Katherine Wiles

Soprano

New Zealand-born Katherine Wiles currently lives in Sydney, Australia after being based in the UK where she studied with Patricia Hay. She holds an F.T.C.L. Voice from Trinity College, London, England, a Masters in Opera from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and a Bachelor of Music (First Class Honours) from Auckland University, New Zealand. From 1996-1999 Katherine was a Young Artist and Chorus Member of New Zealand Opera. Katherine has been a full time member of the Opera Australia Chorus since 2007.

In 2016/2017 Katherine performed the roles of Lady Boxington/Ensemble in the Opera Australia/John Frost 60th Anniversary Production of My Fair Lady directed by Dame Julie Andrews, touring Australia.

Other roles with Opera Australia include Valencienne (The Merry Widow), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni – Oz Opera Australian Tour), Giannetta (The Elixir of Love), Cupid (Orpheus in the Underworld), Papagena (The Magic Flute), Annina (La Traviata), Kate Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Mrs Nordstrom (A Little Night Music), Spirit (Cinderella), First Bridesmaid (The Marriage of Figaro), Handmaiden (Turandot) and Madrigal Singer (Manon Lescaut).

For Opera Australia, Katherine has covered the roles of Betty Joy (Bliss – Opera Australia at The Edinburgh Festival), Valencienne (The Merry Widow), Eurydice (Orpheus in the Underworld), Despina (Cosi fan tutte), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Frasquita (Carmen), Giannetta (The Elixir of Love), Hero (The Love of the Nightingale), Oscar (A Masked Ball), Ortlinde (Die Walküre – The Ring Cycle), Papagena (The Magic Flute), Annina (La Traviata), Italian Singer (Capriccio), Kate Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) and Madrigal Singer (Manon Lescaut).

Other operatic roles include Giannetta/Adina cover (The Elixir of Love – New Zealand International Arts Festival/New Zealand Opera); Adina (The Elixir of Love – Grange Park Opera/Pimlico Opera UK Tour, State Opera of South Australia), Susanna (The Marriage of Figaro – London Opera Players, UK); Despina (Cosi fan tutte), Rosina (The Barber of Seville), Elvira (The Italian Girl in Algiers), Barbarina/Susanna cover (The Marriage of Figaro – New Zealand Opera); Rosina (The Barber of Seville – Swansea City Opera, UK); Adele (Die Fledermaus – Sevenoaks Philharmonic, UK); Olympia (The Tales of Hoffmann – Guildford Opera, UK); Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), Parasha (Mavra), Satirino (La Calisto), Lucy Brown (Die Dreigroschenoper), Lucia cover (The Rape of Lucretia – The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland); Despina study cover (Scottish Opera) and Eurydice (Orpheus & Eurydice – Auckland Opera, NZ).

Notable solo engagements have included Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mark Wigglesworth, and Handel’s Messiah for Sydney Philharmonia Choirs – Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House; High Tea concerts at Bennelong Restaurant; Guest Soloist on board the Royal Yacht Britannia for an Opera Australia/Edinburgh Festival Event; recital at Villa Petrolo, Tuscany, Italy; An Evening with Dame Malvina Major – Museum van Loon, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; A Musical Evening with Mr Sherrill Milnes in association with Opera Ireland and a series of concerts with Opus Orchestra on tour throughout New Zealand.

Katherine’s solo oratorio repertoire includes Bach – Kantate No. 196 (St. James’ Piccadilly, London), Magnificat & Mass in B Minor (Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall), St. John Passion (Santa Maria del Mar Basilica, Barcelona, Spain), St. Luke Passion (Bach Musica, Holy Trinity Cathedral, NZ); Beethoven – Mass in C (Dumfries Choral Society, Scotland); Handel – Messiah (Christchurch City Choir, Auckland Choral Society, NZ and Ayr Choral Society, UK); Dixit Dominus (Daventry Choral Society & Dumfries Choral Society, UK); Haydn’s – Harmonie Messe (Watford Philharmonic Society, Colosseum, UK); Mariazeller Messe (Lloyd’s Choir, St. James’ Piccadilly, London); Mozart – Requiem (Auckland Choral Society, NZ), Vesperae solemnes de Confessore (Watford Philharmonic Society, Colosseum, UK); Poulenc – Gloria (Hamilton Civic Choir, NZ); Rossini – Messe Solennele (Auckland Choral Society, NZ); Vivaldi – Gloria (Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall).

Katherine is the Australian Ambassador and a National Adjudicator for the Dame Malvina Major Foundation, New Zealand. Her memoir ‘No Autographs, Please! – A backstage pass to life in an opera chorus’ was published last year by Echo Publishing, Australia/Bonnier Books, London, UK, and is available to purchase though all leading bookshops, or online through Amazon in eBook and paperback format.