Dame Felicity Joan Palmer,DBE (born 6 April 1944), is an Englishmezzo-soprano and music professor. She sangsoprano roles until 1983.
Palmer was born inCheltenham and educated at Erith Grammar School, now namedErith School. She studied at theGuildhall School of Music and Drama in London and underMarianne Schech's guidance at theMunich College for Music and Theatre. In April 1970, she won first prize in theKathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship. She made her operatic debut in 1971 as Dido inDido and Aeneas with the Kent Opera. In 1973, she made her US debut with theHouston Grand Opera and herMetropolitan Opera debut was in 2000 as Waltraute (Götterdämmerung).[1] Having made her debut withEnglish National Opera (ENO) in 1975, her performance with the company forty years later, as the Countess inThe Queen of Spades, was widely applauded and described as 'mesmerising' and 'astonishing'.[2][3]
Palmer has performed and recordedGilbert and Sullivan operas, as Katisha inThe Mikado for the ENO[4] and theWelsh National Opera (WNO), Dame Carruthers inThe Yeomen of the Guard (WNO) and Little Buttercup inH.M.S. Pinafore (WNO). In 1998, she played Widow Begbick in theLyric Opera of Chicago production ofThe Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. In 2003, she performed the role of Mrs Lovett inStephen Sondheim'sSweeney Todd at theRoyal Opera House (the only musical the ROH has ever presented).[5] She sang Venus in a 1983 BBC television broadcast ofOrphée aux Enfers conducted byAlexander Faris.[6]
Palmer is noted for her interpretation of the role of Madame de Croissy inPoulenc'sDialogues of the Carmelites, which she has sung at the Metropolitan Opera[7] and at theLyric Opera of Chicago's first ever production of the work. She also sang the role in English with the ENO and recorded it as part of the Chandos "Opera in English" series.[8] Her other commercial recordings includeDer fliegende Holländer[9] and 'Love's Old Sweet Song, Victorian and Edwardian Ballads', 1978, The Decca Recording Company:1997, L.P.;Belart, C.D., (a Polygram Company), 0 28946 14902 7:( John Constable on piano).
Her work in contemporary music has included the firstGlyndebourne production ofPéter Eötvös's operaLove and Other Demons, in the role of Josefa Miranda.[10]
Palmer is a professor at theRoyal College of Music in London. She was appointedCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1993 andDame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to music.[11][12]
She is a first cousin ofBarclay Palmer, Olympic athlete and humanities educator and reformer.[13]
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