Caroline Taylor & Anna Chiu Hoi Ching
Leeds Lieder Young Artists 2018
Caroline Taylor soprano
Caroline Taylor is a postgraduate soprano at the Royal Northern College of Music, studying under Louise Winter. She is generously supported by the Richard Newitt Fund, the Mario Lanza Educational Foundation and Help Musicians UK, with whom she holds a Postgraduate Award.
At the RNCM, Caroline has performed the title role in Massenet Cendrillon and scenes as Tina in Dove Flight and Suzel in Mascagni L’amico Fritz. She was a finalist in the 2018 Concerto Competition and the 2017 Joyce and Michael Kennedy Award for Singing of Strauss; and she won the 2017 Brodsky Cross-School Prize with her chamber ensemble, the Lucrezia Trio. A member of the RNCM Songsters, Caroline has taken part in recitals for St Ann’s Church and Uppermill Festival Coffee Concert Series; she has a keen interest in 20th and 21st century song repertoire and has performed Messiaen Chants de Terre et de Ciel and Paul Patterson The Sorriest Cow of Capricorn in concert. In 2016, she was placed second in the AESS Courtney Kenny Award for English Song and Poetry.
Other concert performances include soprano soloist in Handel Messiah (Chesterfield Philharmonic Choir), Vivaldi Gloria (Anstruther Philharmonic Society), Bach Mass in B Minor (Kellie Consort) and St John Passion (RNCM), Britten Les Illuminations and the chamber arrangement of Mahler Symphony No. 4 (Helix Ensemble).
Caroline looks forward to taking part in the RNCM’s Day of Song later this month. She also joins Clonter Opera for their Spring Opera Showcase and in June, she will create the role of Sara in Adam Gorb’s The Path to Heaven.
Anna Chiu Hoi Ching piano
Anna Chiu Hoi Ching obtained the Licentiate of Trinity College London in Piano Performance and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Music from Hong Kong Baptist University, studying with Ms. Chan Sham Siu Wai Sylvia. She is currently studying for her Master of Performance in Piano Accompaniment at the Royal Northern College of Music, with Dr. David Jones. She has participated in masterclasses of James Baillieu, Julius Drake, Dr. Helen Cha and Ms. Amy Sze.
Anna recently won the Piano Prize in the 2018 Chris Petty English Song Competition. She has participated in events such as a Claude Debussy Mélodies Workshop, a Melofontica Workshop. She has performed recitals at St. Ann’s Church, Manchester, as part of RNCM Songsters projects, including the 2017 Day of Song and Open Day.
She was the pianist for the concert Boulanger’s Legacy (RNCM Chamber Choir, conducted by Stuart Overington) in the RNCM 2018 Chamber Music Festival; pianist for Look at the World with John Rutter (concert, singing day and conducting masterclass, conducted and taught by John Rutter); worked with the RNCM Chamber Choir in preparation for their performance of J. S. Bach’s St. John’s Passion in 2017; pianist for Les Misérables (Christopher Cheng and the Hong Kong Youth Choir) in 2014.
As a harpsichordist, Chiu won the Brodsky Cross-School Prize with The Lucrezia Trio in 2017. She has also played chamber organ with the RNCM Baroque Soloists.