About April Fredrick
April Fredrick is a London-based soprano and a frequent concert and opera soloist, and a champion of new work. She is an Associate Artist with the English Symphony Orchestra, a frequent soloist with the Nottingham Harmonic Choir, and a founding member and core member of Dei Gratia Baroque Ensemble.
Key Facts
The Journey So Far
The Shaping Years
I grew up in rural Wisconsin and began my musical training as a violinist in the Suzuki method, soaking up each opportunity to play and sing which came my way. I went on to earn a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at Northwestern College in Minnesota (now University of Northwestern – St Paul), where I studied voice with Catherine McCord-Larsen. My interest in literature led me to pursue secondary studies in English and Spanish, and this love of language permeates my performances.
During an MMus in Vocal Studies and a PhD in Performance Practice at the Royal Academy of Music, I was deeply shaped by singing regularly with the RAM Lyric Song Salon, fusing lively academic thought, research and experimentation with performance, giving me a foundation for being comfortable delivering informal, interactive verbal programme notes for audiences to bring the music to life in a different way.
During my MMus, I also had the opportunity to study under the musical coaching of Iain Ledingham, Dominic Wheeler, Ian Partridge, and Laurence Cummings and the acting direction of John Ramster and Will Kerley. I now study with Jacqueline Straubinger-Bremar.
I was the first singer to do a PhD at the Academy, focusing on the late songs of Ivor Gurney, whose life taught me that connection with others is the first priority of performance. During this time, I also was a RAM representative for the first Europäisches Liedforum in Berlin, appeared as part of the 2008 and 2011 Young Songmakers Almanac and was a semi-finalist in both the Kathleen Ferrier Awards and Wigmore Hall International Song Competition.
Who You Know
Much of my current career and web of musical acquaintances can be traced back to singing a Handel opera at the marvellous Piggotts Music Camp in 2008, where I met Richard Laing, a conductor and violinist who has championed me ever since. Through Richard I met Mark Bebbington (another early champion and mentor), through him Siva Oke, who took a risk on me as a Young Artist for SOMM Recordings, with whom I recorded my first three albums: a disc of American songs with Orchestra of the Swan, a disc of John Ireland songs with Mark, and the role of ‘Jane’ in John Joubert’s stunning opera Jane Eyre with the ESO in 2016.
Through OOTS I met the wonderful Kenneth Woods who went on to become the Artistic Director of the English Symphony Orchestra, with whom I’ve been an Associate Artist since 2015. Through Ken I met Adrian Partington, the wonderful conductor and musical director at Gloucester Cathedral who brought me in to sing Joubert’s English Requiem and Francis Pott’s unforgettable A Song on the End of the World for the Three Choirs Festival and to record Grace Williams’ monumental Missa Cambrensis with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. He also played a mean harmonium on the ESO’s Visions of Childhood disc, which I recorded with the ESO in 2020.
With OOTS, ESO, the Nottingham Harmonic Choir, and Dei Gratia Baroque, I’ve had the rare gift of long collaborations. It is rare for a solo singer to sing often with the same ensemble, and it has produced a depth and warmth of relationship which I believe shines through our music-making.
To date, I have appeared on 20 recordings, premiered over 20 new works, and sung with many of the finest orchestras in the UK. I have also sung show tunes and folk tunes in care homes, adjudicated song competitions at the Birmingham Conservatoire, learned the art of improvisation with ensemble Epiphany, led workshops on Shakespeare and music in Stratford-upon-Avon, and workshopped everything from Disney songs to Mozart arias with promising young singers.
A fuller version of April’s performance history is available on request, and her collaborators — past and present, each a treasure — are listed below.
Collaborators
Past and present — each is a treasure.
Longtime / Regular Collaborations
- English Symphony Orchestra
- Dei Gratia Baroque Ensemble
- Colorado MahlerFest Orchestra
- Orchestra of the Swan
- Nottingham Harmonic Choir
Professional Orchestras & Ensembles
- BBC National Orchestra of Wales
- Beethoven Orchestra for Humanity
- City of London Sinfonia
- Colorado MahlerFest Orchestra
- Dei Gratia Baroque Ensemble
- English Chamber Orchestra
- English Symphony Orchestra
- Harborough Collective
- Kent Sinfonia
- Music & Amicable Society
- Orchestra of the Swan
- Philharmonia Orchestra
- Riot Ensemble
- Royal Academy of Music Orchestra
- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Sinfonia Viva
- Southern Sinfonia
- Warsaw Philharmonic
Amateur Orchestras
- Abingdon District & Music Society
- Academy of St Thomas
- Blackburn Symphony Orchestra
- Bolton Symphony Orchestra
- Chester Philharmonic
- Kensington Chamber Orchestra
- Leamington Spa Orchestra
- Maidstone Symphony Orchestra
- Stockport Symphony Orchestra
- Surrey Mozart Players
- Trinity Orchestra
- West Forest Sinfonia
- Wrexham Symphony Orchestra
Festivals & Venue Collaborations
- Brighton Early Music Festival
- Colorado MahlerFest
- Elgar Festival
- Little Missenden Festival
- Newbury Festival
- Robert Graves Society
- St John’s Smith Square
- The Royal Concert Hall — Third Stage
- Three Choirs Festival
Opera
- Arcadia Opera
- Chelsea Opera Group
- Green Opera / Grimeborn Festival
- Gothic Opera
- Little Opera Company
- Opéra de Baugé
- Opera South
- SoundRanger Studios (at the Tête-à-Tête Festival)
- Woodhouse Opera
Choral Societies
- Bach Choir
- Cambridge Choral Society
- Ealing Choral Society
- Goldsmiths Choral Union
- Huntingdon Philharmonic
- Leicester Bach Choir
- Midlands Festival Chorus
- Nottingham Harmonic Society
- Oundle & District Choral Society
- Penzance Choral Society
- Radlett Choral Society
- Skipton Camerata
- Somerset Chamber Choir
- Wimbledon Choral Society
What I Can Offer
I am a dynamic soloist who connects deeply with both ensembles and audiences, but I am also happy to collaborate on promotional and educational content related to my performances.
Not everyone has had the same access to classical music, and I believe everyone should have the tools to navigate the terms, names and structures they’ll encounter as they explore, to decode the experience so they can get the most out of it.
I also believe that soloists can deliver a unique depth of insight and perspective on a work that can draw in new audiences and help existing ones engage in a fresh way. And I love curating programmes — tell me a theme and I can design a programme.
Concert & Opera Solo Performance
Soprano soloist for oratorio, song, opera, and contemporary/premiere programmes.
Programme Creation & Curation
Designing themed concert programmes around a chosen subject or occasion.
Promotional Videos
Promotional video content for concerts, ensembles, and events.
Explainer / Educational Videos
Accessible explainer and educational videos about works and repertoire.
Workshops
Workshops for students or adults on song, opera, and performance.
Masterclasses
Masterclasses for developing singers.
Pre-concert Talks
Informal, illuminating pre-concert talks to bring the music to life.
What Others Say
Reviews
‘a beautiful voice, shining and round, celestial on the high notes and rich on the low ones… creamy timbre and velvety strength’
‘A glorious variety of tone colours and effortless phrase shaping… her voice possesses a peculiarly lovely if risk-taking combination of clarity, strength and sorrow.’
‘not the slightest distance can be felt between her and the texts’
‘As Jane Eyre herself, April Fredrick did more than display a perfectly-formed voice, fearless in melisma, bright at the top and reflective in descent; she really did embody Charlotte Brontë’s heroine.’
‘terrific dramatic sense, reflected both visually and vocally… utterly riveting… passion and utter conviction… quite fabulous, variable voice, powerful and expressive right across the range’
‘April Fredrick brings her customary eloquence to bear’
‘April Fredrick assumes from end to end an overwhelming role with a palette that evolves from alto to coloratura soprano with supreme ease’
‘an evening pervaded by her radiant presence… Fredrick entered before the glorious third movement, and she was already in character, her facial expressions following the music as it moved through diverse tempi and moods… Fredrick was sublime.’
‘her voice emerges from the choir like a Phoenix rising’
‘April Fredrick’s contribution is of a piece with Woods’s conception in its canny mingling of innocence and experience prior to an ending of deep-seated repose… April Fredrick is truly in her element with a Rheinlegendchen of winning insouciance and a Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt of deftest irony.’
Collaborators
‘I just wanted to drop a thank you note over to you on behalf of myself and choir members for singing with us, and for your very moving performances in both the Mendelssohn and the Brahms. We have received amazing feedback from audience members on all component parts of the concert performance and the evening felt a very special one for us.’
‘The Four Last Songs you did with us in 2023 was possibly the best thing I can remember doing with SSO (and that is 25 years’ worth).’
Audience Feedback
‘I was present on Saturday at the performance of the Four Last Songs of Strauss. Possibly the best I’ve ever heard them done. I’ve heard you several times in Nottingham and always look forward to your singing, as I know I’ll hear a musician as well as a singer.’
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is April Fredrick?
April Fredrick is a London-based soprano and a frequent concert and opera soloist, hailed as ‘astonishing and luminous’ (Bachtrack). A champion of new work, she is an Associate Artist with the English Symphony Orchestra, a frequent soloist with the Nottingham Harmonic Choir, and a founding member of Dei Gratia Baroque Ensemble.
What repertoire does April Fredrick perform?
April performs across oratorio, song, and opera, on both the concert and opera stage. Recent programmes range from Brahms’s Requiem and Vaughan Williams’s Dona Nobis Pacem to Strauss Four Last Songs, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle, and world premieres such as Carl Rütti’s Panta Rhei. She is a particular champion of new and contemporary work.
How do I book April Fredrick for a performance?
Please get in touch via the contact form with your date, venue, programme, and ensemble. Fees and availability depend on the engagement, so do enquire with the details and April will respond. She performs across the UK and accepts selected international engagements.
Which orchestras and choirs does April Fredrick sing with?
April has long-standing collaborations with the English Symphony Orchestra, the Nottingham Harmonic Choir, Dei Gratia Baroque Ensemble, Orchestra of the Swan, and Colorado MahlerFest Orchestra, among many others. She has also appeared with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Philharmonia, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, and the Riot Ensemble.
Does April Fredrick perform contemporary and new music?
Yes. April is a dedicated champion of new work and has premiered over twenty new pieces on the concert and opera stage, including world premieres with ensembles such as the English Symphony Orchestra and the Nottingham Harmonic Choir. She enjoys introducing new and unfamiliar music to audiences.
Has April Fredrick made any recordings?
Yes — April has appeared on twenty commercial recordings to date, with ensembles including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, English Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Colorado MahlerFest Orchestra, and Riot Ensemble.
Does April Fredrick give workshops, masterclasses, or pre-concert talks?
Yes. Alongside performing, April offers programme creation and curation, promotional and explainer/educational videos, workshops for students or adults, masterclasses, and pre-concert talks. She loves making the riches of song and opera accessible to new audiences — please enquire via the contact form.
Have a question not answered here? Get in touch.