Operatic Highlights
​Melbourne-born Natalie Peluso (previously Natalie Christie) achieved thrilling early success as a precociously talented young opera singer admired for her warm and youthful lyric soprano and superb acting ability. After winning The Australian Singing Competition as recipient of the Marianne Mathy Award, Natalie left Australia for London and a place at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she made her debut as Musetta in “La Boheme” for British Youth Opera at the Royal Festival Hall, followed by Miss Wordsworth in “Albert Herring” at the Guildhall. On graduating, she began her close five year association with Welsh National Opera as Constance in Phyllida Lloyd’s production of “The Carmelites”, and immediately returned to Opera Australia as Susanna in “Le Nozze di Figaro” – a performance so rapturously received that one critic raved it was a “definitive portrait that seems to have been written for her”.
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Natalie's close association with Welsh National Opera continued with roles such as Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss conducted by Carlo Rizzi, Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto, Eurydice in Gluck's Orphée et Eurydice with conductor Richard Hickox, Adina in L’elisir d’amore by Donizetti, Adele in Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus, and Marzelline in Beethoven's Leonora conducted by Yves Abel. Mozart roles included Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Zerlina in Don Giovanni conducted by Tugan Sokhiev, and Despina in Cosi Fan Tutte.
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Elsewhere she received acclaim for her performance as Zerlina Don Giovanni for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras; the Soprano in Bach St. John Passion with English National Opera directed by Deborah Warner and conducted by Stephen Layton; and her celebrated appearances as Susanna in Mozart Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Australia conducted by Jane Glover and directed by Neil Armfield.
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Concert appearances include Handel Jephtha with RIAS Berlin and conductor Marcus Creed at the Berlin Philharmonie, Soprano 1 Mozart Mass in C Minor with the Oslo Baroque, Mahler Symphony No. 4 with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Couperin Leçons des Tenebres at the 1998 Aldeburgh Festival with Skip Sempé and Capriccio Stravagante. She has appeared in recital at Wigmore Hall, Batignano Festival in Italy, Aldeburgh Festival, St Martin in the Field’s and Windsor Castle in the Presence of HRH Prince (now HRH King) Charles. She has recorded for BBC Radio Two and Three, RTE Ireland and the ABC, and her numerous accolades include winning the Australian Singing Competition Marianne Mathy Award and Grand Finalist in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World.​​​​​​​​
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Natalie Peluso (right) as Susanna in Mozart's The Marriage Figaro in the beloved John Copley production for Opera Australia (2000). From far left, Rosemary Gunn as Marcelline, Donald Shanks as Don Basilio, and Richard Armstrong as Figaro.
Australian Highlights
In Australia, Natalie's most recent opera appearances include Athena in 'The Children’s Bach' by Andrew Schultz, based on Helen Garner's novella of the same name, recorded live by the ABC for the Canberra International Music Festival; both Euridice and Amor in Gluck's Orfeo with Opera Queensland in collaboration with world-leading Circa; Hanna in Franz Lehar's operetta 'The Merry Widow' and Rose Maybud in Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Ruddigore', both for Opera Queensland; Niece 2/Ellen Cover in Britten's 'Peter Grimes', for the Brisbane Festival produced by Opera Queensland; the three roles of Virtu, Ottavia and Drusilla in Monteverdi's 'Coronation of Poppea' with Pinchgut Opera; and Adele in 'Die Fledermaus' for Opera Queensland and Queensland Music Festival.
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Recent concert appearances include 'Four Last Songs' by Strauss, 'Pieces of 9/11' by Jake Heggy and Bach's Cantata 32 for the Australian Festival of Chamber Music; Bach's B Minor Mass conducted by Stephen Layton, Mahler's Symphony No. 4 conducted by Simone Young, and Handel's 'Messiah', all with Queensland Symphony Orchestra; Rachmaninov's 'The Bells', Fauré and Duruflé Requiems with Brisbane Chorale; Soprano 1 in Mozart's Mass in C Minor with Victoria Chorale; and Górecki's 'Symphony of Sorrowful Songs' with Camerata of St. John's in Brisbane.
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