Around the Music Festival

British mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly was recently awarded the King’s Medal for Music. Connolly received the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 New Year’s Honors, the Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honors, and was elected an honorary member of the Royal Philharmonic Society in 2020.

Connolly is 60 years old and was born in Durham, northeast England. She studied piano and voice at the Royal College of Music in London, where she was trained by Gerald Martin Moore. She was a member of the BBC Singers and a chorus member of the Glyndebourne Festival before she made her first appearance at the Festival in 1994 singing the role of Annina in Richard Strauss’s “Der Rosenkavalier.

Her breakthrough came in 1998 when she sang the title role in Handel’s “Xerxes” at the English National Opera, directed by Nicholas Hytner. In 2006, she sang the role of Sesto in Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito” at English National Opera, directed by David McVicar, for which she was nominated for a Lawrence Olivier Award.

In 2009, she made headlines when she sang “Rule, Britannia! dressed as Admiral Nelson on the last night of the BBC Proms. She was known for her enthusiasm for the introduction of contemporary music, she is active internationally not only in opera, but also in concert.

The King’s Medal for Music (at its inception, the Queen’s Medal for Music) was established in 2005. One person is chosen each year, and the first recipient was Australian conductor Charles Mackerras. In the past, 17 people have been honored, including Bryn Terfel, Colin Davis, Thomas Allen, Oliver Knussen, and Nicola Benedetti.

Photo： BBC　/　Chris Christodoulou