Lina Saavedra - Soprano
Puerto Rican soprano Lina Saavedra was born in New York City. She was awarded a Music Scholarship at Houghton College, New York, to pursue her vocal studies under Dr. Benjamin King. Following this, Lina studied at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama before returning to New York to complete her studies at Houghton College where she was awarded a Bachelor degree cum laude in Vocal Performance.
On her return to London, Lina commenced advanced studies at the University of London, Goldsmith’s College gaining a Masters degree. She then won a Music Scholarship and gained Post Graduate Diploma in Performance from Trinity College of Music. She currently studies with Laure Meloy.
On the operatic stage, Lina has been seen in roles as diverse as Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors - Menotti), Ilia (Idomeneo - Mozart), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro - Mozart), Yum-Yum (The Mikado - Sullivan), the title role in Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea, Mimi (La bohème - Puccini), Armida (Rinaldo - Handel), Belinda (Dido and Aeneas - Purcell), Bessie (Mahagonny Songspiel - Weill) and in 2007, for the Bicentenary of the Abolition of Slavery in England celebrations, Helène in Delius’s opera Koanga performed by Pegasus Opera at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre.
Most recently Lina appeared as Celia in Sullivan's Iolanthe for the G&S Opera Company at Buxton Opera House and Elsie Maynard in Sullivan's Yeomen of the Guard for St. Albans Chamber Opera.
As a concert soloist Lina has performed in the USA, France, Spain, Puerto Rico, Chile and Great Britain. Her repertoire includes Brahms' Requiem, Mozart's Requiem, Mozart's C Minor Mass, Finzi's In terra pax, Schubert's Mass in G, Bernstein's Mass (at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London) and Orff's Carmina Burana.
Future plans include Lina in concert as a featured soloist with the Cowbridge Welsh Male Voice Choir and an Opera Gala Concert in aid of the United Nation Association this autumn.
Further information can be found at: www.linasaavedra.co.uk
REVIEWS
“The performance by … soprano Lina Saavedra…was absolutely stunning. Philip Salmon as Nero and Lina Saavedra as Poppea gave brilliant performances as the two lovers…”
John Manning, Herts Advertiser
“But for me the star of the show was Lina Saavedra as Ilia. Her voice is stunning and her characterisation was quite brilliant.”
John Manning, Herts Advertiser
“…Lina Saavedra, who impressed me… with her versatility on stage and the sheer flow of her voice, emotively pulling at the heart strings throughout and sustaining high notes most beautifully. …a sign of a particularly good production [is] if it opens well, and it certainly did with a most confidently sung, long aria at the beginning of Act One… Alone on stage, she filled it with her presence and lovely voice, making the space her own.”
Jill Barlow, St. Albans Observer
“…Armida - a gleaming presence in Lina Saavedra…”
Andrew Porter, Opera
“…it was the 1711 cast which stole the honours, especially impassioned accounts of Armida [from] Lina Saavedra…”
Duncan Hadfield, Music on the Web
“She [Saavedra] was particularly strong in Act 3, where her Donde lieta usci was direct and simple, and the more moving for it.”
Oliver Tims, Opera
“… soprano Lina Saavedra playing the part of his [Amahl] mother with great flare and emotion.”
John Manning, Herts Advertiser
“Lina Saavedra as the heroine Elsie Maynard, ... gave [a] particularly impressive performance...”
John Manning, Herts Advertiser