Biography
I studied performance and classical vocal teaching at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London for five years. Whilst at the Guildhall I studied with Laura Sarti, Paul Hamburger and Peter Gelhorn. I subsequently went on to study privately with the late Barbara Robotham.
On leaving the Guildhall, I immediately joined the Welsh National Opera where roles included Berta in Barbiere di Seviglia, Musetta in La Boheme and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni.
I have also sung for the English National Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera North, English Touring Opera, Opera Holland Park, Opera Factory, Covent Garden Festival, RTE Dublin, Nuremburg and Prague Opera Companies. The roles included: Mimi in La Boheme, Violetta in La Traviata, Gilda in Rigoletto, Leonora- Il Trovatore, Lady Macbeth-Macbeth, Amelia- Un Ballo in Maschera, Santuzza- Cavalleria Rusticana, Leonore- Fidelio, Queen of the Night- Die Zauberflöte, Marie- La fille du Regiment, Elisabetta- Maria Stuarda, Witch and Mother-Hansel and Gretel, Lady Billows- Albert Herring, Wife-Life with an Idiot, Gerhilde- Die Walküre, Marianne- Der Rosenkavalier, as well as the title roles in Tosca and Salome.
My experience as a professional singer has also extended to the concert platform at major venues such as The Bridgewater Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, St. David’s Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Rudolfinum Prague and the Euskalduna Concert Hall Bilbao.
Oratorio Works include the standard repertoire of Handel- The Messiah, Haydn-Creation, Mozart- C Minor Mass,Beethoven-Symphony No.9, Verdi-Requiem, Orff- Carmina Burana, alongside lesser performed works such as Poulenc- Gloria, and Elgar-Kingdom to name but a few.
Other concert work includes song recitals and private and corporate entertainment both here and abroad.
I have been fortunate to work with leading conductors like Sir Georg Solti, Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Richard Armstrong and Donald Runnicles. Directors I have worked with include Sir David McVicar, Peter Stein, Tim Alberry and Ruth Berghaus.
Performance Reviews
Here are reviews of some of the performances that I have given:
Nick Kimberley- The Independent “Sarah Rhodes’ singing voice is bright and flexible, with rapt pianissimo and weighty top notes that fill the theatre.”
Andrew Clements- The Guardian “The role of the daughter of the Regiment herself, Marie, the illegitimate daughter of a Swiss Marquise, who was abandoned as a baby and brought up by the French Regiment to which her father belonged, was one of Joan Sutherland’s party pieces. It’s written for a soprano with effortless coloratura and a fine sense of comic timing and, in Sarah Rhodes, the ETO has found a remarkably fine young interpreter of the role. Whether bold and brassy in her regimental song, or tender and pure in her solitary moments, she is absolutely on top of the role. She’s the star, just as the piece intends.”
Mark Pappenheim- The Daily Express “Sarah Rhodes not only pings out the coloratura with the best of them, but tugs at the heart strings too.”
David Blewitt- The Stage “Sarah Rhodes’ steely Lady Macbeth is the evening’s sensation, her acting airing on the side of economy, the singing quite simply superb, the vocal gamut tackled with a fearless security, all the runs in place, and with some sensitively phrased soft singing.”
Nick Kimberley- The Independent “The star though, as Verdi intended, is Lady Macbeth, a terrible vision of a distorted sexuality in Sarah Rhodes’ mesmerising portrayal.”
Rodney Milnes- The Times “Sarah Rhodes is simply fearless in her assault on runs, coloratura and top notes, and just as impressive in the quieter moments.”
John Higgins– The Guardian “Sarah Rhodes in the title role is a soprano with plenty of weight and depth, and had considerable success in colouring and shaping Vissi d’arte.”
David Blewitt- The Stage “Sarah Rhodes uses her voice with singular artistry phrasing with poise, floating lovely high notes, singing off words with insight.”
