Reviews
ROLE OF ERIKA IN BARBER'S VANESSA RNCM MARCH 2011
"The mezzo role of Erika was sung by Kathryn Rudge with her mellowest and most lustrous tone. She is a splendid actress and conveyed infallibly Erika’s pent-up feelings, her repressions and the release which comes to her emotionally with Anatol’s arrival, which nevertheless in its turn precipitates her misfortune. She was irresistible in 'Must the Winter Come So Soon?' – echt Barber, the Barber of the songs – and one wished it was not over within the first five minutes. Already this charismatic singer, with her immaculate diction, knows how to stir the heart, and one hardly dares to predict what is to come."
Michael Kennedy, Opera Now Magazine, May 2011
"Kathryn Rudge was an even greater mistress of the dramatic demands of the role…a considerable achievement having in mind the difficulties presented by the music and its distinct and difficult vocal line. She sang with strength, expression and dramatic intensity using her wide palette of vocal colour to the full. Importantly her acting contributed significantly to create a notable interpretation…I have no doubt Kathryn will make a successful career both on the stage as an accomplished singer actress and also in recital."
Robert J Farr, Music Web International, Seen & Heard Review, March 2011.
"Kathryn Rudge, vocally already polished and eloquent as the idealistic niece Erika."
Geoff Brow, The Times, March 2011
"The story, though, is of pent-up emotion and desperate hidden sorrows, the kind of thing that Ibsen would have made a very good play of. It demands more of its lead roles than just singing the notes with accuracy, power and beauty (the decision to show the English lyrics on sur-title was a good one, as even the reduced orchestration used here gives the voices a mighty sound to overcome at times). This was where Kathryn Rudge (Erika) proved most accomplished. She has the ability to use her face as well as her voice, conveying an inner struggle which is more compelling than that of her aunt, despite the latter being the title role."
Robert Beale, City Life, Manchester, March 2011
ROLE OF CARMEN IN BIZET'S "CARMEN" RNCM DECEMBER 2010
"The mezzo-soprano Kathryn Rudge is already building a shining career. Her rich and flexible tone, clear diction and magnetic stage presence are ideal equipment. The elegance of her singing avoided any vulgar excesses such as this role easily attracts, yet she brought sultry passion and intensity to the Habanera and to the Card Song. If this Carmen guessed her fate, she kept it to herself. Every Carmen I have heard has found her own way into the character and Rudge is too fine and intelligent a singer not to develop the role at each encounter."
Opera Magazine - Michael Kennedy, Feb 2011
“One of the college’s best opera performances in years.”
Musical Opinion - John Byrne
“Kathryn Rudge as Carmen was the temptress to silence all temptresses. Her voice; fluid rich and wonderfully coloured is reminiscent of a young Victoria de los Angeles with an intuitive acting style and sheer musicianship to boot.”
Musical Opinion - John Byrne
"The real star of any performance of Bizet’s opera is the singer of the eponymous role …by the Seguedille Miss Rudge was well into the role with both her singing and acting being first rate….and in Act Four,her singing was exemplary in colour tone and expression in conveying the fraught drama of Carmen’s nature and situation."
Seen and Heard Opera Review – Robert J Farr
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC GOLD MEDAL WEEKEND - JULY 2010
"Kathryn Rudge has a string of College and other awards to her name. I was also greatly impressed by her singing, overall presentation as well as the diversity of programme at the college Gold Award Weekend earlier this year when she was the representative of the school of vocal studies."
Seen and Heard Opera Review Robert J Farr.
MOZART'S "LA CLEMENZA DI TITO"
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC 2010
“ Kathryn Rudge made the smaller role of Annio seem twice as important as usual, and she, too, looked, walked and ran like a boy. There is precious talent here: not only her voice, which is fluent and seems to be comfortable as well as beautiful in any register, but also her acting, which is natural and spontaneous. Her diction is immaculate.”
Opera Magazine - Michael Kennedy
"In La Clemenza di Tito she made the role of Annio the coeval of that of Sesto, both being sung by mezzo-sopranos en travesti and where the former is often seen as the lesser role."
Seen and Heard Opera Review - Robert J Farr
ROLE OF HELENE IN OFFENBACH'S "LA BELLE HELENE" ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC 2009
“Kathryn Rudge sang with her customary lustrous tone and showed herself to be a natural comedienne.”
Opera Magazine - Michael Kennedy
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC CHAMBER FESTIVAL 2009
“Mahler’s ‘Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen’ was sung by the RNCM postgraduate mezzo-soprano Kathryn Rudge, with a student chamber ensemble. I was absolutely bowled over by the performance of these very moving songs, particularly by Kathryn Rudge, whose singing was as composed, polished and musically commanding as one could wish to hear.”
RNCM Live Web, January 2009
NEW YEAR’S EVE GRAND FINALE, ROYAL LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, CONDUCTOR CARL DAVIS, CBE (Hon), LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL
“Kathryn Rudge, who portrayed Britannia at
the 2008 opening ceremony, has a meaty, mature
tone which belies her 22 years. Arias from Saint-Seans and Bizet in the first half were followed after the interval by a belting
trio of Gracie Fields’ favourites….and a full bodied Rule Britannia which prompted a rash of
flags to appear across the auditorium.”
Catherine Jones, Liverpool Echo, January 2009.
LIVERPOOL THE MUSICAL, ROYAL LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, CONDUCTOR VASILY PETRENKO, CAPITAL OF CULTURE OPENING CEREMONY 2008, LIVERPOOL ECHO ARENA.
“As Vasily Petrenko waved his baton…
a medley of “Rule Britannia”, “Amazing Grace”,
Jerusalem” and “Land of Hope and Glory” accompanied by a barrage of images, the most
vivid being a Terry Gilliam-style animation of Queen Victoria gulping ships while the
mezzo-soprano Kathryn Rudge, dressed as
Britannia, sang with gusto”
Pierre Perrone, The Independent, January, 2008.
ROLE OF CHERUBINO IN MOZART’S “LE NOZZE DI FIGARO”,
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC 2007
“Kathryn as an impetuous Cherubino
brought bags of comedy to ‘Voi Che sapete’ and proved herself as adept an actress
as appealing a singer”
Lynn Walker, Opera Now, Le Nozze di Figaro, Mozart, RNCM, May/June 2008.
“Kathryn was a highly popular Cherubino,
putting great energy into
the girl-becomes-boy-becomes-girl routine
and singing with purity and attack.”
Robert Beale, Manchester Evening News, Le Nozze di Figaro, Mozart, December 2007.
“As the buckish Cherubino Kathryn Rudge
sang her arias well and played the libidinous
adolescent, always in the wrong place at the wrong time, to perfection throughout.”
Robert J Farr, Seen and Heard Opera Review, December, 2007.
ROLE OF OLGA IN TCHAIKOVSKY’S “EUGENE ONEGIN”,
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC 2007
“Kathryn’s Olga was delightfully conceived,
with a flexible voice and
natural charm in the characterization.”
Robert Beale, Manchester Evening News, March 2007.
“Kathryn Rudge, a lively and charming Olga.”
Michael Kennedy, Opera Magazine, June 2007.
LEEDS CASTLE OPEN AIR CONCERTS, ROYAL LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, CONDUCTOR CARL DAVIS, CBE (Hon)
“It is our duty to support young talent
and last year, the RLPO introduced me to a
wonderful young artiste – Kathryn Rudge.
We performed together at a local outdoor concert
and she sang so beautifully that I knew I must
bring her to Leeds Castle.
She has a beautiful mezzo-soprano voice and a
genuine gift to communicate.”
Conductor Carl Davis, CBE (Hon), LeedsCastle Concert Programme, June 2007.
FAMILY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES, CONDUCTOR KURT BESTOR, ROYAL LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA.
“Joining me during the second half of the show for
a couple of movie show tunes was local teenager
Kathryn Rudge. At only 19 years old,
she possesses a voice and maturity well beyond
her years.”