Natalya Romaniw

Welsh soprano Natalya Romaniw is one of Europe’s most promising young stars. Recent winner of the 2016 Critic’s Choice Award for Music, for her "big toned, generous, gut-wrenching performances" (Sunday Times) and her "glowing voice capable of astonishing power" (FT), she is often hailed by the British press as "the outstanding soprano of her generation" (Telegraph). Success of the 2020/21 season includes being awarded Young artist of the year at the Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2020 and Singer of the year at the Royal Philharmonic Society 2020 Awards. Recent and upcoming engagements include Alice Ford, Verdi Falstaff (The Grange Festival), Mimi, Puccini La Boheme (English National Opera's outdoor Drive & Live series), Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and her return to the English National Opera mainstage.

Highlights of the 2019/20 season included major role debuts as Cio Cio San in the acclaimed Minghella Madame Butterfly (English National Opera, Martyn Brabbins) and the title roles in Tosca and Iris with Scottish Opera. She made her first solo recital recording in collaboration with pianist Lada Valesova, featuring repertoire by Dvořák, Janáček, Novák and Rachmaninov which received resounding critical acclaim. Invitations to be rescheduled to future seasons include the title role in Rusalka for Garsington Opera.

Romaniw’s 2018/19 season included her house debut with English National Opera as Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohéme. She also recieved critial aclaim in her returns to Garsington Opera as Mařenka, in Smetana’s The Bartered Bride, and to Opera Holland Park as the title role in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta. On the concert stage, she gave the world premiere of Mark Anthony Turnage’s Testament with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Natalya received unanimous critical acclaim in 2016 for her portrayal of Tatyana in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin at Garsington Opera. She has since performed the role with the Welsh National Opera, and in Oliver Mears’s new production for Scottish Opera. Other notable engagements include her European debut as Suzel in L’amico Fritz for Den Jyske Opera, Lisa in Pique Dame with Opera Holland Park and National Theatre Brno, title role in Janacek’s Jenůfa with Grange Park Opera, and Beethoven Symphony No. 9 with the Hallé orchestra under the baton of Sir Mark Elder.

She is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she was awarded the prestigious Gold Medal in her final year. Since graduating Natalya has gone on to win many competitions including the Loveday Song Prize and the renowned Kathleen Ferrier Awards in 2012; she was a prize winner in the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition; the 2017 operatic nominee in The Times breakthrough category of the Southbank Sky Arts Awards, and a finalist for the Song Prize in Cardiff Singer of the World 2009. After graduating, Natalya joined the Houston Grand Opera Studio, where she debuted roles such as Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Micaela in Bizet’s Carmen and Krystina in Weinburg’s The Passenger. After finishing her time with Houston Grand Opera, she returned as a guest for her role debut as Ortlinde in Wagner’s Die Walküre.