Deborah Miles-Johnson — mezzo–soprano
Deborah has a busy international career as a soloist. See www.miles-johnson.co.uk for more information and a current biography.
Deborah — conductor and choir trainer
Deborah has been conducting since leaving college. In recent years she has frequently been called upon to be a voice coach and now works with many of the big London Choirs on a regular basis. Other choirs around the UK also call on her services and in 2011 she visited Hong Kong to work with the Bach Choir there.
Photo: Ed
In 1995 Deborah was asked by their director, Stephen Jackson if she would be their vocal coach. Since then, this prestigious appointment has become a most rewarding part of her life. Dividing her time between individual sessions and coaching the choir as a whole, she has helped them achieve and maintain their vibrant and incisive sound.
Photo: Robert Garbolinski
2011 saw Deborah assisting this prestigious choir with their performances of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis under Sir Colin Davis at the Proms and abroad. In November she travelled to Palermo in Sicily with them for a final performance that year. She has done 2 workshops with them in previous years and another is scheduled for March 2012.
Photo: Robert Garbolinski
The Oxford Bach Choir. Since 2007 Deborah is now also the vocal coach to the Oxford Bach Choir under its director Nicholas Cleobury. She has assisted rehearsals, taken sectionals and given many workshops.
Deborah with Rob Lane.
Deborah was appointed Associate Chorus Master in 1999 and has prepared many works with them including Mahler 2 & 8, Verdi Requiem, Bruckner Mass, Berlioz Requiem, Missa Solemnis for various conductors including Sir Colin Davis, Sir Simon Rattle and Valery Gergiev. She has also prepared lighter programmes - in concert with Lesley Garrett and Classic Spectaculars at the Royal Albert Hall. Deborah toured with them to Montepulciano and Bologna in Italy for four performances of the Mozart Requiem for the festival. She also prepared the music for the recording of the successful television series Merlin with music by Rob Lane.
Chelsea Opera Group. Deborah was their Chorus Master for the first time in La Traviata in Feb 2010 with a performance at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. She received the following reviews:
- The conductor, Gianluca Marcianò in collaboration with the chorus master, Deborah Miles-Johnson, brought out a quality in the chorus that I have not heard for a very long time.
- The chorus, trained by guest chorus master Deborah Miles-Johnson, seemed to be on better form than they have been in the recent past; I certainly hope that Ms Miles-Johnson is asked back.
She has now prepared several shows for them including a Gala concert at the Guildhall in London, all of which have been well reviewed. She also took the role of Un Musico in their performance of Puccini’s Manon Lescaut.
Berkshire Choral Festival. Deborah was a regular visitor to Canterbury where she was alto faculty in the annual Berkshire Choral Festival. She subsequently travelled to Boston, Mass where she conducted highly successful workshops for the Newton Community Chorus and Lexington. She also visited Prague with BCF in May 2009 for the Terezin Commemorative Day. She will be joining them again in Edinburgh in June 2012
Operatic Societies
Deborah started by conducting Imperial College Operatic Society in the Sorcerer and the Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan after leaving the RCM. Since then she has conducted many groups including Ware Operatic Society with whom she conducted the Sorcerer, La Perichole (Offenbach) and a concert performance of excerpts of Aida and La Boheme with piano. She is delighted to be their president.
The Imperial Male Voice Choir was formed in 1979 by Deborah and her many friends from Imperial College Operatic society and they won many competitions in the early years. Now they perform several concerts a year for charity and regularly tour abroad visiting Slovenia in 2006 and southern France in 2008. They are regular visitors to Switzerland having performed in various towns and villages in 2004 and 2007. They returned in 2010 to perform 3 concerts in Grindelwald and environs. In 2007 they also came third in the International Male Voice Choir Competition in Cornwall Future plans include a trip to St Petersburg in 2013.
