London based Australian soprano Alexandra Oomens is a recently appointed Harewood Artist with English National Opera. She is a graduate of the Royal Academy Opera Programme at the Royal Academy of Music, and an alumna of the Georg Solti Accademia, where she worked with Maestro Alessandro Corbelli, Barbara Frittoli, and Sir Richard Bonynge.
In the upcoming ENO 2022-2023 season Alexandra will sing Elsie in Yeoman of the Guard, A lady in waiting in a concert version of Gloriana, and Frasquita in Carmen. Alexandra will also make her debut at The Grange Festival where she will be performing the roles of Amor in Orfeo and Second Woman in Dido and Aeneus.
At ENO last season she sang the roles of Josephine in HMS Pinafore and Pepik/The Woodpecker in The Cunning Little Vixen, while covering the title role in Vixen and also Despina in Cosi fan tutte. In addition, she sang Musetta in La Boheme for Nevill Holt Opera, and performances of Haydn’s Creation with the Australian Haydn Ensemble at the Canberra International Music Festival and Sydney City Recital Hall.
In 2021, Alexandra also performed the titular role of Dafne in Cavalli’s Gli amori d’Apollo e di Dafne with Pinchgut Opera in Australia. Earlier in the year Alexandra sang with L’Orchestre de Chamber de Geneve as Laurette in a televised semi-staged production of Bizet’s Le Docteur Miracle. Just prior to COVID-19 cancellations, she performed the role of Barbarina with Opera North in their production of The Marriage of Figaro.
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G&S Yeoman of the Guard (Elsie Maynard)
English National Opera, November 2022
“There is a standout performance from Alexandra Oomens as Elsie, the street entertainer who, although loved by Jack Point, becomes Fairfax’s wife and who delivers Elsie’s great showpiece, “Tis done, I am a bride” with a fervour that would not be out of place in Donizetti. Oomens is matched in intensity" – Michael Billington, The Guardian
"Alexandra Oomens wins all hearts (including Fairfax’s) as a bright-toned Elsie" – John Ellison, The Telegraph
“Alexandra Oomens (Elsie Maynard) as the romantic lead, supplies the most distinguished singing, with a bright, full tone; she’s also a touching, lively performer.” – Norman Lebrecht, Slipped Disc
"The most winning characterisation, both vocal and dramatic, comes from Alexandra Oomens in the role of Elsie, pert and clear as a bell, just as Gilbert and Sullivan would have wanted." – Nick Kimberly, Evening Standard
“Alexandra Oomens’ Elsie is a delight, she sings with great clarity of voice and truly with ease, making you wish Sullivan had thrown her a little more meat and been a bit more adventurous – she could certainly handle it." – Scott Wddell, Everything Theatre
"Alexandra Oomens particularly notable as a delightfully cheeky Elsie brimming with life and vocal strength" – Mark Ronan, The Article
Puccini, La Boheme (Musetta), ENO Concert Version (August 2022)
ENO, Fairfield Halls (August 2022)
“[…] Musetta, impressively performed by Alexandra Oomens. Her voice breathes personality, charm, and technique, all of them delightfully deployed in her Café Momus moment.” - Peter Reed, Colin’s Column
Puccini, La Boheme (Musetta), Nevill Holt Opera (June 2022)
Nevill Holt Opera (August 2022)
“He is expertly partnered by Alexandra Oomens’ Musetta, her high-flying soprano perfectly representing the character’s don’t-mess-with-me manner.”- George Hall, Opera Now Magazine
“[…] Musetta (Alexandra Oomens – a live wire with a voice of spun sugar).” – Richard Bratby, The Spectator
Haydn, Creation
Canberra International Music Festival / Australian Haydn Ensemble (April 2022)
“The undisputed vocal star of the evening was soprano Alexandra Oomens. (…) Oomens is a real star to watch for, engaging and glamorous on stage, equally at home in Janáček operatic roles and oratorio performances. Pitch-perfect, she has a clear and light, ringing tone, even in all registers.”
Vincent Plush, Limelight
“The three vocal soloists were superlative, dramatically adept and musically excellent. (…) Alexandra Oomens sang an engaging archangel Gabriel with a nimble coloratura, and silken legato through her range. The love duet between Adam (Ioelu) and Eve (Oomens) was pure flirtatious fun. Oomens’ ecstatic ornamentation portrayed an Eve breathily besotted with Adam who matched her sentiments with rapture and a twinkling eye.”
Shamistha de Soysa, Sounds like Sydney
“Soprano Alexandra Oomens was a delight with impeccable attack and intonation. For me a little bit of magic came when in Part III she explored some different tonal colours in O thou, for whom I am !”
Alan Holley, classik ON
“Of particular note was the final extended duet between Adam and Eve. In yet a more subtle example of tone painting, Haydn gives a distinctly folkish, and less operatic, character to the duets between Adam and Eve, than to those featuring the archangels. Yet Haydn embellishes simple phrases such as ‘fragrant bloom’ with sinuous melismas that traverse vast swathes of the soprano range in the space of a few seconds. This was precisely the sort of thing that Oomens seizes upon with a certain deftness, and never faltering to a screech (…).”
Aryan Mohseni, State of the Art
HMS Pinafore (Josephine) ENO 2021
English National Opera, HMS Pinafore (Josephine), 29 Oct - 11 Dec 2021
"Australian soprano Alexandra Oomens is especially impressive, singing with a new-found amplitude, ringing top notes in both her arias, and riding the chorus magnificently in the Act I finale. Not only that, her diction is immaculate. She’s not just feisty, she’s genuinely funny."
Clive Paget, The Limelight Magazine
"Musically it’s very fine [...] Thomas and Oomens are lovely in their duets and arias."
Tim Ashley, The Guardian
“Elgar Llŷr Thomas and Alexandra Oomens ooze charm and sweet lyricism”
The Times, Richard Morrison ****
“Alexandra Oomens is scintillating as Josephine”
Culture Whisperer, Claudia Pritchard ****
“Oomen’s numbers ‘Sorry Her Lot Who Loves Too Well’ and ‘The Hours Creep On Apace’ in particular show off her stunning voice, which fills and delights the gigantic auditorium”
Musical Theatre Review
“Young artists Elgan Llŷr Thomas (Ralph Rackstraw) and Alexandra Oomens (Josephine) sing the socks off the central love-story”
Alexandra Coghlan, The Independent ****
“The best music is for Josephine, with Alexandra Oomens a bright and impressive soprano whose powerful aria “A simple sailor” echoed Mozart’s Countess."
Nicholas Kenyon, The Telegraph
Cavalli The Loves of Apollo and Dafne (Dafne, Aurora)
Pinchgut Opera (May 2021)
Alexandra Oomens’ Dafne a shining young woman of fortitude and bright intelligence… Oomens doubles up spectacularly as the super-sexy Aurora, easily seducing Procris’s husband Cefalo… For Dafne, Oomens takes a firm, single-minded approach to the music up until Dafne’s melting end, and for Aurora her delectable soprano takes on all manner of seductive colours.
Deborah Jones, Limelight Magazine****
But it was the women who shone. Both Alexandra Oomens – the only cast member brought home from overseas for the show – as a scarlet Aurora and a green Dafne…
Jeremy Eccles, Bachtrack*****
Alexandra Oomens, as the licentious Aurora and the chaste Dafne, has a voice of untarnished smoothness with a joyous, youthful blush to the sound; her final note, poised at the top of a ladder after deciding to turn into a tree, had lingering beauty.
Peter McCallum, The Sydney Morning Herald****1/2
The young sopranos Alexandra Oomens and Stacey Alleaume gave the opera its heart and its most shining singing. Oomens made Dafne a woman of fortitude and bright intelligence while doubling spectacularly as the super-seductive Aurora
Deborah Jones, Opera Magazine
Mozart The Marriage of Figaro (Barbarina)
Opera North (February 2020)
Alexandra Oomens showed much promise as Barbarina.
Melanie Eskenazi, MusicOMH****
There are also standout performances from Heather Lowe as Cherubino and Alexandra Oomens who makes an all too brief but memorable appearance as Barbarina.
John Murphy, The Stage****
Alexandra Oomens was the peppy Barbarina.
Martin Dreyer, Opera Magazine
Barbarina, a cameo role played deliciously by newcomer, Alexandra Oomens.
Eve Luddington, On: Yorkshire Magazine
Mozart Don Giovanni (Zerlina), Clonter Opera Theatre
(July 2019)
Distinctive contributions from Alexandra Oomens's Zerlina…
Martin Dreyer, Opera Magazine
Alexandra Oomens' bewitched, fragrant, white-booted Zerlina and Jacobo Ochoa’s infuriated Masetto were pure joy, battling often, then touchingly making up.
Roderic Dunnett, Opera Now
Bach Easter Oratorio & Telemann, Die Donnerode, Pinchgut Opera
(April 2019)
Soprano Alexandra Oomens was outstanding… Her arias in both works were sheer delight, sung with lovely silvery tone, precise and well-articulated coloratura, smooth, even legato and emotional commitment. Her voice has considerable heft and can display a range of colours, pointing towards a successful career in opera, concert and recital.
Sandra Bowdler, Bachtrack
The longest single piece for the evening came with the ten minute or so aria for soprano, sung with serene poise and warm tone by young Australian star on the rise, Alexandra Oomens. Each repeat was another opportunity to enjoy her easy resonance.
Heather Leviston, Classic Melbourne
Alexandra Oomens’ “luminous” soprano… stood out, soaring above the voices of her colleagues. The first aria… gave space to Oomens’ voice, allowing us to hear the full range and beauty of her instrument… Her intonation alone was worthy of praise: each note, no matter how short, was impressively given its full due.
Alexandra Mathew, CutCommon
Soprano Alexandra Oomens was superb; soaring with her pure clear voice, ravishing and delicate yet also revealing steely strength.
Lynne Lancaster, Performing Arts Hub
Outstanding in the Bach, soprano Alexandra Oomens and flautist Melissa Farrow made a near-faultless pairing for the lengthy Seele, deine Spezerein aria: interpretive artistry of high quality.
Clive O'Connell, The Sydney Morning Herald
Tchaikovsky Iolanta & Ravel L'Enfant et les sortilèges (Princess, Bat)
Royal Academy Opera (March 2019)
Alexandra Oomens was a radiant and dramatically commanding Princess.
Claire Seymour, Opera Today
Special mention for soprano Alexandra Oomens as the Princess torn from her storybook (and dressed to look like Iolanta; a nice touch).
Stephen Pritchard, Bachtrack****
Alexandra Oomens' Concert Repertoire
| Bach | B Minor Mass |
|---|---|
| Mozart | Ch’io mi scordi di te? |
| Süssmayer | Das Namensfest |
| Telemann | Die Donner Ode |
| Vivaldi | Gloria |
Alexandra Oomens' Opera Repertoire
| Bizet | Le Docteur Miracle (Laurette) |
|---|---|
| Cavalli | Giasone (Isifile*/Alinda) |
| Dove | Flight (Tina) |
| Gretry | L’Amant Jaloux (Isabelle) |
| Handel | Semele (title) |
| Janáček | The Cunning Little Vixen (Vixen) |
| Monteverdi | L’incoronazione di Poppea (Damigella) |
| Mozart | Cosí fan tutte (Despina*) |
| Offenbach | Orphée aux enfers (Cupidon) |
| Purcell | Dido & Aeneas (Belinda/2nd Lady) |
| Ravel | L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (La Princesse/La Chauve-Souris) |
| Salieri | Der Rauchfangkehrer (Lisel) |
| *role studied/covered |
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