Olivia Cranwell

Elektra, Victorian Opera

 “Olivia Cranwell made a particularly excellent display of her gleaming and thrusting soprano as the Confidante.”

Paul Saler, Australian Arts Review September 15, 2022 

The Princess and the Pea, Victorian Opera

 “…Young soprano Olivia Cranwell was perfectly cast as the Princess, singing the role beautifully and maintaining an adorable presence on stage.”

Simon Parris, Man in Chair, March 26, 2017

“…Olivia Cranwell’s bright and burnished soprano was delightful, and she delivered her transformation to triumphant royal fiancée with excellent comedic timing”.

Alex Armstrong, Stage Whispers, March 2017

 

The Marriage of Figaro, Regional Tour, Opera Australia

“…Olivia Cranwell brings a polished presence and a lovely clear, pure soprano as the Countess. Lit in a chilly evening blue, Cranwell’s heartfelt performance of reflective aria “Where are they, the beautiful moments” is the most affecting moment of the evening”.

Simon Parris, Man in Chair, July 16, 2016

 

Victorian Opera, Gala Concert

“…and soloist Olivia Cranwell's vocal talents shone in Mascagni's Easter Hymn from Cavalleria Rusticana”.

Joel Carnegie, Herald Sun, February 2013

 

More Than Opera, The Ring.Animated

“...The musicians and singers all perform excellently, especially the dynamic Olivia Cranwell, a powerful soprano”.

Katherine Gale, The Hub, February 2012

Olivia Cranwell is a graduate of the Master of Music (Opera Performance) program, run by Victorian Opera in partnership with the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne. Prior to that, she completed her Bachelor of Music at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2009, and her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne in 2010. Olivia also attended the inaugural Lisa Gasteen Opera Summer School in 2011.

 

This year Olivia returns to Melbourne Opera in the roles of Helmwige and Third Norn (Wagner’s Ring Cycle in Bendigo), to Victorian Opera as Elettra (Idomeneo), and to Opera Australia as Mrs. Naidoo (Satyagraha), and as Sieglinde and Third Norn in their Brisbane season of Wagner’s Ring Cycle.

 

Olivia started 2020 by taking up her Vienna State Opera Award where she performed Ortlinde (Die Walküre) and covered the roles of Countess (The Marriage of Figaro), Kate Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Freia (Das Rheingold), 4th Maid (Elektra) Fräulein Andacht (Pünktchen und Anton) and Dritte Norn (Götterdämmerung).

 

Some of her more recent engagements include her long-awaited return to Victorian Opera in two productions: Brecht/Weill’s Happy End (Sister Jane) and Strauss’ Elektra (Vertraute and 4^th Maid), Helmwige in Die Walküre for Melbourne Opera, the roles of The Queen of Hearts/Contrary Mary/The Spider in the NSW schools tour of By the Light of the Moon; Queen/Lady/Papagena in The Magic Flute on tour; Ortlinde in Die Wälkure in The Melbourne Ring Cycle; Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg; Countess and Bridesmaid/Coro on the Regional Tour of The Marriage of Figaro and covering the role of Mimi in La Bohème, all for Opera Australia  She has also appeared in the City of Stonnington’s La Bohème as Mimi, where she previously sang the role of Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly and was featured as Princess in The Princess and the Pea, Mother in Hänsel und Gretel and at the Murray River International Music Festival in Mildura, for Victorian Opera.

 

Olivia made her operatic debut with Victorian Opera playing the role of Gossip in Angelique, and since then she has performed as soloist in the Gala Concerts and the Proms Concert Games of Love and Chance, as well as the roles of Rapunzel in Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods, Watkin Wombat/Rooster (The Magic Pudding), Celeste 1 & Waitress (Sunday in the Park with George), Puss (Puss in Boots), Queen Clementine (Sleeping Beauty), Clorinda (Cenerentola), soloist (Assembly), Robber Girl (Snow Queen) and God (Noye’s Fludde). Covered roles include Cherubino (The Marriage of Figaro), Sesto (Julius Caesar) and Popova (The Bear) all for Victorian Opera.

 

She was a guest soloist in a Gala Concert with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and a tour of Ring.Wagner.Animated with More Than Opera. She has also sung Carmen for In Good Company, Papagena in The Magic Flute with VCA Symphony Orchestra, Hansel and Mother/Witch/Sand Fairy for Opera Australia’s Schools Tour of Hansel and Gretel and covered the roles of Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly and Countess in The Marriage of Figaro for Opera Australia.

 

Olivia’s notable achievements include runner-up in the Herald Sun Aria 2017, and at the 2014 Italian Opera Foundation Awards, winner of the 2011 South Eastern Arts Festival Aria and semi-finalist in the IFAC Australian Singing Competition. Olivia was also recently awarded the Australian Opera Auditions Committee’s Opera Scholarship.

 

Olivia Cranwell is managed by Graham Pushee: graham@artsmanagement.com.au
February 2023
   This biography is for general information purposes only and not for publication.
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