Belgian soprano Sophie Junker
studied at the IMEP (Institut Supérieur de Musique et de Pédagogie) in Namur,
and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Sophie is a Samling
Scholar and winner of the first prize in the 2010 London Handel Competition and
the 2012 International Cesti Competition.<<cut>>
Sophie’s operatic repertoire includes Susanna Le Nozze di Figaro, Olympia Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Marzelline Fidelio, Serpetta La Finta Giardiniera, Despina Cosi fan tutte, Atalanta Xerxes, Adina L’Elisir d’Amore, Zdenka Arabella and Sophie Wertherin scenes, she has also sung the role of Maria in Bernstein’s West Side Storyunder the conductor David Miller. In her final year at the Guildhall she sang the role of Constance in Dialogues des Carmélitesand the title role in Donizetti’s Rita.
Operatic roles include Israelite Woman in Handel’s Estherwith Laurence Cummings at the Göttingen Festival, the cover of Almirena Rinaldofor the Glyndebourne Festival, Amour in Orphée et Eurydiceand Constance Dialogues des Carmélitesboth with Nantes/Angers Opera, Italian Woman in Charpentier’s Médéefor English National Opera, Belinda Dido and Aeneasfor the Innsbruck Early Music Festival, Wanda La Grande Duchesse de Gérolsteinat Opéra National de Wallonie, Liège, Amour Orphée et Eurydicein Moscow, Proserpine La Déscente d’Orphée aux enfersat the Wigmore Hall with Christian Curnyn, Caio Ottone in Villain Copenhagen and Euridice in Rameau’s La déscente d’Orphée aux Enfersin Holland with Lionel Meunier.
Concert engagements have included Mozart Coronation Mass, Handel Chandos Anthemsand Pergolesi Stabat Mater, as well both Schumann and Schubert Recitals at the Oxford Lieder Festival. Sophie has also appeared at King’s College Chapel, Cambridge in a programme of Bach Cantatas and sang both Handel and Scarlatti Cantatas at the Innsbruck Festival.
Sophie’s discography include a recording of Charpentier and Carissimi with La Nuova Musica for Harmonia Mundi, Handel’s Estherwith Laurence Cummings at the Göttingen Festival and Bach’s Secular Cantataswith Bach Collegium Japan under Masaaki Suzuki (BIS).
Engagements in season 2015/16 include Castor et Polluxwith Christian Curnyn in London, Drusilla/Virtu L’incoronazione di Poppeaand Melanto/Fortunall Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patriaboth with the Academy of Ancient Music under Richard Egarr at the Barbican Centre, in London and Bucharest, a recital at Oxford Lieder with pianist Deirdre Brenner,Cendrillonby Pauline Viardot at Liège Opera, concerts in Denmark with Concerto Copenhagen,St Matthew Passionwith McCreesh in Switzerland, her return to Opera Lafayette to perform Cleis in Martini’s Saphoand Hélène in Chabrier’s L’éducation manquéein New York and Washington.