© Photo: Gerald Place

Louise Cannon studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama before going on to the National Opera Studio. She has been the recipient of a numerous awards and prizes, including the Countess of Munster Trust, Ricordi Singing Prize, Henry Osbourne Award, and Tillett Trust Scholarship and - for 1999 and 2000 - was a Countess of Munster Recital Artist.

Her operatic experience at the GSMD included Antonia ('Les Contes d'Hoffmann); Constance ('Dialogues des Carmélites') and Le Feu (L'Enfant et les Sortilèges'). Other companies with whom she has appeared include Clonter Opera, Valencienne ('Merry Widow'); British Youth Opera, Pamina; Scottish Opera Go Round, Emilia Marty ('Makropulos Case'); European Chamber Opera, Violetta and Mimi.

In 1998 Louise sang Violetta with Richard Van Allan in a masterclass for the Friends of Covent Garden, and the same role with the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera. The following year she made her début at Glyndebourne, covering and performing Mařenka ('Bartered Bride') at both the Festival and on the Tour. In 2000 Louise sang Violetta on the WNO Education Tour and made her début at Opera Holland Park as Suzel in Mascagni's 'L'amico Fritz', drawing critical praise from many quarters.

Louise Cannon is also active on the concert scene in the UK, having sung at the Royal Albert Hall, the Barbican, St John's Smith Square, Symphony Hall in Birmingham, with conductors such as Sir David Willcocks and Klaus Donath. She has also sung at Buckingham Palace for HRH Prince of Wales and an Opera Gala for Sir Elton John.

In 2001 Louise made her début with ENO, covering Donna Anna and returned in the autumn to cover Eurydice and The Countess. She was also invited to attend the Jerwood Masterclass with Thomas Hampson. That summer she appeared to great acclaim as Violetta at Holland Park and sang in a concert performance of Carvalho's 'L'amore Industrioso' at St. John's, Smith Square. In 2002 she sang Violetta for English Touring Opera and appeared on tour with the St Petersburg Symphony in Rachmaninov's 'The Bells'. She also sang to great acclaim as Rosario in a concert performance of Granados 'Goyescas' at St. John's, Smith Square and was in Italy in the summer, where she sang the title role in the Pallavicini opera, 'Messalina' at the Batignano Festival. In October Louise sang Fiordiligi/’Cosi fan Tutte’ at ENO.

Highlights of 2003 included a new production of Cavalli’s ‘Orion’ in London; performances of Beethoven Symphony No. 9 with the Royal Philharmonic, Mimi in Malta, Carolina/’Il Matrimonio Segreto’ in France. In 2004 she returned to ENO, sang at the Purcell Room and performed again with the Royal Philharmonic, both in Beethoven 9 and ‘Carmina Burana’. Among last year’s engagements were Mimi in Spain, covering Gilda/’Rigoletto’ at Welsh National Opera and covering and singing Blanche/’The Carmelites’ at ENO. In 2006 she created the role of Lily in Music Theatre Wales’s world premiere production of ‘House of the Gods’ by Lyne Plowman on tour throughout the UK both in spring and autumn. She also made a further visit to Spain singing opera galas and last year appeared in Bregenz in the role of the Squirrel in 'The Cricket Recovers'.

June 2008