Biography

Born in Sydney, Australian soprano Anita Watson graduated with honours from the Australian Opera Studio, after completing a Bachelor of Music from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. In 2005 Anita was the winner of The Australian Singing Competition's prestigious Marianne Mathy Scholarship, and Opera Foundation Australia's German Operatic Award, leading to a contract with Cologne Opera. Most recently Anita won first prize and the audience prize in the 2009 ARD International Music Competition in Munich. Other competition successes include 2nd prize in the 2007 Queen Sonja International Music Competition in Oslo, 4th prize in the 2007 Neue Stimmen Competition and 3rd prize in the 2009 Placido Domingo Operalia Competition. Anita was a member of the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden from 2007-9. Her roles included the title role in Donizetti's Rita, Flowergirl (Parsifal), First Lady (Die Zauberfloete), Voice from Heaven (Don Carlo), Naiad (Ariadne auf Naxos), Dew Fairy and Gretel (Hänsel and Gretel) and Second Woman (Dido and Aeneas). She also understudied Contessa Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) and MimÏ (La Bohme). For Cologne Opera, Anita performed the role of Barena in Janacek's Jenufa, the second Edelknabe in Lohengrin and die zweite adelige Waise in Der Rosenkavalier. Kindeoper included Das Opernschiff, Die Nachtigall, Die Heilige Ente, Des Kaiser's neue Kleider and Wagner's Die Feen. She also understudied the roles of Mimì (La Boheme), Der Waldvogel (Siegfried) and Ninette (L'amour des Trois Oranges) For the Australian Opera Studio Anita's roles included the title role in Handel's Xerxes, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Gretel, Sandmännchen and Taumännchen in Hänsel und Gretel, Ida in Die Fledermaus, Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare, Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia, Pedro in Don Quichotte, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Micaela in Carmen, and the role of Najade in Strauss's Ariadne Auf Naxos. At the International Vocal Arts Institute in Israel in 2006, Anita performed the role of Ann Putnam in Robert Ward's The Crucible. ABC Classic FM broadcast a solo recital of Anita Watson in 2006 and she was also heard on radio in the 2005 finals of The Australian Singing Competition. Her other ABC Classic FM broadcasts have included Cabaret Classique in 2004, and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in 2001. For BBC radio Anita has been heard in many live broadcasts including Parsifal, Don Carlo, Mavra and Hänsel und Gretel. In oratorio, Anita has been a soloist in Carmina Burana, African Sanctus, Rutter's Magnificat, Mozart's Requiem, Tippet's A Child of our Time, the Fauré Requiem, Mozart's Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Handel's Messiah, and Gounod's Redemption. She has presented many concert recitals in Australia and appeared in concert in the USA, Austria, Germany, Japan, Hungary, China, Finland, Israel and the UK. Most recently Anita performed Beethoven Symphony no. 9 with Antonio Pappano in Rome and Siena with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and Parasha in Stravinsky’s chamber opera Mavra with the CBSO.