British young dramatic soprano Erika Mädi Jones debuted to critical acclaim as Elisabeth in Tannhäuser at Longborough Festival Opera in summer 2016. Winner of the 2017 Dvořák Society for Czech and Slovak Music Prize at the Emmy Destinn Young Singers competition and highly commended in the finals of the 2015 UK Wagner Society singing competition. She was awarded first prize in the 2013 Elisabeth Schumann Lieder Duo competition and second prize in the Roy Pleasance Competition that same year. Erika is supported by Help Musicians UK, and is the recipient of the Goodall scholarship from the UK Wagner Society, Friends in New York of TCM London Award/ Edgar TP Comley Certificate of Excellence. In 2015 she was a chorister at Glyndebourne Festival Opera and a Les Azuriales young artist. A Britten Pears Young Artist, Erika performed in the 2016 Aldeburgh Festival as part of the Thomas Quasthoff Brahms song course. She has had the pleasure of studying with Eugene Asti on his Brahms and Richard Strauss Projects at Trinity Laban, notably performing Strauss’s Opus 27 songs with pianist Clare Simmonds. Together with pianist Panaretos Kyriatzidis, she has performed a wide variety of German lieder from Hindemith to Korngold, Wolf to Berg and recently Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder. The duo were invited to sing in a masterclass with Ian Partridge CBE in the 2014 Oxford Lieder festival and a masterclass with Roger Vignoles in the 2013 London Song Festival.
In concert Erika has performed orchestral works such as Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder and Ravel’s Shéhérazade and worked with conductors including Howard Williams, Diego Masson and Gerry Cornelius. Opera credits include: Ellen Orford, Peter Grimes (Dartington International Music Festival), Donna Anna, Don Giovanni, (Moon-Little Theatre & Co Opera Co). Leonore, Fidelio (Guildford Opera), Helena, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (TL Opera Scenes). Die Marschallin, Der Rosenkavalier (TL Opera Scenes), 2 Magd, Daphne (with Opera at Home), 2nd Lady, Die Zauberflöte (in a workshop with Simon McBurney/ Complicite ahead of his new staging of Die Zauberflöte for De Nederlandse Oper), and Miss Jessell, The Turn of the Screw (TL Opera scenes)
Erika grew up locally and attended schools in South Shropshire. She read music at Cardiff University Music School, graduating in 2003 with honours before pursuing vocal studies at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. Gaining Distinctions in both Masters of Music and Postgraduate Artist’s Diploma, her studies were supported by the Robinson Hearn Scholarship, Stopford Westminster Bursary, theKathleen Roberts Scholarship, Trinity Laban Postgraduate and External courses bursary funds. Additionally, Erika was a member of the 2013/14 Trinity Laban mentor scheme at English National Opera.
She has had the pleasure of performing in masterclasses with such artists as Cheryl Studer, Susan Bullock, Rosalind Plowright OBE, Diana Montague, Ryland Davies, Susanna Stranders, Wendy Dawn Thompson, Ian Kennedy, Richard Jackson, Sarah Leonard, Martin Handley and Rodney Clarke. Erika is based in Worcestershire.
www.erikamadijones.com