Adriana Festeu

Mezzo-soprano Adriana Festeu has performed the roles of Rosina (Rossini – Il Barbiere di Siviglia) and Charlotte (Massenet – Werther) at the Romanian National Opera in Cluj. Her previous roles include the Komponist in Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos in London, for New Palace Opera, as well as Cenerentola, Calbo Maometto secondo, Megacle L’Olimpiade, Rustena La verita in cimento (Garsington Opera, cover); Marianna Il Signor Bruschino, Lucilla La Scala di Seta (British Youth Opera); Isolier Le comte Ory (Opera South); Xerxes (Longborough Opera, cover); Orphée Orphée et Euridice (Opera Prelude); Fidalma Il matrimonio segretto, Marcellina Le nozze di Figaro, Madame Nolan The Medium, Zerlina Don Giovanni (Romanian National Opera); Candida Emilia di Liverpool (European Opera Centre). She is represented by Connaught Artists.

As a recitalist and oratorio soloist, Adriana has performed in venues including St. Martin-in-the-Fields, King’s Place, Wilton’s Music Hall, Gloucester Cathedral, St. David’s cathedral, Bridgewater Hall and Cité de la Musique (Paris). Her song cycle performances include Mahler Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesellen and Kindertotenlieder, Respighi Il Tramonto, Enescu Sept chansons de Clement Marot, Dvořák Cigánske melódie and Korngold 5 Lieder, Op. 38. Adriana recorded Romanian art songs for the BBC Radio 3 dramatisation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and was invited back to record Greek songs for The Oresteia: The Libation Bearers and most recently The Mysteries of Udolpho.

In 2010 Adriana co-founded Opera Prelude, a charity that delivers lecture-recitals and masterclasses at the Cadogan Hall and throughout the UK; she regularly delivers education and outreach work with companies including Garsington Opera and Grange Park Opera.

Between 2018 and 2020 Adriana was Associate Professor in Lieder and Oratorio at the Music Faculty of Transylvania University in Brasov, Romania. Currently she is Principal Lecturer in Classical Voice at Leeds College of Music.

Adriana trained at the Royal Academy of Music, where she gained her Masters with Distinction, and in 2016 completed her PhD, Exploring Zwischenfach: Understanding vocal classification and its professional significance. She holds the title of Associate (ARAM).

Adriana is grateful for the generous support that she has received from the AHRC, Opera Prelude and the International Opera Awards.

Selected Publications

Festeu, A. 2020 - The role of operatic repertoire in young singers’ professional development
Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov Series VIII: Performing Arts • Vol. 13(62) No. 2 – 2020

Festeu, A. 2018 – Voice classification: terminology and practicality
Bulletin of the Transylvania University of Braşov – Supplement Series VIII: Performing Arts • Vol. 11 (60) No. 2 SPECIAL ISSUE – 2018

Festeu, A. 2018 – Voice Classification: System or Art? Oxford University Press Blog

Festeu, A 2014 – History of voice classification, in Studii de sinteza – Conference of Arts and Sciences, Bucharest, Edition of the National Music University, Bucharest