Jennifer Condon (born 1983 in Wollongong) is an Australian conductor.
Jennifer Condon | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1983 Wollongong, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Conductor |
| Website | jennifercondon |
Biography edit
In 1989, Condon's mother took her to see the opera The Gondoliers, after which she decided she wanted to be a mezzo-soprano. In 1995, at 11 and influenced by Simone Young, she decided to become a conductor. She got in touch with Young and spent her following teen years in the rehearsal room at Opera Australia.[1] She also took music and piano lessons at the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music.[2]
At the age of 16, after having discovered Peggy Glanville-Hicks' Sappho opera in the archives of the Opera Australia, Condon asked the opera director Lindy Hume if she could lead and record it.[3]
She attended the Kambala School in Sydney on a music scholarship for her high school years. Condon studied operatic conducting with Vladimir Vais during her undergraduate years.[2] She studied music at the Conservatory of Sydney and earned her A.Uus.A and L.Mus.A in piano and a Bachelor of Music Studies.[4] At the same time, she was working as an accompanist for the Melbourne City Opera and conducted The Tales of Hoffmann at the Sydney University Arts Festival.[5]
Jennifer Condon moved to Europe in 2005, starting her work as a souffleuse at the Hamburg State Opera where she has worked on more than 40 operas.
In 2009, she was authorized to conduct Peggy Glanville-Hicks' Sappho.[1] While traveling in Bali, she met James Murdoch, the biographer of Peggy Glanville-Hicks. In July 2012, she made her debuts as an opera conductor at the Lisbon Gulbenkian Orchestra.[6]
In 2015, she was selected with 5 other conductors to participate in the inaugural year of the Dallas Opera's Institute for Women Conductors.[7]
In 2018, the Peggy Glanville-Hicks' estate granted her the right to the world premiere recording and production of Sappho, the composer's final opera.[5]
Family edit
Jennifer Condon is the great niece of the music lecturer Denis Condon.[8]
References edit
- ^ a b "Nine-year quest fuelled by love for lost opera". Smh.com.au. 3 December 2011.
- ^ a b Turk, Louise (21 July 2013). "Conductor Jennifer Condon is bringing Sappho home". Illawarramercury.com.au.
- ^ Lim, Anne (5 July 2013). "For love of a lost opera". Theaustralian.com.
- ^ "Jennifer Condon | Owls Nest Opera". 16 March 2016. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ a b Fischer-Zernin, Verena. "Jennifer Condons Lebenstraum heißt "Sappho"" (in German). Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ Jordison, Sam (22 August 2012). "Lawrence Durrell and Peggy Glanville-Hicks: a song for Sappho". Theguardian.com.
- ^ Boon, Maxim (16 December 2015). "Aussie talents shine at Institute for Women Conductors". Limelightmagazine.com.au.
- ^ Griffin, Joan (22 July 2013). "My 24 years with Opera Lunedi". Operalunedi.com.