Hannah Francis was born in London. When she was only 15 years old she received a scholarship to the Royal College of Music to study harp and voice, later winning the Royal Overseas League Prize for the most promising young musician in Great Britain. As a singer she was the recipient of various prestigious prizes. For three years Hannah Francis was principal soprano with English National Opera, where her rôles included Mozart’s Pamina, Zerlina and Despina, Jitka in Smetana’s Dalibor, Kristina in Janáček’s The Makropulos Affair and the Woodbird in Wagner’s Siegfried. Subsequent engagements have included the rôle of Amenaide in Rossini’s Tancredi, performed in France – Rennes, Angers and Orléans – and in London, also recorded for Arion Records. She performed as Floria Tosca in Puccini’s Tosca at The South Bank, Francesca da Rimini in Riccardo Zandonai’s opera of that name, and the title role in Mascagni’s Iris. She has sung Freia in Wagner’s Das Rheingold, Leila in Bizet’s Les Pêcheurs de Perles at the Adelina Patti Theatre in Wales, Elettra in Mozart’s Idomeneo and, for Handel Opera at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London, Morgana in Alcina and Fulvia in Ezio. She also starred as Sister Angelica, appearing with the late Joan Sutherland in the highly acclaimed Decca recording of Puccini’s Suor Angelica conducted by Richard Bonynge. She was the founder of the Tower of London Music Festival where she sang the title rôle in Donizetti’s Anna Bolena. On the concert platform Hannah Francis has appeared with many of the world’s leading orchestras and worked with distinguished conductors including Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Charles Groves, Gary Bertini, Sir Simon Rattle, Michael Lankester, John Perras, Sir Mark Elder, Howard Williams, Nicholas Braithwaite, Richard Bonynge, Sir Neville Marriner, Sir John Eliot Gardiner and Nicholas Cleobury. Performances include Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Haydn’s Creation with the Prague Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland, Luigi Dallapiccola’s work for soprano and ensemble Commiato with the London Sinfonietta, Mozart’s Exultate, Jubilate with the London Mozart Players, Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite with the Royal Philharmonic, and Gorecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra in the USA What the critics say: "Purity of tone, musical and exciting, fine artistry" - Daily Telegraph "Fresh, winning" - Financial Times "Highly Personal Singing" - The Times "Dramatic Grasp" - Opera Magazine "Fine Singing" - The New York Herald Tribune