MARIA WILLIS IS A BRITISH MEZZO-SOPRANO FROM NORFOLK, BASED IN LONDON. MARIA IS STUDYING FOR A MASTER OF PERFORMANCE WITH PATRICIA BARDON AND BRYAN EVANS MBE AS A SHEILA SAAM MEMORIAL SCHOLAR AND JOSEPHINE BAKER TRUST SINGER AT THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC.

Before commencing her studies at the Royal College of Music, Maria studied at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance under the tutelage of Teresa Cahill and Helen Yorke. There she attained a first-class degree in BMus (Hons) Vocal Performance and was awarded the TCL Silver Award for the vocal department. 

In 2021 Maria was selected as a young artist for Waterperry Opera Festival, performing roles including Hänsel (Hänsel und Gretel), Dido (Dido and Aeneas), 2nd Lady (Die Zauberflöte) in opera scenes, as well as singing in the ensemble of the festival’s main production of The Elixir of Love. However, it was in the second year of her undergraduate degree that Maria discovered her passion for opera, performing the role of Nada in Ana Sokolovic’s Serbian opera Svadba. This piece was an all-encompassing work, testing the limits of its singers but very fulfilling to perform. Maria’s other operatic repertoire includes Cupid (Orpheus in the Underworld) and Stewardess – cover (Flight) at the Royal College of Music, Ronnie O’Sullivan (Gilbert Feathers) in the contemporary Opera Scenes at the RCM in collaboration with Tête-a-Tête Opera company, Idamante (Idomeneo) and Flora (The Enchanted Pig) prepared for RCM opera scenes but cancelled due to covid, and Lapák the Dog (The Cunning Little Vixen) prepared for Trinity Laban’s opera but cancelled due to covid.

During lockdown, Maria made her professional debut in VOpera’s film of Ravel’s L’Enfant et les sortilèges in the chorus recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Maria is looking forward to performing in Ravel’s opera again, this time as Un Patre in RCM’s Spring Double Bill, paired with La Duchessa – cover in Respighi’s La bella dormente nel bosco. In the summer, Maria is delighted to be joining the Glyndebourne Festival Chorus performing in Dialogues des Carmélites, Semele and L’Elisir d’amore, with an additional performance of the Poulenc opera at the BBC Proms in August.

Maria is equally at home performing in concert, with experience singing as the mezzo-soprano soloist in oratorios including Requiem (Durufle), Magnificat (McDowell), Mass in C (Beethoven), and Petite Messe Solennelle (Rossini). In 2021, she was kindly supported by Momentum: Our Future, Now. performing in the trio alongside soloists Nicky Spence and Jess Dandy in The Diary of One Who Disappeared by Janacek at the Two Moors Festival. Maria is looking forward to returning to her home county of Norfolk to sing Sea Pictures (Elgar) at Wymondham Abbey with their symphony orchestra.

Throughout her studies, Maria has performed in a number of ensembles including as a soloist in a Bach Cantata with the Historical Performance department at RCM, a Side by Side concert with Welsh National Opera, the Trinity Laban Chamber Choir directed by Stephen Jackson, the Trinity Laban Contemporary Vocal Ensemble directed by Sarah Latto, as a Deputy in Queens’ College Chapel Choir at St. Martin-in-the-Fields directed by Ralph Allwood, and performing alongside the LSSO at Barbican Hall conducted by Sian Edwards.

Maria has performed in masterclasses with singers including Roderick Williams OBE and Robert Alderson.