Catherine May

Equally at home on the stage, concert or recital platform, Catherine May is known for her versatility, flexibility of range,  and for the warmth of expression and brilliant tone of her soprano voice.

She shares her passion for expressive singing, vocal health and technical development with students in her teaching studio in Essex, U.K. 

Catherine May began her vocal studies in Canada, and continued in the U.K. at the Royal Northern College of Music, supported by the Peter Moores Foundation, and in the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme. Her operatic engagements include roles and covers with English National Opera, MidWales Opera, Scottish Opera on tour, English Touring Opera, Garsington Opera and Diva Opera. She is an alumnus of British Youth Opera.

Catherine’s stage work includes appearances in the Almeida Theatre’s sold-out run of Bakkhai, and As You Like It for the National Theatre, in both singing the music of Orlando Gough. A keen performer of new works, she worked in the ROH Covent Garden’s VOX programme for composers, and appeared in several seasons of their popular Exposure new opera cabaret.

As a concert soloist, she has appeared with the RLPO, the English Symphony Orchestra, the Norwich Philharmonic Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the Academy of St Thomas, the Aldeburgh Festival Orchestra, and in recital at the Wigmore Hall with Graham Johnson.   Her recordings include Gliere’s Concerto for Coloratura Soprano with the Academy of St Thomas and Christopher Adey, conductor.

Catherine is also a keen chamber musician. Recent collaborations include concerts with guitarists Andrew Allen and Tim Pells, and as a member of Triptych, with pianist Christopher Weston and saxophonist and composer Jeffery Wilson. 

Catherine lives in Essex, where she has also has teaching practice, in her private studio and at both Felsted and the Royal Hospital Schools.