

Sally studied at the RCM. As Vocal Professor, she also teaches stagecraft and directs opera scenes. She was awarded her FRCM in 2011.

Sally’s teaching includes work on vocal technique, breathing, the psychology of performance, exploring text, imagination, Feldenkrais and Alexander Technique, and offering day workshops as part of her studio. She works with established singers as well as those at the beginning of their studies.

Sally worked on her research project, The Creative Singer, with the GSMD BMus3 singers in The Magic Flute 2017 Jan-July and directed Magic Flute, Poppea, Albert Herring, Marriage of Figaro, The Carmelites, Cunning Little Vixen and Orpheus in the Underworld over 8 years with GSMD BMus3 singers.

Sally works with singers worldwide giving masterclasses and workshops in the UK, Russia, South Africa, and France. Over four seasons she headed the Young Singers Programme for Les Azuriales Opera Festival, Nice, and London Gates Education in Moscow.

She headed the Amazwi Omzansi Africa Performing Arts workshops in Durban 2013 and 2015. Sally works with singers at the ROH on the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme, Glyndebourne’s Jerwood Singers, and with British Youth Opera. Sally has a close relationship with Live Music Now, fronting their vocal and instrumental masterclass series in the aLuMNi programme. She does masterclasses, adjudicates and examines for UK conservatoires, and is a member of the British Voice Association.

Amongst Sally’s directorial successes are Cosi van Tutte for English Chamber Opera; the world premiere of Sonya’s Story for Tete a Tete; Il Trovatore for Dorset Opera; and Cosi fan Tutte for the Dubrovnik Summer Festival.

Sally directed Over the Rainbow, music by Harold Arlen, for jazz singer Rosanna Brandi at St James’ Theatre, London.

Faculties / departments: Vocal Studies