Cambridge Youth Opera (CYO) is pleased to announce that British lyric soprano, Nadine Benjamin has joined the charity as its first patron.

Nadine made her Royal Opera House debut in 2020 as a soprano soloist, Glyndebourne Festival Opera debut in August 2021 and the role of  Mimì (La bohème) with ENO in February 2022. She will return to ENO for the role of Mother in the UK Premiere of Blue. 

Previously Nadine was an ENO Harewood Artist and she has performed with Scottish Opera, Birmingham Opera Company, Opera Holland Park and English Touring Opera. Nadine made her debut at the BBC Proms in 2019 as the soprano soloist in Vaughan Williams’ ‘Serenade to Music’.  She has performed with Britain’s Chineke! Orchestra as well as Warwickshire SO, Norfolk SO, West London Sinfonia and The Waynflete Singers.  Nadine has given numerous private recitals, most notably at the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj in Rome, and is known for her recitals at St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden.

Nadine was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2021 and is a Conscious Creative Artist who Sings Opera, Mentors Artists and Empowers Leaders. 

Speaking about becoming a Patron, Nadine Benjamin said: “I am delighted to be joining CYO at such an important time, as it looks forward to staging its first opera written by young people – The Little Black Cat.  I am really impressed by everything CYO has achieved and feel passionately about its overall mission to broaden the creative horizons of young people through opera. At a time when many schools are having to strip back classroom music lessons and when many young people are struggling with their mental health following the pandemic, open access to music, singing and collaborative performance is life-changing.”  

https://www.nadinebenjamin.com/

Photograph © Teresa Elwes