Do you have any favourite moments in The Marriage of Figaro?

This opera is particularly special to me — it was one of the first ever operas I performed when I was 15 for charity at a local large country house. My sister Mary sang Cherubino, our mother sang the Countess, my younger sisters were the bridesmaids, my brother Don Basilio and I was Susanna, so the piece has always felt personal as much as professional. I particularly love singing the finale of Act II with all its fury and confusion, the whole cast entering one by one and building up to the most fantastic fiery climax. But the Act IV garden scene is my real favourite: after so much scheming, it’s a rare moment that Susanna gets to be sincere, and that shift from comedy to tenderness is so moving. In that first production of it that I was in, I sang the aria swinging on a swing from a tree in the garden of this beautiful house and it felt wonderful!

What is your usual concert day routine?

I try to keep concert days quiet and unhurried. I’ll do a light vocal warm up in the morning at home, nothing too taxing, then leave the voice completely alone until about half an hour before the rehearsal. Food-wise, I try to eat a proper meal early in the afternoon so I’m not performing on a full stomach, and I stay well hydrated throughout the day. I like to arrive at the hall with plenty of time to spare, so there’s no rush — a chance to settle into the space, run through a few passages, and mentally sing through the arias before everyone arrives. By the time I’m walking onstage in front of the other players and singers, I want my mind to already be calm and focused and my voice to feel relaxed and easy so that I can just enjoy myself.