"Natalie’s Susanna in my production of “Le Nozze di Figaro” for Welsh National Opera and Opera Australia, was just about what any director would dream of… exquisitely sung and wonderfully acted. Natalie has great natural comedy, a fierce intelligence, and (which is completely unfair) she is uncommonly beautiful. She moves well too. In short – dazzling."
Neil Armfield
BIOGRAPHY
Helpmann Award nominee Natalie Christie Peluso captivated audiences and critics alike with her dynamic, effervescent stage presence and an inviting lyric soprano voice that was described by London critics as “full of youthful, delicious beauty” and “electrifying freshness.”
In Australia, recent opera appearances include Athena in The Children’s Bach for the Canberra International Music Festival (recorded for ABC), both Euridice and Amor in Gluck's Orfeo with Opera Queensland/Circa, Hanna in Lehar The Merry Widow and Rose Maybud in Gilbert/Sullivan Ruddigore, both for Opera Queensland, Niece 2/Ellen Cover in Britten Peter Grimes, for Brisbane Festival/Opera Queensland, both Ottavia/Drusilla in Monteverdi Coronation of Poppea with Pinchgut Opera, and Adele in Die Fledermaus Opera Queensland and Queensland Music Festival.
Recent concert appearances include Four Last Songs Strauss, Pieces of 9/11 by Jake Heggy and Bach Cantata 32 for the Australian Festival of Chamber Music; Bach B Minor Mass conducted by Stephen Layton, Mahler Symphony No. 4 conducted by Simone Young and Handel Messiah, all with Queensland Symphony Orchestra; Rachmaninov The Bells, Fauré and Duruflé Requiems Brisbane Chorale; Soprano 1 Mozart Mass in C Minor Victoria Chorale; Górecki Symphony of Sorrowful Songs with Camerata of St. John's.
A favourite at Welsh National Opera, her roles there included Sr Constance The Carmelites, Sophie Der Rosenkavalier, Gilda Rigoletto, Eurydice Orphée et Eurydice, Pamina Die Zauberflöte, Adina L’elisir d’amore, Susanna Le nozze di Figaro, Zerlina Don Giovanni, Despina Cosi Fan Tutte, Adele Die Fledermaus, and Marzelline Leonora.
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 her celebrated appearances as Susanna in Mozart Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Australia.
Concert appearances include Handel Jephtha with RIAS Berlin and 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 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.
After being based in London for most of her career, she returned to live in Australia with her husband and four children, and now calls Brisbane home. Future appearances are on hold for the foreseeable future, while Natalie undertakes her PhD at the University of Queensland in Social Neuroscience and Psychology.
SINGING CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
OPERATIC ROLES
Euridice/Amor - Orfeo ed Euridice, Gluck
Opera Queensland 2019
Conductor: Dane Lam
Director: Yaron Lifschitz
Widow - The Merry Widow, Lehar
Opera Queensland 2018
Conductor: Vanessa Scammel
Director: Graham Murphy
Niece 2/Ellen (cover) - Peter Grimes, Britten
Brisbane Festival 2018
Conductor: Rory Macdonald
Director: Daniel Slater
Rose Maybud - Ruddigore, Gilbert/Sullivan
Opera Queensland 2017/18
Conductor: Roland Peelman
Director: Lindy Hume
Leila (cover) - Pearlfishers, Bizet
Opera Queensland 2017
Conductor: Graeme Abbot
Director: Michael Gow
Ottavia/Drusilla - Coronatione di Poppea, Monteverdi
Pinchgut Opera 2017
Conductor: Erin Helyard
Director: Mark Gaal
Adele - Die Fledermaus, J Strauss
Opera Queensland 2015
Director: Lindy Hume
Susanna - Le nozze di Figaro, Mozart
Opera Australia 2004
Director: Neil Armfield
Susanna - Le nozze di Figaro, Mozart
Welsh National Opera 2003
Conductor: Rinaldo Alessandrini
Director: Neil Armfield
Zerlina - Don Giovanni, Mozart
Welsh National Opera 2003
Conductor: Tugan Sokhiev
Adina - The Elixir of Love, Donizetti
Welsh National Opera 2003
Director: Daniel Slater
Adele - Die Fledermaus, J Strauss
Welsh National Opera 2002
Conductor: Claude Schnitzler
Director: Calixto Bieto
Zerlina - Don Giovanni, Mozart
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden 2002
Conductor: Sir Charles Mackerras
Director: Francesca Zambello
Despina (cover) - Cosi Fan Tutte, Mozart
Welsh National Opera 2002
Conductor: Antony Walker
Director: Calixto Bieto
Marzelline - Leonore, Beethoven
Welsh National Opera 2001
Directors: Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser
Conductor: Yves Abel
Pamina - The Magic Flute, Mozart
Welsh National Opera 2001
Conductor: David Jones
Original Director: Goran Jarvefelt
Barbarina - Le nozze di Figaro, Mozart
Welsh National Opera 2001
Conductor: Rinaldo Alessandrini
Director: Neil Armfield
Eurydice - Orphée et Eurydice, Gluck
Welsh National Opera 2000
Conductor: Paul McCreesh
Directors: Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser
Sophie - Der Rosenkavalier, Strauss
Welsh National Opera 2000
Conductor: Carlo Rizzi
Producer: Rennie Wright
Soprano - St John Passion, Bach
English National Opera 2000
Conductor: Stephen Layton
Director: Deborah Warner
Susanna - The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart
Opera Australia 2000
Conductor: Jane Glover
Gilda (cover) - Rigoletto, Verdi
Welsh National Opera 1999
Sr Constance - The Carmelites, Poulenc
Welsh National Opera 1999
Conductor: Gareth Jones
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Sofronia - Gli Equivoci, Storace
Batignano Festival, Italy 1998
Director: Rupert Goold
Frasquita - Carmen, Bizet
Clonter Opera 1998
Musetta - La Bohême, Puccini
British Youth Opera 1998
Director: Jamie Hayes
Miss Wordsworth - Albert Herring, Britten
Guildhall School of Music and Drama 1998
Conductor: Richard Farnes
Oksana - The Tsarina’s Shoes, Tchaikovsky
Guildhall School of Music and Drama 1997
Conductor: Clive Timms
Nerina - La Fedeltà Premiata, Haydn
Guildhall School of Music and Drama 1997
Conductor: Clive Timms