Janet Shell

Mezzo-soprano

"The choir thought your voice was wonderful, your breath control amazing, and your presence like a ray of sunshine. We hope that we might hear you in Scunthorpe again before too long."
Scunthorpe and District Choral Society (April 2008)

"As for the mezzo soloist, Janet Shell. I shall long remember her delivery of "Thou hast forestalled the agony, and so for thee bitterness of death is passed."
Oxford Mail 2007

"Janet Shell sang with great feeling and golden tone. Her account of O rest in the Lord was ravishing..."
MENDELSSOHN Elijah August 2004 - Leicester Mercury

"The reaction from the audience was wonderful - they really loved you. For myself, it was simply a pleasure."
Philip Hesketh - conductor - RAVEL Sheherezade (June 2004)

Mezzo soprano Janet Shell worked as a Head of Music before retraining at Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She quickly established herself in recital and won several prizes for French song in Paris and was outright winner of the Royal Tunbridge Wells International Competition joining such luminaries as Anne Sofie Von Otter and Patricia Rosario. She continues to remain one of the leading mezzos of her generation. She was the first mezzo to be taken on by YCAT and the first singer to give a live broadcast on Classic FM. She has also broadcast on several occasions for the BBC on “Friday Night is Music Night”.

Janet has sung for Welsh National Opera, Opera North, English National Opera and most recently for the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. Her oratorio repertoire is extensive and she has performed in many major venues in the UK including Beethoven Missa Solemnis and Mahler Symphony 8 at the Royal Albert Hall, Mahler Symphony 8 at Birmingham Symphony Hall, Haydn Nelson Mass at the Barbican Her affinity with the music of Elgar is often commented upon and in particular Dream of Gerontius which she has sung notably at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and during the anniversary year, the Sage. Abroad she has worked with the RPO, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Lille Philharmonic. She was invited to sing in Tokyo by the then Prime Minister, John Major, for his honoured guests and subsequently at Downing Street. Recital engagements have taken to the Middle East, Yemen, Far East, South America and Europe. In December she sang Faure’s rarely heard song cycle, “La Chanson d’Eve” in a recital to mark 21 years of working with her accompanist, their “coming of age” recital!

She regularly sings for Opera Interludes at celebrity corporate events and is on their Operatic Highlights CD. Her latest recording is work in progress with young hiphop artist, Bobby Whiskers - more to come! She had a setting of Ben Okri specially composed for her last year by Keith Burstein and together they gave the first performance with Ben present, at St James', Piccadilly.

Janet maintains a busy performing schedule, but also teaches singing and gives workshops. She was invited to give a vocal master class at Stetson University, Florida in February last year.

Recently she formed her company Talking Voice which seeks to address the vocal issues faced by classroom teachers and also to coach business executives in the art of presenting speeches with effective and healthy voice use.