Biography
Hebe Hamilton is a British-Irish Mezzo-Soprano. Her teacher is Amanda Roocroft, with whom she has been studying since 2021. Between 2019 - 2021, Hebe completed her Masters in Vocal Studies and Opera at the Royal Northern College of Music, where she was a scholar supported by the Alice Orrell and A&N Kendall Award and the Headley Trust Award.
Hebe is honoured to have been a Bayreuther Festspiele Stipendiatin (Bayreuth Festival Scholarship holder) for the 2024 Wagner Festival. Earlier this year, Hebe performed as part of the Talent Chorus in Alexander Raskatov’s Animal Farm at the Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera) in February-March, and returned to Opera Holland Park for their special anniversary productions of Puccini’s Tosca and Edgar. Hebe has most recently performed as Die Knusperhexe (The Gingerbread Witch) in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel for Berlin Opernfest in September, where she was generously supported by the Lily Niblock Memorial Scholarship.
In 2023, Hebe performed in the world premiere performance of Animal Farm at Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam, which later won 'Best Opera World Premiere' at the 2023 International Opera Awards. Following her work in Amsterdam, Hebe sang with Opera Holland Park for their production of Ruddigore, and in September 2023 she performed in Stravinsky’s Les Noces with English National Ballet, as part of the 'Our Voices' triple bill at Sadler's Wells.
Between 2022-2024, Hebe studied at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where her roles and performances included the Old Woman / Book of Fate in Dove’s The Enchanted Pig for RBC Opera, and Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Laura (Iolanta), Cheshire Cat (Will Todd’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), Sally (A Hand of Bridge), and Lady Bertram (Dove’s Mansfield Park) for Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s Opera Scenes. Hebe has also performed as Mezzo soloist in Berio’s Folk Songs and Copland’s Emily Dickinson songs (selections) for the Conservatoire’s VoxBox concert series.
In 2022, Hebe performed in the Mezzo chorus and as a Villi dancer in the Margot la Rouge/Le Villi double bill and Mezzo chorus and cover Buttercupette in HMS Pinafore, both for Opera Holland Park’s summer season; and as Amastre in Händel’s Serse (Xerxes) with St John’s College Music Society in Cambridge.
Despite her Masters course at RNCM being severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hebe still performed as Aminta from Mozart’s Il Re Pastore in RNCM Opera Scenes and as ‘Hen’ in The Cunning Little Vixen for RNCM Opera in December 2020. Prior to the start of the pandemic, Hebe had the privilege of performing as the soloist in John Cage’s Litany of the Whale for the RNCM Chamber Music Festival, and also participated in residency weekends with Opera North in Leeds.
Hebe has been fortunate to perform in public and private masterclasses with Sonia Prina, Paul Farrington, Della Jones, Judith Haddon, Ron Morris, Richard Suart, Matteo Dalle Fratte, and Mary King.
Hebe was an undergraduate Choral Scholar at the University of Cambridge, where she sang with the Choirs of Trinity College and Queens’ College in various venues around the UK and the rest of the world. As a teenager, Hebe was an Alto in the Main Choir of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. During her time with NYCGB, she had the opportunity to perform at the BBC Proms three times, including Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony under the baton of Daniel Barenboim and Gustav Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony led by Gustavo Dudamel.
Hebe is a grateful recipient of The Lady Downe Award, and her training is generously supported by The Kathleen Trust, The Split Infinitive Trust, The Clemence Charitable Trust, and the Aspinwall Educational Trust.
This biography should not be reproduced without permission. Full CV and biography available upon request.