Our Autumn concert has a Germanic theme. We open with Siegfried on his journey down the Rhine from Wagner’s epic Ring Cycle, recalling many of the iconic leitmotifs from the opera. We are delighted to welcome soprano Siân Dicker to join us for the lovely and elegiac Four Last Songs by Richard Strauss. The Emperor Waltz was written by the Waltz King, Johann Strauss II to celebrate the meeting of two Emperors – Franz Josef I of Austria and Wilhelm II of Germany, and brings us a stream of unforgettable melodies. Our programme ends with more Richard Strauss – the Rosenkavalier Suite, drawn from his ever-popular and joyful operatic evocation of 18th century Vienna, full of gorgeous tunes and lush orchestration.
‘Oozing characterful expression’ with ‘ample tones, gorgeously rich in the middle’ (Opera Today), soprano Siân Dicker is in demand for her rich, full-bodied voice and dramatic flair. A regular on the competition platform, Siân won the Singers Prize in the 2020 Royal Over-Seas League Annual Music Competition as well as the Oxford Lieder Young Artist Platform. Siân is a City Music Foundation Artist, a 2021/22 Britten Pears Young Artist and was listed in BBC Music Magazine’s ‘Rising Stars’ feature in February 2023. She was delighted to be awarded the Simon Sandbach Award by Garsington Opera for her contribution to their 2023 season and was awarded the 2023 Emmy Destinn Czech Song Prize.
Siân’s recent roles include Liza Queen of Spades (Garsington Opera, cover), Mirandolina La Locandiera (Bampton Classical Opera), Miss Jessel The Turn of the Screw (Waterperry Opera Festival), First Lady The Magic Flute (English National Opera, Cover), Mařenka The Bartered Bride (Garsington Opera, OperaFirst), Flaminia Fool Moon (Bampton Classical Opera), Contessa Le nozze di Figaro (Opera Holland Park Young Artist Production), Amaranta La fedeltà premiata (Guildhall Opera), Venus Venus and Adonis (Guildhall Opera) and Erste Dame Die Zauberflöte (Hurn Court Opera). Siân worked with the Royal Opera House on Lost and Found; a project of newly commissioned operas premiered in St Pancras Station in 2022 and subsequently joined ROH for a performance of new operas at the 2023 Wilderness Festival in Oxfordshire.
Siân enjoys regular song recitals with duo partner, Krystal Tunnicliffe, across Europe and the UK. The duo are delighted to have been joined by Saki Kato (guitar) to release their debut disc; William Walton – Complete Song Collection with Delphian Records in October 2024. Recent recital engagements include the International Lied Festival Zeist, Life Victoria Barcelona, Aldeburgh Festival, Ryedale Festival, Oxford Lieder Festival, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Ludlow English Song Weekend and BBC Radio 3’s In Tune. Siân is proud to have been named as President for Wiltshire-based community music charity, Wiltshire Rural Music. Siân is a proud community musician and workshop facilitator, regularly delivering workshops for Live Music Now, Britten Pears Arts, Crwban Care and Garsington Opera within schools, care homes, SEN settings and assisted living facilities. She has recently enjoyed delivering relaxed, interactive performances at both Aldeburgh and Ryedale Festivals.
For further information, please visit www.siandicker.com