South Australian born mezzo soprano Fiona McArdle made her professional debut in 2017 as La Ciesca in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi with the State Opera of South Australia. With the company she then went on to play Magdelena in Wagner’s Der Meistersinger von Nürnberg (2018), and also appeared as the second saleswoman in de Falla’s La Vida Breve (2017). Fiona covered the roles of Siebel and Martha in the State Opera’s 2015 production of Faust.  

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Fiona was a member of the James and Diana Ramsay Young and Emerging Artist Program at the State Opera of South Australia from 2014 to 2015. Fiona looks forward to returning to the Festival Theatre in April 2022 with the State Opera company to play the role of Miss Jessel in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw. 

Fiona completed her Master of Music at the New England Conservatory, Boston, USA, in 2018 where she studied under acclaimed dramatic soprano Jane Eaglen. Within the New England Conservatory Fiona’s role highlights include Frantik, Crvek and Kohout (Cunning Little Vixen), Xiao Qing (Gilgamesh) and Véronique (Doctor Miracle). During her time in the USA Fiona worked with Pittsburgh Festival Opera, playing Mistress Zimmerlein in The Silent Woman, and she was part of the premiere performances of Symphony New Hampshire and Lexington Symphony’s The Essential Ring Part I and Part II as Flosshilde and First Norn.

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From Boston, Fiona moved to London, UK in late 2018, where for two years she pursued multiple career pathways. During this time in London, she made her lyric soprano debut in the role of Mimì (La Bohéme) with Hampstead Gardens Opera (2019). 

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Fiona’s past performing experience also includes touring regional Australia with South Australian company Co-Opera: Opera on the Move. With the company she appeared as La Zia Principessa (Suor Angelica), Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), and Dorabella (Così fan tutte).

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Fiona has a passion for the recital stage and has performed in concert with Graham Johnson and Malcolm Martineau. Since returning to Adelaide from London, Fiona has performed Schubert’s Mignon with Bronzewing String Quartet in the Fringe Festival, and Josh Van Konkelenberg’s Daphne at Ukaria as part of the Adelaide Hills Winter Music Festival. 

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Fiona was awarded a Recitals Australia Award for her recital in the Spring 2014 Lunch Hour Series. In 2015 Fiona presented the Biennial Lieder recital for new music specialists, Soundstream Collective, premiering a work by South Australian composer Dan Thorpe. She also performed as part of the Liederabend recital series in Boston. 

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As Fiona was completing her Bachelor of Music with Honours from the Elder Conservatoirum (South Australia) in 2014, she was awarded the prestigious Beta Sigma Phi South Australia Classical Music Award as well as the George Boland Scholarship and the Elder Overseas Scholarship. She is a recipient of the Kinnon Award from the Bel Canto Awards, and in 2017 Fiona was a finalist and winner of an Encouragement Award in the German-Australian Opera Grant. She was also awarded a special Australian International Opera Awards Study Award in Melbourne.