Kezia Bienek Q&A
We caught up with Kezia Bienek, who plays Mercédès and is also the cover artist for the title role in the Festival 2024 production of Carmen
We caught up with Kezia Bienek, who plays Mercédès and is also the cover artist for the title role in the Festival 2024 production of Carmen.
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Could you start by telling us a bit about your journey as an opera singer and how you got into this profession?
My Grandmother trained at LAMDA and enjoyed a career in film and theatre. Her theatrical passion then lived on through her wardrobe and writing, and this instilled in me a great reverence for theatre and the arts. My singing voice was noticed when I was about 11, and my Grandmother announced I was to be an opera singer. I took it with a pinch of salt and sang anything and everything before successfully auditioning and entering the Brit school aged 16. I made the move from rural Gloucestershire to South London to study musical theatre at the Brit School, but again the operatic potential of my voice was picked up and my singing teacher spent two years teaching me three arias to gain a place at a conservatoire. I was definitely a wild card but was given a chance by the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and from there I began my formal operatic training. I went on to study at the Benjamin Britten International Opera School at the Royal College of Music before joining the Glyndebourne chorus in 2015.
Could you tell us a little about the roles you have played at Glyndebourne before?
After three years in the Glyndebourne Chorus (with various small covers such as Flora in La traviata and Owl in The Cunning Little Vixen), I started my own family. I was asked to come back the following year as an external cover, meaning you just understudy without singing in the chorus. The roles were Cornelia in Glyndebourne’s iconic Giulio Cesare and Erika in Keith Warner’s new production of Vanessa. I was fortunate enough to go on as Cornelia, therefore making my Festival debut in 2018. Later that year I was cast as Dorothée in Fiona Shaw’s magical production of Cendrillon on the Glyndebourne Tour and I experienced my first proper run as a soloist with the company.
You’re currently performing as Mercédès in Carmen. What do you find most exciting or challenging about this role?
Although a principal role, Mercédès is very much part of the ensemble of smugglers. A lot of her music is crisp and rhythmic without many sweeping high notes or solos to ring through. This meant working closely with my colleagues to move together and make an impact as a tight group, such as in the quintette of Act II. So instead of learning about Mercédès entirely through her music, I thought about the dynamic with Frasquita and Carmen, our voice types, our environment, the words we sing and how they differ etc. I made various theatrical offers to the director Diane Paulus, and as we rehearsed we made decisions about her and she became a fleshed out character. For me, rehearsal and exploration is always the most exciting and enjoyable part of building an opera.
Kezia Bienek (Mercédès), Rihab Chaieb (Carmen), and Elisabeth Boudreault (Frasquita) in Carmen. Photography: Richard Hubert Smith
You are also the cover artist for the role of Carmen in this production. Could you tell us what preparation a cover artist goes through at Glyndebourne, and how this is different from other opera houses?
Like any other role, a cover artist must turn up on the first day knowing the music and words; must have a good understanding of the style; have translated the opera including the lines of your scene partners, and be ready to ‘get it on its feet’. If you’re lucky there may be a day of music calls. At Glyndebourne we are lucky! Meeting the conductor and other covers is always exciting and it’s often the first time you’ve sung the duets and ensembles with other singers. Thankfully I’ve sung Carmen before so the music needed little revision, but the dialogue was entirely different and was even still evolving in the main cast rehearsals. We had a French coach on hand at every cover rehearsal who helped with phonetics and pronunciation, nuance, speed and fluidity. Covers are required to observe all of the stage rehearsals, but as I was on stage a fair amount I had a good idea of Carmen’s moves, and would dash into the auditorium to catch the other bits. We also had an assistant director who diligently taught us all of the staging until we were running full scenes, then acts, culminating in a full run of the opera to an invited audience. This is known as the cover run. At Glyndebourne you’re thoroughly rehearsed and supported for the eventuality that you may go on, in fact John Findon (our cover Don José) went on with great success even before we had performed our cover run!
The Festival 2024 cover cast for the 2024 production of Carmen.
Can you share some memorable experiences or standout moments from your time at Glyndebourne this summer?
Arriving back at Glyndebourne on the first day of rehearsals was like coming home. Having been away for five years, the warm welcome from employees and colleagues was truly memorable with so many familiar faces and old friends. Another highlight is working with conductor Robin Ticciati. His keen ear for detail means that we’re always keeping the music fresh and alive, it is a joy to collaborate with him on this rich music.
What is your dream opera role?
Performing a dream role is nothing without the right team giving context and guidance to let that character fully blossom, the director can really make or break an experience. My dream directors are Adele Thomas and Barrie Kosky, both of whom have produced wildly successful Handel operas at Glyndebourne. I love the way they don’t deny how the music moves us, physically! They incorporate tightly choreographed ensembles that release another level to the storytelling. I’d love to work with them one day. Role wise, I’m drawn to the women trapped by their sex, forced to resist and push back at their fate; Ottavia from L’incoronazione di Poppea, Donna Elvira from Don Giovanni and Medea from Teseo. For the sheer beauty of the music I’d have to also include Charlotte from Werther.
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