Erika Mädi Jones
Artist Reviews
“Alison Kettlewell’s Venus and Erika Mädi Jones’s Elizabeth could not be more contrasted; the dark intensity of Venus’s opening phrases were one of the highlights of the performance, but the sheer musical and dramatic intensity with which the part of Elizabeth was delivered was, I suspect, one of the things most people will take away from this performance.”
“His Elisabeth, Erika Mädi Jones, provides a marvellously interesting portrait of troubled repression, musically as well as visually. Her brilliant “Dich, teure Halle” on her first appearance (superbly accompanied under conductor Anthony Negus) shows an excitability that can quickly turn to revulsion at all the troubadours’ talk of high-minded love. Even the suggestion that she give out the prizes sets her cowering. Is her unexplained death suicide?”
“Umso mehr begeistert die junge Erika Mädi Jones als frische, wortdeutliche Elisabeth, hell und klar in der Höhe, weich und präsent in allen Lagen.”
“Youngish singers make strong showings in principal roles. Elisabeth is sung with fervour by the impressive Erika Mädi Jones”
“Erika Mädi Jones’s Elisabeth […] was a very captivating performance and she sang with resplendent and intelligently nuanced tone throughout. I look forward to hearing her again.”
“Erika Mädi Jones plays Micaëla and Frasquita and captures the audience with her voice and great performance.”
“Two prettily-sung Maids from Milena Dobrzycka and Erika Madi Jones were nicely characterised.”
“there were nicely drawn turns from Milena Dobrzycka and Erika Madi Jones as a pair of Genet-like maids”
“The soprano solo “with ravished ears” was a revelation. Erika has a beautiful and powerful voice which she used with great confidence. In this and all her subsequent solos, she conveyed the emotions of the music and the words exceptionally well. She connected with her audience in a way not every soloist can.”
Biography
Soprano Erika Mädi Jones debuted to critical acclaim as Elisabeth Tannhäuser at Longborough Festival Opera in summer 2016 working with Anthony Negus. She sang Ellen Orford Peter Grimes in a project curated by Dartington International Music Festival with Sian Edwards at the baton in 2017. Other roles performed include Micaëla Carmen (Rogue Opera), Donna Anna Don Giovanni, (Moon-Little Theatre & Co Opera Co). Leonore Fidelio (Guildford Opera). Erika was a chorister at Glyndebourne Festival Opera in 2015.
Erika won the 2017 Dvořák Society for Czech and Slovak Music Prize at the Emmy Destinn Young Singers competition and highly commended in the finals of the 2015 UK Wagner Society singing competition. She was a semi-finalist in the 9. Internationale Wagnerstimmen Wettbewerb in Karlsruhe in 2018. She was a Les Azuriales young artist in 2015.
Together with pianist Panaretos Kyriatzidis she won the 2018 British Song Competition awarded by Roger Vignoles in his masterclass as part of the London Song Festival. The duo have been performing together since they met at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance where they won first prize in the Elisabeth Schumann Lieder Duo competition. The duo have performed in masterclasses with Ian Partridge CBE in the 2014 Oxford Lieder Festival, Thomas Quasthoff and Eugene Asti and have performed in venues such as St James’ Piccadilly, The Red House, Aldeburgh, and Blackheath Halls.
A Britten Pears Young Artist, Erika performed in the 2016 Aldeburgh Festival as part of the Thomas Quasthoff Brahms song course. Erika is and extremely passionate recitalist and sings a wide variety of song repertoire including well known works by Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, Strauss, Wagner, Britten, Debussy, Duparc and lesser known works by Berg, Korngold, Poldowski, Alma Mahler, Frank Bridge, Rebecca Clarke amongst others.
In concert Erika has performed orchestral works such as Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder and Ravel’s Shéhérazade and worked with conductors including Howard Williams, Diego Masson and Gerry Cornelius. Oratorio works performed include soprano soloist in Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Brahms’s Ein Deutsches Requiem.
Erika graduated from the Cardiff University Music School with honours before pursuing vocal studies at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Gaining Distinctions in both Masters of Music and Postgraduate Artist’s Diploma, her studies were supported by the Robinson Hearn Scholarship, Stopford Westminster Bursary, the Kathleen Roberts Scholarship, Trinity Laban Postgraduate and External courses bursary funds. Erika won second prize in the Roy Pleasance Competition whilst there and was a member of the 2013/14 Trinity Laban mentor scheme at English National Opera. She has had the pleasure of performing in masterclasses with such artists as Cheryl Studer, Susan Bullock, Rosalind Plowright OBE, Diana Montague and Ryland Davies.
Erika is extremely grateful to have been supported by Help Musicians UK, the Nicholas Boas Trust and the UK Wagner Society. She is a recipient of the Goodall scholarship from the UK Wagner Society, Friends in New York of TCM London Award/ Edgar TP Comley Certificate of Excellence.
A fluent German speaker, Erika currently lives in Worcestershire and studies with Alison Wells.
For Oratorio and Concert repertoire please scroll down:
| Beethoven | Missa Solemnis |
| Berg | Sieben Frühe Lieder |
| Brahms | Ein Deutsches Requiem |
| Handel | Alexander’s Feast |
| Messiah | |
| Ode to St Cecilia | |
| Mahler | Fünf Lieder nach Texten von Friedrich Rückert |
| Mendelssohn | Elijah |
| Montague. S | A dinner part for John Cage |
| Mozart | Mass in C K.317 ‘Coronation’ |
| Parry | Ode on the Nativity |
| Ravel | Schéhérazade |
| Rossini | Petite Messe Solennelle |
| Strauss | Vier Lezte Lieder |
| Opus 27 Lieder | |
| Verdi | Requiem |
| Wagner | Wesendonck Lieder |