Deborah Humble

Mezzo Soprano

British/Australian Mezzo-Soprano Deborah Humble gained a Bachelor of Music Performance from the University of Adelaide and a Masters Degree in Music Research from the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne before becoming a Young Artist at the Victoria State Opera. After further study in London and Paris, Deborah was appointed Principal Artist at Opera Australia in 2002. In 2004, she won the coveted Dame Joan Sutherland scholarship and, in 2005, she relocated to Germany and became Principal Mezzo-Soprano at the State Opera of Hamburg. After reaching the finals of the International Wagner Competition in Seattle, Deborah embarked upon a freelance career which has taken her all over the world.

Recognised internationally for her performances of Wagner and the dramatic mezzo repertoire, recent engagements include Erda in Das Rheingold and Siegfried with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Branngäne in Tristan and Isolde with the Mexico City Symphony, Amneris in Aida for Opera Australia, Alisa in Lucia di Lamermoor for the Teatro Mario del Monaco in Treviso, Erda in Siegfried for the Boston Symphony, Verdi’s Requiem at the Sage Concert Hall, UK, and for Orchestra Wellington, Mahler’s Symphony No 8  at the Esplanade Theatre in Singapore, Elgar’s The Kingdom for Melbourne Bach Choir, Erda in Das Rheingold and Waltraute in Die Götterdämmerung for Saffron Opera UK, Mary in The Flying Dutchman with Opera Lille, Mahler’s Symphony No 3 for Queensland Symphony, Klytamnestra in Strauss’ Elektra for Edinburgh Opera, and Victorian Opera, Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder for Orchestra Wellington, Messiah for New Zealand Symphony and Ring Cycles in Hamburg, Halle, Bari, Ludwigshafen and Melbourne.

In the 2022/23 season, Deborah sang the mezzo solos in Mahler’s Symphony No.2 with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by Simone Young and presented live on ABC TV. These performances of the Resurrection Symphony celebrated the reopening of the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. She received critical acclaim and a Green Room Award nomination for her performance of Klytamnestra (Elektra) for Victorian Opera and for Erda and Waltraute in three cycles of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen for Melbourne Opera conducted by Anthony Negus. She was mezzo soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No.3 for Queensland Youth Symphony, Rossini’s Petit Messe Solenelle with the Melbourne Symphony and Messiah with New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Later in 2023,she sings Waltraute and makes her role debut as Fricka in three complete cycles of The Ring for Opera Australia. She also sings Clairon in Strauss’ Capriccio conducted by Simone Young and Brigitta in Die tote Stadt in Auckland, New Zealand.

Her recordings include Clarissa in The Love for Three Oranges with Opera Australia (Chandos Records conducted by Richard Hickox), Erda, Schwertleite and 1st Norn in Der Ring des Nibelungen with the Hamburg State Opera (Oehms, conducted by Simone Young) and Erda in the Hong Kong Philharmonic’s Ring Cycle (Naxos, conducted by Jaap van Zweden). In 2021 she was included on the CD Marvellous Mezzo-Sopranos and Contraltos released by Naxos.