Role

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Performer

Period

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Romantic

Genre

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Opera

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Vocal

 

Agnes Nicholls was a renowned British soprano who was born on July 14, 1876, in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. She was the daughter of a music teacher and grew up in a musical family. Her father, William Nicholls, was a well-known organist and composer, and her mother, Mary Nicholls, was a singer. Agnes Nicholls began her musical training at an early age and showed great promise as a singer. She studied at the Royal College of Music in London, where she was a pupil of Alberto Randegger, a famous Italian conductor and composer. She also studied with the renowned soprano, Madame Marchesi, in Paris. Nicholls made her professional debut in 1894, at the age of 18, in a performance of Handel's Messiah at the Crystal Palace in London. She quickly gained a reputation as a talented soprano and was soon in demand for concerts and operatic performances throughout England. In 1907, Nicholls made her debut at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, in the role of Elsa in Wagner's Lohengrin. She received critical acclaim for her performance and was invited to perform in other major opera houses throughout Europe. Nicholls was known for her powerful and expressive voice, which was particularly suited to the works of Wagner and other German composers. She was also a skilled interpreter of English art songs and was a champion of the works of British composers such as Edward Elgar and Ralph Vaughan Williams. One of Nicholls' most famous performances was at the coronation of King George V in 1911. She sang the solo in Parry's anthem, I Was Glad, which was broadcast to millions of people around the world. This performance cemented Nicholls' reputation as one of the leading sopranos of her time. During World War I, Nicholls performed for troops on the front lines and raised money for war charities. She was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1918 for her services to music and charity. After the war, Nicholls continued to perform in concerts and operas throughout Europe and the United States. She was particularly popular in Germany, where she was known as "the English nightingale." In 1926, Nicholls retired from the stage and settled in Sussex, England. She continued to teach singing and was a mentor to many young singers, including the soprano Joan Hammond. Agnes Nicholls died on September 21, 1959, at the age of 83. She was remembered as one of the greatest sopranos of her time and a champion of British music. Her recordings, which include works by Wagner, Elgar, and Vaughan Williams, continue to be admired by music lovers around the world.

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