We are thrilled that this week mezzo soprano Katie Bray is representing England as a competitor in BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. This prestigious biennial competition has seen many successful past winners - including the famous baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky - and the most recent competition was won in 2017 by fellow Rayfield Allied mezzo Catriona Morison.
Katie will be competing against 19 other contestants from around the world, in both the Song Prize and Main Prize rounds. The winners of both prizes will be chosen by a panel of industry experts, including Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir David Pountney and Dame Felicity Lott.
Katie's Song Prize first round took place on Saturday 15 June and you can watch her fantastic performance here. She performed the following repertoire:
| Ich hab’in Penna einen Liebsten wohnen | Italienisches Liederbuch | Wolf |
| La chevelure | Trois chansons de Bilitis | Debussy |
| Song of the dry orange tree | Cut my shadow | Jonathan Dove |
| Mädchenwünsche | Op 9 HVIII No 4 | Loewe |
| Funeral Blues | Cabaret Songs | Britten |
Her Main Prize semi-final performance takes place on Tuesday 18 June and will be broadcast live on BBC TWO. Her repertoire includes:
| Non so più cosa son | Le nozze di Figaro | Mozart |
| What would Missus Herring say? | Albert Herring | Britten |
| Where shall I fly? | Hercules | Handel |
| Barbarasong | The Threepenny Opera | Weill |
