[Press & Publications] Memories of Leicester in a Glittering Career [Music]


July 2000

No 142

Internationally renowned soprano Dame Felicity Lott, who is to receive an honorary degree of Doctor of Music from the University of Leicester this week, has recalled some of her first performances – at Leicester.

Dame Felicity Lott said: “I am thrilled and delighted to receive this honour from the University of Leicester, where I sang my first Elvira and my first Fiordiligi!”

Dame Felicity Lott sang two major roles in performances of Don Giovanni and Cosi fan Tutte with Leicester University Opera at the new Haymarket Theatre in 1974 and 1975. Both operas were produced by Roger Warren, of the University of Leicester.

Don Giovanni was performed 30 April - 4 May 1974. The Leicester Mercury critic wrote: “the complicated character of Elvira was very finely and convincingly portrayed by Felicity Lott, especially in her carefully nuanced account of the second act aria”. In Cosi fan Tutti (May 1975), Felicity sang the role of Fiordiligi.

Leicester University Opera was the brainchild of Roger Warren and John Currie (then the Director of Music at the University of Leicester). They combined young professional soloists at the outset of their careers with professional musicians and local singers and actors from the University to produce performances of considerable quality which were much appreciated by the public in Leicester at the time. Other young singers in these productions included Philip Langridge, Lynn Barber and Michael Rippon.

Dame Felicity Lott is among senior figures from business, industry, medicine, academia and music being honoured by the University of Leicester this week (July 19-21).

The University's honorands are:

  • Professor Gerald Bernbaum (Doctor of Laws), Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive, South Bank University
  • Mr Gautam Bodiwala (Doctor of Science), Head of Accident and Emergency Service, Leicester Royal Infirmary, and clinical teacher at the University of Leicester
  • Dr Sue Campbell, MBE (Doctor of Letters), Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust
  • Mr Reg Carr (Doctor of Letters), Director, University Library Services & Bodley's Librarian, University of Oxford
  • Professor Anthony Giddens (Doctor of Letters), Director of the London School of Economics
  • Professor Jules LaPidus (Loctor of Laws), President of the US Council of Graduate Schools
  • Dame Felicity Lott, DBE (Doctor of Music), Soprano
  • Dr Tom McKillop (Doctor of Science), Director and Chief Executive of AstraZeneca
  • Dame Bridget Ogilvie, DBE, FMedSci (Doctor of Science), Director of AstraZeneca and former Director of the Wellcome Trust
  • Sir Herman Ouseley (Doctor of Laws), Former Chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality
  • Sir John Stevens, QPM (Doctor of Laws), Commissioner, Metropolitan Police.

    • Dame Felicity Lott will be awarded her honorary degree of Doctor of Music on Wednesday July 19 at 11am at De Montfort Hall, Leicester.

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    Last updated: 18 July 2000 11:13
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