| Biography | Born in St Petersburg, Russia, Alexandra Sherman commenced piano studies in Jerusalem and singing in Melbourne, Australia. An Honours graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, she has been the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships, notably the Queen's Trust for Young Australians Award, the University of Melbourne Clarke Scholarship, The Australian Singing Competition comprising the Marianne Mathy and Joan Sutherland Awards, Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year Award (Vocal Category), and The Countess of Munster Star Award. These scholarships enabled her to study at the Royal College of Music, London, where she completed post-graduate studies and received operatic training.
Ms Sherman performs widely in oratorio and recital in Europe, Australia and the UK with repertoire such as Bach Mass in B minor, St John and St Matthew Passions, Mendelssohn Elijah, Handel Messiah and Verdi Requiem. Concert highlights have included Mahler 2nd Symphony and Songs of a Wayfarer, Berlioz Les Nuits d'Ete, Elgar Sea Pictures, Prokofiev Alexander Nevsky, de Falla El Amor Brujo and Pergolesi Stabat Mater. She has worked with conductors including Christopher Hogwood, David Parry, Paul Daniel and Gianandrea Noseda. She made her Wigmore Hall debut in 2005 thanks to the Maisie Lewis Young Artists Fund and in 2006 made her BBC Proms debut and won the Mietta Song Recital Award in Melbourne.
Ms Sherman's stage roles to date include Pomona (Aeolo Calmato; Batignano); Guido (Flavio) and Irene (Muzio Scevola; London Handel Festival); Dryade (Ariadne auf Naxos, Aldeburgh Festival); Third Lady (Magic Flute) and 3rd Wood Nymph (Rusalka; Opera North); Juno/Ino (Semele, Scottish Opera); 2nd Secretary to Mao (Nixon in China, ENO). Most recently she sang the role of Malcolm in Rossini's La Donna del Lago at Garsington Opera, and is about to make her debut for Opera Australia as Bradamante in Handel's Alcina. Forthcoming engagements include the roles of Olga (Eugene Onegin) and Pauline (Queen of Spades) at Welsh National Opera.Discography to date includes Handel's Messiah for ABC Classics and Offenbach's rarities Entre Nous (Opera Rara) with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under David Parry. Her debut recital disc with pianist Amir Farid will be released on ABC Classics in 2008. |