Margaret Lingas

Soprano & conductor based in Oxford, UK

Margaret Lingas

About

Margaret Lingas (soprano) was born in Cyprus, raised between the UK, Greece, and the USA, and earned her BMus in vocal performance with linguistics at the University of Victoria, Canada, where she studied with Benjamin Butterfield. While in North America, she was part of the Pacific Opera Victoria chorus, and a soloist with groups including the Victoria Baroque Players, the Sooke Philharmonic, and Fretwork.

Now based in Oxford, Margaret continues to perform as a soloist and consort singer, appearing in the UK, Europe, and North America with groups including Papagena, Ex Cathedra, the Carice Singers, Echo, The Sixteen, Cappella Romana, and the Tallis Scholars. Having grown up around a variety of musical traditions (Byzantine chant, jazz, baroque opera, and Greek folk music were all family favourites) she particularly enjoys improvisation, collaboration, and singing in new languages.

Recent solo highlights include Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the New Millennium Chamber Orchestra, a recital of French song at Swaledale Festival, Haydn’s Creation with Halesowen Choral Society, Brahms’ Requiem with the Paragon Singers, and Bach’s Mass in B Minor and St Matthew Passion with Ex Cathedra.

Margaret is a regular at the Oxford Oratory, and directs Oxford Youth Choirs’ Junior Choir.

Listen

Diary

*Soloist/consort performance

Sample Recital Programme

The Sound of Fairy Laughter

Maurice Ravel - Cinq mélodies populaires grecques (1904), performed in Greek

  1. Ξύπνησε, πετροπέρδικα (Wake up, rock partridge)
  2. Κάτω στον Άγιο Σίδερο (Down at St Isidore’s)
  3. Ποιος ασίκης σαν κ' εμένα (Who is as magnificent as me?)
  4. Ω ν' άντζελος είσαι, μάτια μου (Oh, you are an angel, my dear)
  5. Γιαρούμπι, έχεις γάμπα (O Rubi, shapely calves dancing)
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Michael Head - The Singer (from Five Songs, 1938)

Claude Debussy - Pierrot (1888)

Lili Boulanger - Elle était descendue (from Clairières dans le ciel, 1914)

Gabriel Fauré - Au bord de l’eau (from Trois mélodies Op. 8, 1875)

Gabriel Fauré - Notre amour (from Trois mélodies Op. 23, 1879)

Gabriel Fauré - Claire de lune (from Deux mélodies Op. 46, 1888)

Jean-Philippe Rameau - Ariette de la Folie (from Platée, 1745)

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