Biography
Job Title: Principal Lecturer
Courses Taught: BA (Hons) Music (Classical)
Specialisms: Classical Voice, Opera, Oratorio, Art Song, Voice classification
Mezzo-soprano Adriana Festeu is a versatile performer of opera, lieder and oratorio represented by Connaught Artists. She is also a voice teacher, lecturer and researcher.
Her operatic roles include Rosina Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Charlotte Werther at the Romanian National Opera in Cluj, the Komponist in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos in London for New Palace Opera and Royal Academy Opera, as well as Cenerentola, Calbo Maometto secondo, Megacle L’Olimpiade, Rustena La verità in cimento (all Garsington Opera, cover), Marianna Il signor Bruschino, Lucilla La scala di seta (British Youth Opera); Isolier Le Comte Ory (Opera South); Xerxes (Longborough Opera, cover); Endimione La Calisto, Komponist Ariadne auf Naxos (Royal Academy Opera); Fidalma Il matrimonio segreto, Marcellina Le nozze di Figaro, Zerlina Don Giovanni (Romanian National Opera); Candida Emilia di Liverpool (European Opera Centre).
As a recitalist and oratorio soloist, Adriana has performed in venues including St. Martin-in-the-Fields, King’s Place, Wilton’s Music Hall, Gloucester Cathedral, St. David’s Cathedral, Bridgewater Hall and Cité de la Musique (Paris). Her song cycle performances include Mahler Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen and Kindertotenlieder, Respighi Il tramonto, Enescu Sept chansons de Clément Marot, Dvořák Cigánske melódie and Korngold 5 Lieder, Op. 38. Adriana recorded Romanian art songs for the BBC Radio 3 dramatisation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and was invited back to record Greek songs for The Oresteia: The Libation Bearers and most recently The Mysteries of Udolpho.
Adriana trained at the Royal Academy of Music gaining her Masters with Distinction on the Opera Course. Subsequently she embarked on a performance-led PhD at the Academy, researching voice classification. She completed her thesis, Exploring Zwischenfach: Understanding Vocal Classification and Its Professional Significance in 2016. Since then, Adriana is continuing to present her research at various conferences. She is currently Head of Year and Lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music, where she was holds the title of Associate (ARAM). In 2010 Adriana co-founded Opera Prelude, a charity that delivers lecture-recitals and masterclasses at the Cadogan Hall and throughout the UK. Adriana is grateful to the AHRC, International Opera Awards and Opera Prelude for their support throughout her studies and career.
