Annabella-Vesela, a British-born Bulgarian/Turkish mezzo-soprano, is known for her expressive artistry and commanding stage presence

A rising star in the world of opera will be performing in Muswell Hill this weekend.

Fortismere Community Symphony Orchestra is hosting a special concert this Sunday (16th) featuring young mezzo-soprano Annabella-Vesela Petkova Ellis as the soloist.

Annabella-Vesela, a British-born Bulgarian/Turkish mezzo-soprano, is known for her expressive artistry and commanding stage presence. This season, she debuted with the London City Philharmonic following her second prize at the Covent Garden Opera Competition, toured Messiah, and returns to English National Opera (ENO) in multiple roles.

Recent highlights include her portrayal of New Ofglen in The Handmaid’s Tale at ENO, praised by Opera Magazine for making a “shimmering impression,” and Verdi’s Requiem with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, where she was lauded as “a forceful presence, rendering faultless vocals of purity and power”.

Annabella-Vesela is very passionate about performing the Elgar piece in Muswell Hill this Sunday and says: “There is something inherently cyclical about the sea — its disappearance and return, its quiet power — that resonates deeply with this musical cycle.

“Each piece reflects a moment in my life, from childhood memories of my sister soothing me to sleep with the rhythm of the waves to finding strength in nostalgia, where melancholy gives way to a higher love. The sea, ever-present, becomes a mirror to life’s uncertainties and joys.

“Growing up near the Norfolk coast, I was always aware of both its beauty and its danger […] Just as the sea connects and transforms, so too does music, carrying us through moments of reflection, resilience, and wonder.”

Fortismere Community Symphony Orchestra’s conductor, Thomas Gregory, is excited to welcome Annabella-Vesela to Muswell Hill. “The Elgar will be the centre-piece of the evening and I know the audience will be blown away by her performance,” he says.

Annabella’s performance will be framed by two other powerful orchestral works, by Wagner and Brahms.

The performance will take place on Sunday, 16th March at 7pm at St Andrew’s Church in Muswell Hill, N10. Online tickets for adults are £13 or £8 for students/under-18s (£16 on the door). To buy tickets:
Visit fortismeremusiccentre.co.uk

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