Ukrainian-born mezzo soprano Anna Starushkevych graduated from the International Opera Course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London). Before her studies in the UK, Anna studied at the Lviv National Academy of Music and the Lviv State Music College in Ukraine with a renowned Ukrainian bass, Vasyl Dudar.

In June 2015 Anna was nominated for the Best Female Supporting Role in an opera at the Helpmann Awards (Sydney, Australia) for her performance of the role of Rosimonda in Handel’s Faramondo at the Brisbane Baroque Festival 2015.

Anna is the first mezzo soprano to win the Handel Singing Competition in London, taking the first prize (the Adair Prize), the Audience Prize and the York Early Music Prize. This followed winning the Susan Longfield Award and third prize in the Jackdaws Vocal Award at the Wigmore Hall in 2010. She returned to the Wigmore Hall to perform the role of St Mary Cleophas in Handel’s La Resurrezione for the Handel Festival 2013. Success in competitions also includes winning the Bampton Classical Opera Young Singers’ Competition 2013 and becoming a finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier Competition 2013.

Anna has performed the role of Ofelia (La grotta di Trofonio) for the Bampton Classical Opera 2015, Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus) for the Celebrate Voice Festival 2014, as well as the role of Erato (Il parnaso confuso) and Orfeo in Bertoni’s Orfeo for the Bampton Classical Opera 2014 season.

Anna has given solo recitals and performed in concerts in Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy and Ukraine. In the UK she has performed at the Wigmore Hall, Barbican Hall, St George’s Hanover Square, St Martin-in-the Fields, Milton Court Concert Hall and LSO St Luke’s. Anna also performs regularly in oratorio, including Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mozart’s Requiem and Stabat Mater by both Haydn and Pergolesi.

Anna’s recordings include Rosimonda in Handel’s opera Faramondo for Accent Records live from the Gottingen International Handel Festival 2014, as well as a solo performance on BBC Four’s DVD Maestro or Mephisto – the real Georg Solti.

Anna is grateful for the generous support of her studies to Andrian Mostovyi (Split Lviv) and Serena Fenwick.