Victoria Armillotta

Born in Tuscany, British-Italian soprano Victoria Armillotta is currently undertaking her Postgraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music under the tutelage of Nuccia Focile and Ingrid Surgenor. Her MA studies are generously supported by the Winship Foundation, the de Laszlo Foundation, the Clemence Charitable Trust as well as being a RAM bursary recipient. Victoria previously studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Nicholas Powell and Louise Winter where she was awarded a First Class Honours Bachelor of Music degree. Operatic roles include Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro) with the Berlin Opera Academy, Musetta (La Bohème) with Leeds Youth Opera, Euridice (Orfeo ed Euridice) with Stella Maris Trio, Erster Knabe (Die Zauberflöte), Mabel (The Pirates of Penzance) and the title role of Patience with Somerset Opera, Malice (The Pilgrim’s Progress) at the RNCM. In the conservatoire’s opera scenes, she performed Noémie (Cendrillon) and Serpina (La serva padrona). As a chorister, Victoria has performed in Suor Angelica, Cendrillon, and the Pilgrim’s Progress at the RNCM, in Aida with Ellen Kent Opera & Ballet International (Palace Theatre Manchester) and Tarka the otter by Stephen McNeff with the Two Moors Festival under the baton of Nicholas Cleobury (Exeter Cathedral). Further chorus work in baroque operas includes Venus and Adonis and Acis and Galatea alongside eminent baritone Donald Maxwell. Recent concert highlights include appearing on German television as an operatic soloist in Fête de la Musique Berlin and performing as a chorister in Haydn’s Die Schöpfung at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms alongside the BBC Philharmonic under the baton of Omer Meir Wellber. As an oratorio soloist, her repertoire includes First Lady (Solomon) with the Michael Haydn Orchestra as well as Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Schubert’s Mass in G. On the concert platform, she performs with her ensemble Stella Maris Trio around the UK. Together, they have performed many concert programmes in distinguished venues such as Blenheim Palace and Exeter Cathedral. During the pandemic, she collaborated online with instrumental musicians who share her passion for early music, forming the International Baroque Consort. While studying at the RNCM, Victoria premiered four compositions. Three as part of her interdisciplinary project combining fine art and contemporary music A Sea Spell: Rossetti’s Sonnet and Painting Reimagined for voice and chamber ensemble by composers Joshua Urben, José del Avellanal Carreño and Stathis Chomastas and Rachel Beckles Willson’s “Song for a new world” for solo voice, oud and string quartet. Her most recent premiere is a composition for voice, flute and santoor by Eliorah Goodman. Over the years Victoria has attended prestigious summer schools such as the Berlin Opera Academy, British Youth Opera, Abingdon Summer School for Solo Singers, AIMS, and is an alumnus of the Wales International Academy of Voice Saturday Academy where she studied with Patricia O’Neill. She has taken part in several masterclasses with international artists and directors including Lisette Oropesa, Donald Maxwell, Gail Pearson, Leah-Marian Jones, Richard Jackson, Steven Varcoe, Susan McCulloch, Henry Herford, Margaret Humphrey-Clarke, Carlos Aransay, Elaine Kidd, Julius Drake, James Baillieu, Anne Le Bozec, Catrin Johnsson and Rachel Fuller. Victoria is a dedicated musician who will deliver her best performance in a friendly manner, adapting to the event's requirements and is happy to either take repertoire requests or suggest pieces from her extensive repertoire collection.