Ilona Domnich

Identified by Opera Now as one of the 'new generation of sopranos destined to have impressive careers', an Artist of the Month in Opera Magazine, and on the Telegraph’s list of 'best British-based talent ', Ilona Domnich is a lyric soprano of growing distinction. She has taken leading roles with English National Opera (Rosina in The Barber of Seville), Grange Park Opera (Tatyana in Onegin), English Touring Opera (Pamina in The Magic Flute, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Mimi in La bohème, all three Heroines in Tales of Hoffmann and Glaiche in Medea).

Her festival appearances include Aldeburgh, Ryedale, Menton, Jersey, Buxton, Anghiari, Mallorca, Tenerife. Recent concert highlights include recitals with the renowned Australian pianist Angela Hewitt; Sheherazade with the St Petersburg Philharmonic; Viennese Galas with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Hallé and Brighton Symphony Orchestra; Mystic Trumpeter by Holst with BBC Concert Orchestra; as well as appearances on BBC Radio 4’s 'Woman's Hour' and a live BBC Radio 3 broadcast for International Women's Day with the BBC Concert Orchestra’s premiere of songs by Müller-Hermann and Martinez.

Born in St. Petersburg, Ilona studied piano before being spotted by the legendary singing teacher Vera Rosza, who brought her to London on a vocal scholarship at the Royal College of Music. Since then she has developed close relationships with the Southbank Sinfonia (Brahms Requiem, Mendelssohn Lobgesang, Gilda in Rigoletto, Tatiana in Onegin), the Orchestra of St John’s and John Lubbock, and the Oxford Lieder Festival (recitals with Sholto Kynoch).

Her recordings include an opera CD, Surrender, with the baritone Leo Nucci on Signum, Vaughan Williams' film score for Scott of the Antarctic with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Le secret with Quartz, Schostakovich CD with Braga records and Faure CD with the Orchestra of St John’s.

Coming up, she has a War Requiem with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Coventry Cathedral, concerts at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall and the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Martin Yates, recitals with Alexander Melnikov, Benjamin Frith and the Gould Piano Trio, Weinberg song series at Wigmore Hall, Schubert’s Stabat and Brahms’ Requiem, and a tour of her own one-woman cabaret show based on songs by Marlene Dietrich, Jacques Brell and Edith Piaf.

Ilona has been preparing new opera roles concentrating on bel canto repertoire with the late Montserrat Caballé.

Les heures musicales d’Aujols 2019