Anna Dowsley has established herself as one of the most exciting mezzo-sopranos to emerge from Australia in recent years.  She has performed many leading roles with Opera Australia, has sung with major Australian orchestras and festivals around the country and in recent years has relocated to Germany to embark upon her European career.

But first, to go back to the beginning…

Anna’s invitation into Opera Australia’s Young Artist Program marked her debut at the Sydney Opera House in January 2014, performing the role of Zaida (Il Turco in Italia) to critical acclaim; this debut also awarded Anna a prestigious Green Room Award nomination. During her first few months as a Young Artist, Anna was also thrilled to observe Kasper Holten’s rehearsals of his Eugene Onegin production, while covering the role of Olga.  During the winter season she was on the road with the OA’s Regional Tour of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, performing the role of Papagena to twenty-six towns and theatres around Australia.

In 2015, while completing her final year in Opera Australia’s Young Artist Program, Anna made other important role debuts including Siebel and Tebaldo while also appearing in the popular Great Opera Hits summer concert series, Sydney Festival’s Opera in the Domain and Melbourne’s Mazda Opera in the Bowl.

Prior to her young artist position with Opera Australia, Anna was the recipient of a number of prestigious Australian vocal prizes and scholarships, including the 2012 Lady Fairfax New York Scholarship (Opera Foundation Australia) and the 2012 Marianne Mathy Scholarship (Australian Singing Competition). With the support of these scholarships, Anna travelled abroad in 2013 to pursue private studies in the United States and Europe. Highlights included participating in the International Vocal Arts Institute opera program in Virginia, the Siena Music Festival in Tuscany and a personal invitation from the legendary soprano Renata Scotto to participate in her Opera Studio at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. This private study came at the end of her seven years of tuition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, while completing a Bachelor of Music (Performance) and an Advanced Diploma of Opera. Anna is eternally grateful for all her years of tuition at the beginning of her singing life, as well as the generous donors of such supportive and significant scholarships.

Anna went on to become a Principal Artist with Opera Australia from 2016-2019. A highlight during this time was working twice with the acclaimed and eminent stage director Sir David McVicar, performing the roles of Cherubino and Dorabella in his new productions of Le Nozze di Figaro and Così fan tutte at the Sydney Opera House. In 2016 she made her role debut as Rosina in Opera Australia’s mainstage production of Il barbiere di Siviglia, under the baton of Andrea Molino, alongside Italian baritone Paolo Bordogna and American tenor Kenneth Tarver. 

For the 2017 Opera Australia season, Anna appeared in recital with her partner Jonathan Abernethy in Sydney, and also performed in concert performances of Parsifal (Flower Maiden and Squire), staring Jonas Kaufmann.

She made her New Zealand Opera debut in 2017, performing the role of Pitti-Sing in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado. Anna also made her Lucretia debut (Britten's The Rape of Lucretia) in August 2017, working again with Sydney Chamber Opera and acclaimed stage director Kip Williams. Anna performed for the first time with Sydney Symphony Orchestra for their 2017 season (Pelléas at Mélisande under the baton of Charles Dutoit).

In 2017. Anna also made her United Kingdom debut with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, performing Meg Page in a semi-staged production of Falstaff. She was particularly delighted to sing alongside singing royalty, Sir Bryn Terfel, performing one of his Verdi signature roles.

For the 2018 Opera Australia season, Anna appeared as Garcias in their production of Don Quichotte, starring acclaimed bass Ferruccio Furlanetto, debuted the role of Flora (La Traviata) alongside Nicole Car's Violetta debut and returned to the role of Zaida (Il Turco in Italia) at the Sydney Opera House. Also in 2018, Anna performed again with Sydney Symphony Orchestra (Beethoven's Mass in C, conducted by Masaaki Suzuki), and performed with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra for the first time (Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, conducted by Nicholas Carter). She was also delighted to return to the role of Lucretia for Sydney Chamber Opera and Victorian Opera's co-production of The Rape of Lucretia, performed at the Dark Mofo festival in Hobart, Australia (conducted by Jack Symonds and directed by Kip Williams).

In 2019 for Opera Australia, Anna reprised some of her favourite roles (Cherubino, Dorabella, Siebel), again performed alongside Jonas Kaufmann (in a concert version of Andrea Chénier) and debuted the role of Smeton in a new production of Donizetti’s Anna Bolena. She also made her debut with Pinchgut Opera Company in a Bach and Telemann concert, sang in Sydney Philharmonia Choir’s performance of Bach’s Magnificat and Mozart’s Great Mass, and appeared in Tasmania’s state-wide Arts Festival “Ten Days on the Island” with Van Diemen’s Band. In early 2020, Anna made her Zerlina role debut (Don Giovanni), completing her involvement in the Sir David McVicar Mozart/Da Ponte Opera Australia trilogy.

Anna travelled to Germany in late 2015 to compete as one of forty-two selected international finalists in the prestigious singing competition Neue Stimmen, and returned in October last year to participate in their Masterclass program. She was invited to participate as a 2017 Britten-Pears Young Artist in a week long Strauss Masterclass with Angelika Kirchschlager and Malcolm Martineau. She also worked intensively with Malcolm Martineau at his 2018 Crear Art Song Masterclass program in Scotland. Anna returned to Aldeburgh as a 2018 Britten Pears young artist for the Hugo Wolf Lieder masterclass led by Roger Vignoles and travelled to Oxford in October 2018 to participate in the prestigious Oxford Lieder Festival Mastercourse.

In November 2019, further into her professional career, Anna was the chosen recipient of the Youth Music Foundation Australian Opera Award. Earlier that same year, she received Third Prize in the Concours International de Chant de Toulouse.

Frequently appearing as guest soloist with Australian choirs and orchestras, Anna has extensive experience of oratorio repertoire including Verdi’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle and Mendelssohn's Elijah. In the Australian Ballet’s 2013 “Vanguard” season, she was the mezzo-soprano soloist for their ballet Bella Figura, performing excerpts of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. Anna was guest artist in the 2015 Brisbane Baroque Festival's Heavenly Handel gala concert, performing a selection of Handel arias with Queensland Symphony Orchestra. She was invited to return to Brisbane in December 2016 to co-host and perform in QSO’s popular Spirit of Christmas concerts.

At the end of 2020, after a year of cancellations and turbulence with the rest of the world, Anna finally began her relocation to Frankfurt, Germany with her husband and tenor Jonathan Abernethy. During the digital year of 2020, Anna was delighted to be involved in Pinchgut Opera’s innovative and beautiful Opera Film “A Delicate Fire”. She also performed a Live Recital with Oper Frankfurt, as part of their Lockdown digital series.

In 2020, Anna made her European debut, performing with Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari, Italy, returning to the role of Zerlina. In October 2021, Anna made her exciting Carmen role debut, as well as her German Opera House debut, in a new Staatstheater Nürnberg production directed by Vera Nemirova.

In 2022, Anna was invited back to Australia to perform the title role in Pinchgut Opera’s production of Orontea, to make a national tour with the treasured Australian Chamber Orchestra and perform again with Sydney Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Simone Young, She also appeared once more with the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs (JS Bach B Minor) and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony).

2023 brings Anna some further exciting challenges, including her Adalgisa role debut with Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, Italy. She also returns to one of her favourite roles, Dorabella, working for the first time with Opera Queensland. She excitedly started the year 2023 making a very quick jump in for her first Olga (Eugene Onegin), with her new home town opera company, Opera Frankfurt.

Visit Anna’s UPCOMING schedule for details of her current and future performances.

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