Alice Coote (born 10 May 1968) is a British lyric mezzo-soprano.Alice Coote was born in Frodsham, Cheshire, the daughter of the painter Mark Coote. She was educated at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London (though she did not complete her course), the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester (where she came into contact with Janet Baker and Brigitte Fassbaender) and the National Opera Studio during 1995–96. Coote was a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist from 2001–2003. She sings both operatic (particularly 'trouser' roles) and recital repertoire, in the latter often with pianist Julius Drake.An interpreter of Handel ("his music could keep you going for a whole career") she has performed contemporary pieces such as Dominick Argento's From the Diary of Virginia Woolf, a partly atonal work first performed by Janet Baker, an influence on Coote. Judith Weir has written a song cycle, The Voice of Desire, especially for her; it was premiered at a BBC Chamber Prom.Alice Coote has performed at England's Opera North, the English National Opera, the Metropolitan Opera in New York (Hansel in Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel), the San Francisco Opera in 2002 (Ruggiero in Handel's Alcina) and 2008 (Idamante in Mozart's Idomeneo). In 2009, she sang Maffio Orsini in Gaetano Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia at the Bavarian State Opera. She also appeared in 2011 as Prince Charming in Cendrillon at the Royal Opera House. In 2013, she played Sextus in the Metropolitan Opera's production of Handel's "Giulio Cesare".Recordings:CD:Winterreise (2013, Wigmore Hall Live)The Power of Love (2012, Hyperion)Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius (Hallé Concerts Society,2008)Mahler: Symphony No. 2, Resurrection (2010, Virgin Classics)Brahms: Nanie / Gesang der Parzen / Alto Rhapsody / Schicksalslied, Opp. 53, 54, 82, 89 (Tudor Recording, AG Zürich, 2010)Lieder: Mahler: from Das Knaben Wunderhorn and the Ruckert songs (BBC Radio 3)DVD:Massenet: Cendrillon (Virgin Classics, 2012)]Claudio Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea (DECCA, 2009)Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia / The Art of Belcanto (Unitel Classica, 2009)Handel: Messiah (Opus Arte, 2009)Handel, Staatsoper Stuttgart - Alcina (Euroarts, 2008)Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel (The Metropolitan Opera HD Live Series, EMI Classics, 2008)
She is an operatic mezzo-soprano. She is noted for the many "trouser" or "breeches" roles she has sung -- male characters portrayed by women with contralto or mezzo voices.
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Metropolitan Opera HD Live
2008-2017
TV Series
Idamante / The Romans: Sesto / Hansel - a young boy
Cendrillon
2011
TV Movie
Prince Charmant
L'Incoronazione di Poppea
2009
TV Movie
Nerone
Lucrezia Borgia
2009
TV Movie
Orsini
Ariadne auf Naxos
2001
TV Movie
Dryade
Alcina
2000
TV Movie
Ruggiero, von Alcina bezaubert
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Alcina
2000
TV Movie performer: "Alcina, dramma per musica in tre atti 1735"