Rebekah Coffey - Biography



	Biography

Rebekah was born in Newtownards, Northern Ireland, and studied at the Queens University Belfast graduating with a Bachelor of Music First Class Honours. Scholarships from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust Award and the Queens University Belfast enabled Rebekah to continue her studies at the Royal Northern College of Music where she graduated with a Postgraduate Vocal Diploma. Rebekah has been the recipient of many awards including the D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, the Lawlor Foundation, and the Lawrence Atwell Foundation. In December 2004 Rebekah was awarded the biennial Young Artist Platform Scheme. This joint award from the Arts Council Northern Ireland and the BBC has awarded Rebekah with a £5000 Study Bursary.

Since graduating from the RNCM Rebekah has been working in the field of opera. She has performed the role of Gretel in Hansel und Gretel (August 2003) and Despina in Cosi fan tutte for Stowe Opera. Rebekah has recreated the role of Flora for English Touring Opera (autumn tour 2003), Opera Theatre Company (February 2004) and Buxton Festival Opera (July 2004). She has sung the role of Peasblossom in a Midsummer Nights Dream, whilst covering the role of Susanna for English Touring Opera (Spring Tour 2004).

For Opera Theatre Company she has sung the role of Miss Catchall in the European premiere of Dagen Hagen’s nightmare cabaret opera Vera of Las Vegas (November 2004) and Amore and Valetto in Monteverdi's The Cornonation of Poppea (September 2005&2006).Rebekah has also sung the role of Marzelline in their site specific production of Beethoven's Fidelio at Kilmainham Jail and is currently singing the role of Gretel their winter tour of Hansel and Gretel.

Rebekah’s has an extensive oratorio repertoire includes Bach B Minor Mass, Beethoven Mass in C, Britten Hymn to St Cecilia, Bruckner Te Deum, Dvorák Te Deum, Fauré Requiem, Haydn; Creation, Nelson Mass, Handel Messiah, Mahler Symphony Number Four, Mendelssohn St Paul, Mozart Coronation Mass, Nielson Fynsk Forsar, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem. She has performed in the many prestigious venues including the Belfast Waterfront Hall, Sheldonian Theatre, Ripon and Durham Cathedrals, and the Bridgewater Hall where she sang the role of Cecila with the Halle Orchestra in a concert performance of Iolanthe under the baton the Carl Davies.

Concert performances include oratorio work with Durham Choral Society, Cleveland Choral Society, Oxford Harmonic Society and Cantores Olicanae.

Orchestral performances include the Berg's 7 Early Songs, and a concert performance of Fidelio and El Trujaman, in Falla's Master Peter’s Puppet Show with the Ulster orchestra.This concert will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in December. Rebekah has also performed Bach B minor Mass with the Manchester Camerata.

Rebekah will make her concert debut with RTE National Symphony Orchestra singing the roles of the Sandman and the Dew Fairy in a concert performance of Hansel and Gretel in December at the National Concert HAll Dublin. Rebekah will also make he debut with Lyric Opera singing the role of Pamina in Mozart's Der Zauberflote in 2008.