Summer Watson
Encyclopedia
Summer Watson is a British
opera
tic soprano
.
and Oxfordshire
as her parents' only child. She began to play the recorder
at the age of four, and continued with the flute
and the piano
later on. She was also singing hymns from an early age, and took part in local music competitions throughout her childhood. At the age of nine, Watson began to learn the art of singing with the help of her music teacher, who happened to be a singer.
At the age of ten, Watson travelled to Martinique
, an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea
, as an exchange student, living with a family she had never met before for the express purpose of learning French
. She returned home after two months fluent in the language.
Watson scored well in sports, music and languages at school, and went horseback riding
in her spare time. While attending Didcot Girls' School
in Oxfordshire, Watson vacillated between pursuing French or music, but by the age of 16, she had decided to pursue a career in music.
and began a four-year course training as an opera singer, which included studying German
and Italian
. During the years, she received several individual grants, including the Anne Driver Trust award. Additionally, she came 2nd in the Llangollen International Singer
competition.
After being awarded a First Class Honors degree from Trinity College of Music, Watson went on to study as a postgraduate at the Royal College of Music
, studying under the guidance of Iris Dell’Acqua and Graziella Sciutti
. Watson was awarded a grant by the prestigious Countess of Munster Trust, for which there is a great deal of competition-one of the adjudicators being Dame Janet Baker
.
In 2002, Watson completed her postgraduate diploma at the Royal College of Music, graduating with distinction. She continued her opera training in Vienna
, living there for two years, studying with Jendrick Springer at the Vienna State Opera
from 2007 through 2008. Watson now speaks French, German and Italian fluently, in addition to English.
and Duchess of York
as well as Elle MacPherson
, George Michael
and others.
Described as "a classically trained vocalist whose rich, sumptuous voice can soar effortlessly over music written by some of the world's all time greatest composers", Watson has since performed in various public and private events in Europe
, Asia
, and the USA, working with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
in a number of concerts, including at Cadogan Hall
. She has also been a regular performer in the Royal Households of the United Kingdom
, most markedly with her performance to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Buckingham Palace
.
Over the years, Watson has also sang in various benefit concert
s. She has performed for Children in Crisis
, British Red Cross
and The Head & Neck Cancer Research Trust of The Royal Marsden Hospital
in London
, where she also sang for the India
n charity of Magic Bus in a Gala Dinner attended by Elizabeth Hurley
among others at the Park Lane Hotel
. In addition, Watson has also performed on behalf of a Sir Winston Churchill
charity at Blenheim Palace
in England
and for the Anti-Human Trafficking
Campaign
for the United Nations
at Hofburg Imperial Palace
in Austria
. Watson has also worked for AdoptSriLanka.com to help re-build the community of Sri Lanka
after the destruction of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
.
In 2008, Watson performed in the Bonachela Dance Company production Square Map of Q4 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
, singing music created by Marius de Vries
(producer of the film Moulin Rouge!
and performers such as Madonna
and Bjork
). Later that same year, Watson completed a UK
tour of arenas in Birmingham
, London
, Manchester
, Sheffield
, Belfast
, and Dublin. She sang as the lead performer with Young Voices to sold out arenas of up to 19,000 people, including The 02
and the Royal Albert Hall
. Watson also opened up the Julia Clancey
fashion show at Smashbox Studios
during the 2008 Los Angeles Fashion Week
, singing Mal di Luna, a vocal arrangement of Moonight Sonata
by Ludwig van Beethoven
.
In 2009, Watson performed as a soloist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
at Priory Park, Southend-on-Sea, England
, as part of the annual benefit concert series, Concerts in the Park, organized by the Rotary Club of Rayleigh Mill. Watson also performed with The Celtic Tenors in Los Angeles
and the RDS Concert Hall
in Dublin, Ireland. In 2010, Watson sang at The 2010 Genlux Britweek Designer of the Year Award and Fashion Show
in Los Angeles, honouring the British designer Matthew Williamson
, and travelled to Iceland
, exploring the country and headlining a major Christmas concert with Paul Potts
and Alexander Rybak
in Reykjavik
.
As of 2011, Watson has been spending time in Los Angeles
, where she has also recorded for DreamWorks
films. She is currently working on a new album with Burt Bacharach
.
, but things took a different turn as world music
clubs began to spread a new international trend of mixing classical
and popular music
. Equally at home giving a classical recital in traditional surroundings or singing in a club with a couple of young non-classical musicians, Watson realized she might be able to make a record that would reflect this diversity and bring together the best of different genres.
Having graduated from the Royal College of Music, Watson went on to sign a £1 million recording contract with Sony Classical
in 2002. The programme of her self-titled debut album Summer
, created by Watson herself and producer Nick Patrick, is a collection of classical, popular and world music, including pieces and arrangements of music by Ludwig van Beethoven
, Antonín Dvořák
, Gabriel Fauré
, Geminiano Giacomelli
, Benjamin Godard
, Ennio Morricone
, Stanley Myers
, Joaquín Rodrigo
, Sting, Richard Strauss
and others.
The album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios
with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
, conducted and arranged by Nick Ingman
. Other recording studios included Air Lyndhurst and Townhouse Studios
, while the London Session Orchestra provided additional strings. Watson worked with various musicians during the recording of the album, including Pino Palladino
, Richard Harvey
, Nigel Hitchcock
, Dominic Miller
and John Parricelli
. She also had Roger Vignoles
as her accompanist in Sposa son disprezzata
, and Marcelo Álvarez
as her duet partner in Tutta La Vita by Matteo Saggese. Choirs on the album are the London Oratory School Schola
and Metro Voices
.
Described as a "seamless fusion between classical and ethnic music that is both emotively powerful and intellectually satisfying", Summer was released internationally in 2003, peaking at number 1 on the US iTunes
and number 2 on the UK Classical Chart
s. "Her name says it all—she's bright, blonde and beautiful, with the talent and determination to take the music world by storm – a potential superstar", declared Classic FM Magazine
, while Arena
named her as "the Norah Jones
of 2003". The Daily Express
hailed the album as "very chilled out in a classical way."
With her music videos, Watson is currently featured on the international music television channel C Music TV
.
, Africa
, Asia
, Australia
, New Zealand
and the Americas
.
Inspired by Bear Grylls
, Watson climbed Mont Blanc
and reached the final summit in 3 hours and 15 minutes. Watson has since decided to fuse her compassion for the planet with the ability to use her voice, to spread awareness to the next generation that the North Pole
is melting, creating the Summer at the North Pole Expedition 2010.
and Joan Sutherland
as her great inspirations. She also says that Annie Lennox
and Sting have had a big impact on her, while Paul Oakenfold
has been a major influence as well. Watson also loves Joshua Bell
's albums of violin music, and enjoys going to Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club
in London. Her other musical favorites include the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós
.
In 2002, Watson was seriously injured in the Potters Bar train crash in England. In 2005, she became the latest to launch a legal battle against Network Rail
and repair company Jarvis
, which had admitted liability for the tragedy that claimed seven lives. Having issued a writ in the High Court of Justice
seeking damages, Watson sued rail chiefs for £150,000 in compensation.
In London, Watson has resided in Pimlico
.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
.
Background
Watson was raised in East SussexEast Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
and Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
as her parents' only child. She began to play the recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
at the age of four, and continued with the flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
and the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
later on. She was also singing hymns from an early age, and took part in local music competitions throughout her childhood. At the age of nine, Watson began to learn the art of singing with the help of her music teacher, who happened to be a singer.
At the age of ten, Watson travelled to Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
, an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
, as an exchange student, living with a family she had never met before for the express purpose of learning French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. She returned home after two months fluent in the language.
Watson scored well in sports, music and languages at school, and went horseback riding
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
in her spare time. While attending Didcot Girls' School
Didcot Girls' School
Didcot Girls' School is a comprehensive secondary school for girls in Didcot, Oxfordshire and the surrounding rural area. The school has been awarded with Language College and Technology College status . The mixed Sixth Form is shared with St Birinus School...
in Oxfordshire, Watson vacillated between pursuing French or music, but by the age of 16, she had decided to pursue a career in music.
Education
Watson won a place to study at Trinity College of MusicTrinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music is one of the London music conservatories, based in Greenwich. It is part of Trinity Laban.The conservatoire is inheritor of elegant riverside buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital, designed in part by Sir Christopher Wren...
and began a four-year course training as an opera singer, which included studying German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. During the years, she received several individual grants, including the Anne Driver Trust award. Additionally, she came 2nd in the Llangollen International Singer
International Eisteddfod
The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is a music festival which takes place every year during the second week of July in Llangollen, North Wales. Singers and dancers from around the world are invited to take part in over 20 high quality competitions followed each evening by concerts where...
competition.
After being awarded a First Class Honors degree from Trinity College of Music, Watson went on to study as a postgraduate at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
, studying under the guidance of Iris Dell’Acqua and Graziella Sciutti
Graziella Sciutti
Graziella Sciutti was an Italian soprano opera singer and later vocal teacher and opera producer.-Career:Sciutti was born in Turin, Italy. Her parents were musical, her father being an organist; her mother was French...
. Watson was awarded a grant by the prestigious Countess of Munster Trust, for which there is a great deal of competition-one of the adjudicators being Dame Janet Baker
Janet Baker
Dame Janet Abbott Baker, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English mezzo-soprano best known as an opera, concert, and lieder singer.She was particularly closely associated with baroque and early Italian opera and the works of Benjamin Britten...
.
In 2002, Watson completed her postgraduate diploma at the Royal College of Music, graduating with distinction. She continued her opera training in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, living there for two years, studying with Jendrick Springer at the Vienna State Opera
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
from 2007 through 2008. Watson now speaks French, German and Italian fluently, in addition to English.
Career
In her final year at the Royal College of Music, Watson organized a debut concert, which attracted HRH DukePrince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
and Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whom she married from 1986 to 1996...
as well as Elle MacPherson
Elle Macpherson
Elle Macpherson is an Australian model, actress, and businesswoman nicknamed "The Body". She is perhaps best known for her record five cover appearances for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue beginning in the 1980s...
, George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
and others.
Described as "a classically trained vocalist whose rich, sumptuous voice can soar effortlessly over music written by some of the world's all time greatest composers", Watson has since performed in various public and private events in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and the USA, working with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
in a number of concerts, including at Cadogan Hall
Cadogan Hall
Cadogan Hall is a 900-seat capacity concert hall on Sloane Terrace in Chelsea / Belgravia in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, United Kingdom...
. She has also been a regular performer in the Royal Households of the United Kingdom
Royal Households of the United Kingdom
The Royal Households of the United Kingdom are the organised offices and support systems for the British Royal Family, along with their immediate families...
, most markedly with her performance to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
.
Over the years, Watson has also sang in various benefit concert
Benefit concert
A benefit concert or charity concert is a concert, show or gala featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate humanitarian crisis. Such events raise both funds and public awareness to address the cause at...
s. She has performed for Children in Crisis
Children in Crisis
Children in Crisis is a charity based in London, United Kingdom which states that it "exists to improve the lives of children around the world affected by conflict, deprivation, poverty or other hidden crises, by working in partnership with local communities to provide education, healthcare and...
, British Red Cross
British Red Cross
The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom branch of the worldwide impartial humanitarian organisation the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with over 31,000 volunteers and 2,600 staff. At the heart of their work...
and The Head & Neck Cancer Research Trust of The Royal Marsden Hospital
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
The Royal Marsden Hospital is a specialist cancer treatment hospital in London, England. It is an NHS Foundation Trust, and operates facilities on two sites:*The Chelsea site in Brompton, next to the Royal Brompton Hospital, on Fulham Road...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where she also sang for the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n charity of Magic Bus in a Gala Dinner attended by Elizabeth Hurley
Elizabeth Hurley
Elizabeth Jane Hurley is an English model and actress who became known as a girlfriend of Hugh Grant in the 1990s. In 1994, as Grant became the focus of worldwide media attention due to the global box office success of his film Four Weddings and a Funeral, Hurley accompanied him to the film's Los...
among others at the Park Lane Hotel
Park Lane Hotel
The Park Lane Hotel is a 5 Star hotel on Piccadilly, London.The hotel was built in the 1920s in the Grand Art Deco Style by Sir Bracewell Smith. The building is a fine example with a mansard roof and Portland stone facade...
. In addition, Watson has also performed on behalf of a Sir Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
charity at Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is a monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, residence of the dukes of Marlborough. It is the only non-royal non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and for the Anti-Human Trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
Campaign
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...
for the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
at Hofburg Imperial Palace
Hofburg Imperial Palace
Hofburg Palace is a palace located in Vienna, Austria, that has housed some of the most powerful people in Austrian history, including the Habsburg dynasty, rulers of the Austro-Hungarian empire. It currently serves as the official residence of the President of Austria...
in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. Watson has also worked for AdoptSriLanka.com to help re-build the community of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
after the destruction of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
.
In 2008, Watson performed in the Bonachela Dance Company production Square Map of Q4 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...
, singing music created by Marius de Vries
Marius de Vries
Marius Van Wyk de Vries is an English music producer and composer. He has been behind some of the key albums and soundtracks of recent times, gathering five Grammy nominations, two BAFTAs, and an Ivor Novello award along the way.-Music Producer:...
(producer of the film Moulin Rouge!
Moulin Rouge!
Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 romantic jukebox musical film directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. Following the Red Curtain Cinema principles, the film is based on the Orphean myth, La Traviata, and La Bohème...
and performers such as Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
and Bjork
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
). Later that same year, Watson completed a UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
tour of arenas in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, and Dublin. She sang as the lead performer with Young Voices to sold out arenas of up to 19,000 people, including The 02
The O2 (London)
The O2, visually typeset in branding as The O2, is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars and restaurants...
and the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
. Watson also opened up the Julia Clancey
Julia Clancey
Julia Clancey is a London-based fashion designer. Her clothes have been shown at London Fashion Week and featured in magazines including Vogue and ELLE.- Aesthetic :Clancey primarily designs dresses and tops...
fashion show at Smashbox Studios
Smashbox Studios
Smashbox Studios is a premier photo and film studio in Los Angeles that regularly hosts photo shoots, film shoots, and events for photographers, producers and celebrities.-History:...
during the 2008 Los Angeles Fashion Week
Los Angeles Fashion Week
Los Angeles Fashion Week takes place each March and October in locations throughout the Los Angeles area.-History:...
, singing Mal di Luna, a vocal arrangement of Moonight Sonata
Piano Sonata No. 14 (Beethoven)
The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor "Quasi una fantasia", Op. 27, No. 2, by Ludwig van Beethoven, popularly known as the Moonlight Sonata , was completed in 1801...
by Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
.
In 2009, Watson performed as a soloist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
at Priory Park, Southend-on-Sea, England
Priory Park, Southend-on-Sea
Priory Park is a public park situated in Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, England, adjacent to Prittlewell Priory.-External links:...
, as part of the annual benefit concert series, Concerts in the Park, organized by the Rotary Club of Rayleigh Mill. Watson also performed with The Celtic Tenors in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and the RDS Concert Hall
Royal Dublin Society
The Royal Dublin Society was founded on 25 June 1731 to "to promote and develop agriculture, arts, industry, and science in Ireland". The RDS is synonymous with its main premises in Ballsbridge in Dublin, Ireland...
in Dublin, Ireland. In 2010, Watson sang at The 2010 Genlux Britweek Designer of the Year Award and Fashion Show
BritWeek
BritWeek is a 501 organization based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded by the entertainer/producer Nigel Lythgoe- the producer for shows such as So You Think You Can Dance as well as American Idol, the former British Consul-General in Los Angeles, Bob Peirce and Paul J Wright Esq who...
in Los Angeles, honouring the British designer Matthew Williamson
Matthew Williamson
Matthew Williamson is an English fashion designer. His collections often have an Indian influence, perhaps related to the time Williamson spent working in India for the clothing store Monsoon...
, and travelled to Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, exploring the country and headlining a major Christmas concert with Paul Potts
Paul Potts
Paul Robert Potts is an English pop opera tenor who won the first series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent in 2007, singing an operatic aria, "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot". As a singer of operatic music, Potts recorded the album One Chance, which went to #1 in nine countries...
and Alexander Rybak
Alexander Rybak
Alexander Igoryevich Rybak or in Belarusian Alyaksandr Igaravich Rybak , born 13 May 1986 in Byelorussian SSR is a Norwegian singer-composer, violinist, pianist, writer, and actor...
in Reykjavik
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
.
As of 2011, Watson has been spending time in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where she has also recorded for DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
films. She is currently working on a new album with Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
.
Summer
Watson's initial idea was to join an opera companyOpera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
, but things took a different turn as world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
clubs began to spread a new international trend of mixing classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
. Equally at home giving a classical recital in traditional surroundings or singing in a club with a couple of young non-classical musicians, Watson realized she might be able to make a record that would reflect this diversity and bring together the best of different genres.
Having graduated from the Royal College of Music, Watson went on to sign a £1 million recording contract with Sony Classical
Sony Classical Records
Sony Classical Records was started in 1927 as Columbia Masterworks Records, a subsidiary of the American Columbia Records. In 1948, it issued the first commercially successful long-playing 12" record...
in 2002. The programme of her self-titled debut album Summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
, created by Watson herself and producer Nick Patrick, is a collection of classical, popular and world music, including pieces and arrangements of music by Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
, Antonín Dvořák
Antonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
, Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Urbain Fauré was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th century composers...
, Geminiano Giacomelli
Geminiano Giacomelli
Geminiano Giacomelli was an Italian composer.Giacomelli was born in Piacenza. In 1724 he was named to the post of Kapellmeister to the duke of Parma. Beginning with the first performance of his opera Ipermestra, in 1724, he became one of the most popular opera composers of his era...
, Benjamin Godard
Benjamin Godard
Benjamin Louis Paul Godard was a French violinist and Romantic composer.-Biography:Born in Paris, Godard was a student of Henri Vieuxtemps. He entered the Conservatoire de Paris in 1863 where he studied under Vieuxtemps and Napoléon Henri Reber and accompanied Vieuxtemps twice to Germany...
, Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
, Stanley Myers
Stanley Myers
Stanley Myers , was a prolific British film composer who scored over sixty films. Born in Birmingham, as a teenager Myers went to King Edward's School in Edgbaston, a suburb of Birmingham...
, Joaquín Rodrigo
Joaquín Rodrigo
Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquis of the Gardens of Aranjuez , commonly known as Joaquín Rodrigo, was a composer of classical music and a virtuoso pianist. Despite being nearly blind from an early age, he achieved great success...
, Sting, Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
and others.
The album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
, conducted and arranged by Nick Ingman
Nick Ingman
Nicholas Ingman is an orchestra conductor and composer.Early recordings include:*'Big Beat' *'The Love Album' *'Terminator'...
. Other recording studios included Air Lyndhurst and Townhouse Studios
Townhouse Studios
Townhouse Studios was a recording studio in west London. Built by Richard Branson in 1978, and managed by Barbara Jeffries as part of the Virgin Studios Group. The Virgin Studios Group was acquired by EMI when Richard sold Virgin Records to EMI in 1992. The Sanctuary Group bought the studio from...
, while the London Session Orchestra provided additional strings. Watson worked with various musicians during the recording of the album, including Pino Palladino
Pino Palladino
Pino Palladino is a Welsh bass guitarist who gained fame playing primarily rock and roll, blues rock, and rhythm and blues music, although he has been lauded for his ability to play most genres of popular music, including jazz, neo soul, and funk...
, Richard Harvey
Richard Harvey
Richard Harvey is a BAFTA Award–winning British musician and composer. He is best known for his film and television soundtracks...
, Nigel Hitchcock
Nigel Hitchcock
Nigel Hitchcock is an English jazz saxophonist.-Biography:Hichcock began to play alto sax at age 8. In 1982 he and his elder brother Clive joined the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. After one year Nigel took the lead alto chair for the next 5 years...
, Dominic Miller
Dominic Miller
Dominic Miller is an Argentine-English guitarist who toured and recorded with World Party and King Swamp, worked on Phil Collins' solo album ...But Seriously and played guitar on every Sting album and tour since 1990...
and John Parricelli
John Parricelli
John Parricelli is a jazz guitarist, appearing and recording mainly in the United Kingdom.Parricelli began his career as a guitarist in 1982 and was one of the founding members of the British big band Loose Tubes, with whom he recorded three albums...
. She also had Roger Vignoles
Roger Vignoles
Roger Vignoles is a British pianist and accompanist. He regularly performs with the world’s leading singers – including Kiri Te Kanawa, Thomas Allen, Anne Sofie von Otter, Thomas Hampson, Gitta-Maria Sjøberg, Sarah Walker, Susan Graham, Felicity Lott, Stephan Genz, Monica Groop, Wolfgang Holzmair,...
as her accompanist in Sposa son disprezzata
Sposa son disprezzata
Sposa son disprezzata is an Italian aria written by Geminiano Giacomelli. It is used in Vivaldi's pasticcio, Bajazet....
, and Marcelo Álvarez
Marcelo Álvarez
Marcelo Raúl Álvarez, , is an Argentine lyric tenor who achieved international success starting in the mid-1990s....
as her duet partner in Tutta La Vita by Matteo Saggese. Choirs on the album are the London Oratory School Schola
London Oratory School Schola
The London Oratory School Schola was established in 1996 and is a choir for Catholic boys. The current director of the Schola is Lee Ward. The choir's patrons are Princess Michael of Kent, the barrister Cherie Booth, the actor Simon Callow and the composer James MacMillan .-Directors of the...
and Metro Voices
Metro Voices
Metro Voices is a choir group based in London, England that specialises in performing for the motion pictures. They work closely with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and with acclaimed British composer Craig Armstrong...
.
Described as a "seamless fusion between classical and ethnic music that is both emotively powerful and intellectually satisfying", Summer was released internationally in 2003, peaking at number 1 on the US iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
and number 2 on the UK Classical Chart
UK Classical Chart
The UK Classical Charts are three record charts based on classical music in the United Kingdom: the Classical Artist Albums Chart, the Classical Compilation Albums Chart and the Specialist Classical Albums Chart...
s. "Her name says it all—she's bright, blonde and beautiful, with the talent and determination to take the music world by storm – a potential superstar", declared Classic FM Magazine
Classic FM Magazine
The Classic FM Magazine is a magazine published in the United Kingdom each month. It is the printed organ of Classic FM, a British classical commercial radio station. The magazine reviews classical recordings and live performances and often includes tracks from recent releases on its cover disk....
, while Arena
Arena (magazine)
Arena was a British monthly men's magazine. The magazine was created in 1986 by Nick Logan, who had started The Face in 1980, to focus on trends in fashion and entertainment. British graphic designer Neville Brody, who had designed The Face, designed Arena's launch appearance.The magazine featured...
named her as "the Norah Jones
Norah Jones
Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...
of 2003". The Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
hailed the album as "very chilled out in a classical way."
With her music videos, Watson is currently featured on the international music television channel C Music TV
C Music TV
C Music TV is an international music television channel dedicated to classical, soundtrack and chillout music videos.- History :C Music Entertainment Ltd was founded in 2007 and the channel's distribution is handled by Paris based Agents Thema. The C in C Music TV stands for the genres of the...
.
Other activities
Watson has been able to travel extensively, performing and exploring the world, spending time in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
.
Inspired by Bear Grylls
Bear Grylls
Edward Michael "Bear" Grylls is an English adventurer, writer and television presenter. He is best known for his television series Man vs. Wild, known as Born Survivor in the United Kingdom...
, Watson climbed Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
and reached the final summit in 3 hours and 15 minutes. Watson has since decided to fuse her compassion for the planet with the ability to use her voice, to spread awareness to the next generation that the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
is melting, creating the Summer at the North Pole Expedition 2010.
Personal
Watson names Renée FlemingRenée Fleming
Renée Fleming is an American soprano specializing in opera and lieder. Fleming has a full lyric soprano voice.Fleming has performed coloratura, lyric, and lighter spinto soprano repertoires. She has sung roles in Italian, German, French, Czech, and Russian, aside from her native English. She also...
and Joan Sutherland
Joan Sutherland
Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s....
as her great inspirations. She also says that Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
and Sting have had a big impact on her, while Paul Oakenfold
Paul Oakenfold
Paul Mark Oakenfold is a British record producer and a trance DJ.-Early Career: 1979–84:Paul Oakenfold's career was set to be a chef, after having hopes of becoming part of a band. He describes his early life as a "bedroom deejay" in a podcasted interview with Vancouver's 24 Hours, stating he grew...
has been a major influence as well. Watson also loves Joshua Bell
Joshua Bell
Joshua David Bell is an American Grammy Award-winning violinist.-Childhood:Bell was born in Bloomington, Indiana, United States, the son of a psychologist and a therapist. Bell's father is the late Alan P...
's albums of violin music, and enjoys going to Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club
Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club
Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club which has operated in London since 1959.The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was managed by musicians Ronnie Scott and Pete King. In 1965 it moved to a larger venue nearby at 47 Frith Street...
in London. Her other musical favorites include the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós is an Icelandic post-rock band with classicaland minimalist elements. The band is known for its ethereal sound, and frontman Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto vocals and use of bowed guitar. In January 2010, the band announced that they will be on hiatus. Since then, it has since been announced...
.
In 2002, Watson was seriously injured in the Potters Bar train crash in England. In 2005, she became the latest to launch a legal battle against Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
and repair company Jarvis
Jarvis PLC
Jarvis plc is a British company that provides support services to the British railway industry. It also runs rail freight operations. The most significant feature of the modern firm is its leading share of the UK’s railway maintenance and infrastructure services.-19th and 20th centuries:The...
, which had admitted liability for the tragedy that claimed seven lives. Having issued a writ in the High Court of Justice
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
seeking damages, Watson sued rail chiefs for £150,000 in compensation.
In London, Watson has resided in Pimlico
Pimlico
Pimlico is a small area of central London in the City of Westminster. Like Belgravia, to which it was built as a southern extension, Pimlico is known for its grand garden squares and impressive Regency architecture....
.