Biography
Born and raised in Tuscany, Victoria Armillotta is a British-Italian soprano who is quickly establishing herself as an in-demand soprano soloist. Since graduating with Distinction in her Master of Arts degree from the Royal Academy of Music last year, she has been cast in four significant soprano roles, nationally and internationally. She has a particular affinity for Verismo repertoire, drawn by the immediate visceral connection this music evokes. Victoria previously studied at the Royal Northern College of Music where she was awarded a First Class Honours Bachelor of Music degree. She is currently based in London.
In the Autumn Victoria will cover the role of Tatyana (Eugene Onegin) and sing in the chorus of Hampstead Garden Opera's upcoming production. Following this, she will make her role debut as Mimì (La bohème) in Kavála, Greece with Cosmopolis Festival. In August Victoria performed the role of Female Chorus - narrator (The rape of Lucretia) by Britten with British Youth Opera alongside Sinfonia Smith Square. She recently performed the role of Giorgetta (Il tabarro) by Puccini with Opera Cameratina, Dorset directed by Sir John Tomlinson and Susanna Stranders (ROH) after which she performed in a recital with the opera's cast and Sir John Tomlinson.
In the RAM opera scenes, Victoria performed the roles of Mimì (La bohème), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Suzel (L’amico Fritz) and Giulietta (I Capuleti e i Montecchi). Other operatic roles include Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) with the Berlin Opera Academy, Musetta (La bohème) with Leeds Youth Opera, Euridice (Orfeo ed Euridice) with Stella Maris Trio, Malice (The Pilgrim’s Progress) at the RNCM, Erster Knabe (Die Zauberflöte), Mabel (The Pirates of Penzance) and the title role of Patience with Somerset Opera. In the RNCM opera scenes, she performed Noémie (Cendrillon) and Serpina (La serva padrona). As a chorister, Victoria performed in Roméo et Juliette and Die Zauberflöte with Savonlinna Opera Festival, Suor Angelica, Cendrillon, and The Pilgrim’s Progress at the RNCM, in Aida with Ellen Kent Opera & Ballet International (Palace Theatre Manchester) and Tarka the Otter by Stephen McNeff with the Two Moors Festival under the baton of Nicholas Cleobury (Exeter Cathedral). Further chorus work in baroque operas includes Venus and Adonis and Acis and Galatea alongside eminent baritone Donald Maxwell.
Her concert highlights include appearing on German television as an operatic soloist in Fête de la Musique Berlin and recently performing Luonnotar Op.70 by Sibelius with Harrow Symphony Orchestra. Victoria has also premiered several contemporary works, three of which were part of her interdisciplinary project combining fine art and contemporary music A Sea Spell: Rossetti’s Sonnet and Painting Reimagined for voice and chamber ensemble. Also a passionate chamber musician, she performs with Stella Maris Trio around the UK. Together, they have performed many concert programmes in distinguished venues such as Blenheim Palace and Exeter Cathedral.
As an oratorio soloist, her repertoire includes First Lady in Handel’s Solomon, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Mozart's Mass in C, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Schubert’s Mass in G. As a chorister, she performed in Haydn’s Die Schöpfung at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms alongside the BBC Philharmonic under the baton of Omer Meir Wellber and in the Royal Academy Chorus in Mahler’s Third Symphony conducted by Semyon Bychkov at the Royal Festival Hall. She also performed Mahler’s Third Symphony and Second Symphony as well as Verdi's Requiem with the Philharmonia Chorus with whom she's a current member.
Over the years Victoria has attended summer schools such as the Berlin Opera Academy, British Youth Opera, Abingdon Summer School for Solo Singers, AIMS, and is an alumna of the Wales International Academy of Voice Saturday Academy where she studied with Patricia O’Neill. She has taken part in several masterclasses with international artists including Lisette Oropesa, Wolfgang Holzmair, Susan Bullock, Ailish Tynan and Donald Maxwell.
Furthermore, she is an accomplished linguist: she speaks English, Italian, French, Spanish and a little German. No linguistic challenge is too far-fetched for Victoria, as she has also sung in Czech, Russian, Ukrainian, Norwegian and Finnish!
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Her MA studies were generously supported by the Black Heart Foundation, the Winship Foundation, the de Laszlo Foundation and the Clemence Charitable Trust whom she is incredibly grateful to.
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In her spare time, Victoria can be found creating fine art and exploring the world of portraiture. Other interests include reading, animal welfare and going on long dog walks in nature.
