Hello!

The story - so far...

Marrianne studied Classics at Kings College London, graduating with a BA Hons first class degree after spending her final year at the University of Bologna on the Erasmus Programme. She went on to a successful marketing career, working in retail and the public sector. Then, one day in 2007 she had her first singing lesson and in 2008 sang solo for the first time at a master class with Ameral Gunson - and she was hooked!

Life changed - as life does - pretty quickly and dramatically with the loss of her mum and then caring for her dad between 2010 and 2013. 

In 2013 she sang in her first opera as chorus with Blackheath Halls Community Opera in Verdi's Macbeth.  Performing, singing Verdi and running around stage as a witch was a totally pivotal moment and seemed to ignite something in her: and so when she met Joy Mammen early in the following year in a masterclass, she was inspired to see whether she could actually use her voice professionally and auditioned for Trinity Laban Conservatoire - and she got in!  Joy said that maybe one day Marrianne would sing Lady Macbeth...

In 2015 she stepped away from  her marketing career.  She completed the Independent Study Programme Advanced and then undertook the Postgraduate Advanced Diploma with the generous support of the Eva Malpass scholarship and the Oppenheim John-Downes Trust. She passed the year with distinction and graduated in 2017. 

During her time at Conservatoire she performed in more operas with Blackheath Halls Community Opera, and in scenes with other postgrads. Then in 2018 she sang her first opera role with Opera in the Meantime, Rosina Sugarface, the Witch in Hansel and Gretel.  In 2019 she covered the roles of Maddalena in Andrea Chenier, and Madeleine Lidoine in Les Dialogues des Carmelites with Midsummer Opera.  She performed her first role with orchestra singing Donna Anna in Don Giovanni in Sicily at the Mediterannean Opera Studio and Festival in July 2019.  In December she sang both the Witch and debuted the role of Getrude, again with Opera in the Meantime.  2020 started with two Requiems and the opportunity to add oratorio roles to her CV, with the Verdi Requiem and the Brahm's Requiem both conducted by Peter Fender. 

And then Covid-19 took over the world and sadly all other projects were postponed or cancelled. But Marrianne carried on singing daily and learnt new repertoire and went back and revisited some older rep mostly by Strauss, Verdi and Wagner. As the arts world started to open again she performed oratorio again, fittingly, with the Brahm's Requiem in May 2021 and then in August 2021 she performed her first Verdi role as Abigaille in Nabucco.  She had been given second cover and got to go on when both singers ahead of her couldn't travel to the UK.  She decided it would be great to perform Abigaille again and set up a company to produce two concert performances in February 2022.  Uncovered Opera Company was established and she produced a further production in November 2022 of abridged versions of Der Rosenkavalier and Ariadne auf Naxos, singing the title role in the latter. Both of these shows provided performance and covering opportunities to over 50 singers.

​

Last year's highlights also include a workshop of the Four Last Songs with the BAFCO orchestra in St Barts Hospital in February 2022, a Petite Messe Solennelle and she had her concert debut with St Paul's Sinfonia in May 2022 and sang Chausson's Poeme de l'amour et de la mer. 

Marrianne applied to Greenwich Council for a grant called a Resilience Grant and she was awarded it: she decided to produce and perform in Macbeth... a dream come true for her - and this year in February and March 2023 she took 50 people into 4 performances of the epicness of that opera!  It received a huge amount of positive feedback and sold out 2 of the 4 performances!

​

Marrianne is exceptionally grateful to all the amazing people that she has crossed paths with on her adventures so far.  Her teacher and guide into dramatic repertoire since 2017 is Raymond Connell and she wants to thank him for bringing her on and making her laugh through all the difficulties a dramatic voice presents.  Onwards and upwards!

​