Kathleen McKellar Ferguson
Kathleen McKellar Ferguson is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in
both piano (with Lawrence Glover) and singing(with Elizabeth Izatt).After finishing her teacher
training she pursued post graduate studies in singing at the Royal College of Music in London with
Marion Studholme. On leaving college she received a Countess of Munster Scholarship and since then
she has studied with Margaret Hyde.
Kathleen’s international concert career has taken her to, most notably, the Gstaad
Festival (Beethoven Symphony no 9 conducted by Menuhin), Festival of Sacred Music in Czestochowa in
Poland, Mozart Festival in Vienna (Mozart Requiem), Orchestra of RAI in Milan, Tokyo Philharmonic
(Messiah and Beethoven symphony no 9 in the suntory hall), Czech Philharmonic, Orchestra of Euskede
in Spain, St Petersburg Camerata( Messiah in the Hermitage theatre and the Symphony hall) and
Orchestra of the Theatre Royal de le Monnaie in Brussels (Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde) to name
but a few.
In the UK she has sung with many of the leading orchestras including the Royal Liverpool
Philharmonic Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, London Bach Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra at The
Queens Festival in Belfast, Bournemouth Sinfonietta, and the Orchestra of St John’s Smith Square.
Recordings include Beethoven Symphony no 9 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (also performed at
the Royal Festival Hall at the 75
th birthday concert of Sir Yehudi Menuhin in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen
Mother), Lily Boulanger’s Au fond de l’Abime at the Three Choirs Festival broadcast live for
Radio 3 and Handel’s Messiah in the Royal Albert Hall, London with the BBC Concert orchestra and
Huddersfield Choral Society.
Kathleen sang many song recitals with her accompanists Peter Bailey and Merion Powell.
Highlights include Theatre Royale de la Monnaie, Queens Festival (Belfast) and in 1991 her Wigmore
Hall debut in London. She has also made numerous broadcasts for BBC religious department and for
BBC television a Christmas Day Celebration. In 1996 she released a recording of Scottish folk songs
with Peter Bailey.
Operatic Roles include Florence Pike (Albert Herring) at the Aldeburgh Festival, Marcellina
and Cherubino (Marriage of Figaro) for Pavillion Opera and Clonter Opera, Mercedes (Carmen) for
Clonter Opera, Maketaten (Akhnaten) for ENO, Suzuki (Madam Butterfly) for a tour of the Middle East
and for Opera Forum in the Netherlands, Second Lady (Magic Flute) for the Theatre Royale de la
Monnaie in Brussels and at the Aix-en Provence Festival with Les Arts Florissan under Sir William
Christie, and Bradamante (Alcina) for Flanders Opera in Antwerp under Jos van Imerseel and for
Zurich Opera under Niklaus Harnoncourt.
Whilst in London Kathleen taught singing at the
Purcell School and at St Paul’s Girls school. She now lives in Scotland with her husband Grant and
teaches singing at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.