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Lyric soprano, Madeleine Pierard excels in adventurous repertoire and is noted for her outstanding vocal dexterity. A native New Zealander, she studied in London at the Royal College of Music and the National Opera Studio, garnering numerous awards including the Lexus Song Quest, Lies Askonas and Royal Overseas League prizes, and was a Jette Parker Young Artist with The Royal Opera, Covent Garden. 

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For The Royal Opera, Madeleine has sung the roles of Contessa di Folleville (Il Viaggio a Reims), Musetta (La Boheme - London/Istanbul), Lisa (La Sonnambula), Berta (ll Barbiere di Siviglia), Sandmann (Hänsel und Gretel), Sacerdotessa (Aida), Noémie (Cendrillon), Wood Nymph (Rusalka) and Costanza in Haydn’s L’isola disabitata in Hobart, Tasmania. Also for The Royal Opera she has covered the roles of Violetta, Donna Anna, Kát'a (Kát'a Kabanová), Marfa (The Tsar’s Bride), Elettra (Idomeneo) and Leila (Les Pêcheurs de Perles). She featured in the BBC's landmark television series 'Maestro at the Opera' in association with The Royal Opera House, singing the roles of Rosalinde, Donna Anna and Musetta. Most recently in 2024, Madeleine covered the role of

 

Other roles include Lady Macbeth (Macbeth) with English Touring Opera, Violetta, Pat Nixon (Nixon in China), Miss Jessel (Turn of the Screw) and Musetta with New Zealand Opera; Anne Trulove (The Rake’s Progress) and Marzelline (Fidelio) with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, Musetta in Francesca Zambello’s La Boheme at the Royal Albert Hall, Louise (Louise), Elettra (Idomeneo) and Cecilio (Lucio Silla) for The Buxton Festival, Female Chorus (The Rape of Lucretia) under Muhai Tang and the Tianjin Symphony Orchestra in China, Woman (Erwartung) with Shadwell Opera and the title role of Régine in Rufus Wainwright’s Prima Donna

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Madeleine also recently made her Sydney Opera House debut singing Leonore in Beethoven's Fidelio in concert with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under Simone Young.

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Recent opera roles include Floria Tosca (Tosca) with Wellington Opera, Marie (Wozzeck) with Orchestra Wellington, Gerhilde (Die Walküre) under Simone Young with the Sydney SO, Empress Arianna in Legrenzi’s Giustino with Pinchgut Opera in Australia, and Leonore in Fidelio. Concert performances include a tour of Sibelius’ Luonnotar with the NZSO and the title role in Dido & Aeneas with Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.

 

In 2025, Madeleine sings Strauss' Four Last Songs in her house debut at Teatro dell' opera di Roma and in London with English National Ballet. Madeleine will also sing the role of Amelia (Un ballo di maschera) with Wellington Opera and a concert of scenes from Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk (Shostakovich) with Orchestra Wellington.

 

Biography
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