Opera Scotland

Linda Finnie Suggest updates

Born Paisley, 9 May 1952.

Scottish mezzo-soprano.

Linda Finnie was one of the most prominent Scottish singers of recent years, with a career that included major roles at the Royal Opera and ENO, as well as international appearances including Bayreuth.

She trained in Glasgow at the RSAMD, winning an award from the Sir James Caird Trust and a John Noble Bursary. Her later studies also brought a Kathleen Ferrier Award. She sang several short roles with Scottish Opera, appearing in the premiere of Robin Orr's Hermiston (1975) and creating the part of Mrs Colwan in Thomas Wilson's Confessions of a Justified Sinner (1976).

At the Bayreuth Festival she appeared for several seasons in the Ring Cycle directed by Harry Kupfer and conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Her roles were Fricka (Das Rheingold and Die Walküre), Siegrune (Die Walküre) and Second Norn (Götterdämmerung). The production was recorded, and issued both on CD and DVD. She also appeared as a guest with the company on tour to Tokyo, when she sang Ortrud in Lohengrin.

At the Royal Opera she also appeared in Ring cycles. At ENO her roles included Eboli in David Pountney's production of Don Carlos.

She appeared widely in concerts with most of the major British orchestras.