“Rowan Hellier … was the singer that impressed me the most. She possesses a wide mezzo range, with a dark edge in the lower register and clear, easy high notes in the top of her voice, which she is capable of sustaining above the orchestra with remarkable ease. Her tone is warm and varied and she also displayed an elegant, delicate legato line …”
— Seen and Heard International
Lauded worldwide for her appearances on the operatic and concert stage, critics have praised Scottish mezzo Rowan Hellier for ‘the lovely richness of her tone’ (Opera Today) and her ‘focus, drama and clarity’ in performance (The Herald). Possessing an extensive vocal range, she is a singing actor of great versatility.
Following appearances in Das Rheingold with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Vladimir Jurowski over previous seasons, Rowan makes several further Wagner role debuts this season: Zweite Norn and Floßhilde in Götterdämmerung, and Floßhilde in Das Rheingold, all under the baton of Srba Dinić.
Rowan’s 2021 | 2022 season comprised the world premiere of SLEEPLESS by Peter Eötvös at Staatsoper Unter den Linden, with further performances at Grand Théâtre de Genève and MÜPA Budapest, Dead Man Walking at Staatstheater Braunschweig and her solo recital programme wom3n at Wigmore Hall. Her pre-pandemic season engagements included Babylon and Die Liebe zu den drei Orangen at Staatsoper unter den Linden and her concert debut at Elbphilharmonie Hamburg.
Rowan has appeared in concert with many of the world's leading orchestras including BBC Symphony Orchestra (Shadows on the Wall - Five Hauntings) at St Magnus International Festival conducted by Alexander Verdernikov, London Philharmonic Orchestra (Wellgunde - Das Rheingold) under Vladimir Jurowski, Royal Scottish National Orchestra (Carmen - title role), Stavanger Symphony Orchestra (Christmas Oratorio) conducted by John Butt, with the Seattle Symphony (Mozart Requiem) under Itzhak Perlman, and with conductor Nicholas Collon at both the Bregenz Festival and with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Rowan has performed as soloist with prominent baroque ensembles The King’s Consort at Château de Versailles, Trevor Pinnock and Friends, with whom she sang the title role in Dido and Aeneas at Wigmore Hall, Dunedin Consort — notably as mezzo soloist on their Gramophone Award-winning Mozart Requiem recording, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and with Ensemble Resonanz — most recently in a live broadcast of the Christmas Oratorio in cooperation with Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and Bachfest Leipzig. Rowan is a passionate performer of Lied and has given recitals for Opéra de Lille, the Oxford Lieder Festival, Perth Festival of the Arts, with the Prince Consort, and numerous performances at Wigmore Hall. Rowan has appeared on multiple live radio broadcasts and recordings in Europe and for the BBC. Highlights include the Bregenz Festival in orchestral song cycle woman.life.song by Judith Weir, Grania and Diarmid with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, both under Nicholas Collon, and woman.life.song at LSO St. Luke’s conducted by André de Ridder.
On the operatic stage, she has appeared at the Berlin Staatsoper (Die Liebe zu den drei Orangen, Die Zauberflöte, Babylon, Madama Butterfly, Der Kaiser von Atlantis, La Traviata) Grand Théâtre de Genève (Sleepless), Hamburg Staatsoper (Vanitas), Staatstheater Braunschweig (Dead Man Walking), Welsh National Opera (Le nozze di Figaro), with Theater Magdeburg and at the Royal Opera House as Frau Grubach / Waschfrau in the world and Romanian premieres of The Trial by Philip Glass. Rowan was a member of the Salzburg Landestheater ensemble, where her roles included Hänsel Hänsel und Gretel, Orfeo Orfeo ed Euridice, Orfeo The Orphic Moment, Zaida Il turco in Italia, Lureen Brokeback Mountain and Donna Elvira Don Giovanni, under the musical direction of Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla. As a member of the International Opera Studio at Staatsoper Unter den Linden, overseen by artistic director Daniel Barenboim, she was the recipient of the Liz Mohn Kultur und Musikstiftung scholarship.
A creator of new opera-related work and an eclectic programme curator, her recent collaboration with composer Kate Whitley and Ted Hughes Award-winning poet Hollie McNish produced Gorgeous Beasts, commissioned by and premiered at The Oxford Lieder Festival 2021, and subsequently performed during all-female composer programme, wom3n, at Wigmore Hall for International Women’s Day 2022, with pianist Sholto Kynoch. The Guardian called the work a 'lyrical and urgent mini-drama…It’s a hymn to friendship, particularly that between women united since childhood…It’s un-shy, to say the least, about periods, menopause, prolapse. No good flinching. Bring it on!'
Her discography includes the Gramophone Award-winning Mozart Requiem with the Dunedin Consort for Linn Records, The Trial by Philip Glass for Orange Mountain Music, Honegger's König David with the Prometheus Ensemble and Junges Ensemble Berlin for Rondeau Productions, and a disc of Wolf Lieder on Stone Records from Oxford Lieder, together with Roderick Williams, Katarina Karnéus, Neal Davies, Adrian Thompson and pianist Sholto Kynoch.