Charlotte de Rothschild

The British soprano Charlotte de Rothschild has explored core operatic and oratorio literature yet has focused her energies on distinctive thematic recitals, including several devoted to the Rothschild banking dynasty from which she descends. Born Charlotte Henriette de Rothschild on November 28, 1955, to Edmund Leopold de Rothschild and Elizabeth Edith Lentner Rothschild, she grew up at the Exbury Gardens estate in Hampshire, England, where a rhododendron hybrid bears her name. Her training took place at the Salzburg Mozarteum and the Royal College of Music in London. Oratorio engagements have included performances with the Bach Choir under David Willcocks. Much of her stage activity has unfolded in Japan, where she captured Rossini’s Petite Messe Solonelle and became the first foreign singer to record numerous Japanese-song albums. Her voice also appeared in the NHK television documentary Rothschild Passions. Rothschild has devised and toured two family-themed programs. Family Connections presents songs written by friends or instructors of Rothschild relatives across two centuries. The Songs of Mathilde de Rothschild showcases works by her ancestor, a Chopin pupil; with assistance from musicologist Philip Gossett she located the pieces through original research and prepared polished editions. In 2013 she released a double album of Mathilde’s songs on the Nimbus label that earned strong reviews. Additional Nimbus recordings encompass Schumann lieder, works by several British composers, and further Japanese-oriented collections. The Songs of Cyril Scott appeared on the Lyrita label in 2018. In the United States she has presented the program Mirages: The Light and Life of John LaFarge Through Music at museum exhibitions devoted to the French-American artist.