Born in Bristol, Louise set out to train as an opera singer and studied singing at the famous Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. It was a chance encounter with producers Tim Smit (now known for the Eden Project) and Charlie Skarbeck that led to the conception of the album MIDNIGHT BLUE, which is now regarded as the first combination of classical melody in a popular idiom to have enjoyed world-wide success. Its popularity led to appearances with such artists as John Denver, Marvin Gaye, Dire Straits and Randy Crawford. The second album, AFTER THE STORM, followed. MIDNIGHT BLUE became one of the ten most played records in the USA and appeared in the Guinness Book of Music Records. Together the albums sold over 3 million copies. Of course appearances on numerous shows in and around Europe followed, including the Yamaha Song Festival, Top of the Pops, Pebble Mill and a memorable interview with Rod Hull and Emu!
Whilst being resolutely proud of her achievements in popular music, Louise chose to return to her roots in classical music, where she enjoys performing in operas and oratorio concerts with choral societies.
During her varied opera career she has performed for many companies including Dublin Grand Opera, Kent Opera, the Aix-en-Provence Festival, Orleans Opera and the Holland Park Festival. She has enjoyed singing many roles ranging from Dido in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas to Ulrica in Verdi's Un Ballo Maschera as well as supporting contemporary music.
On the concert platform she is in demand as a soloist in works ranging from Handel's Messiah and Bach's Passions to solo works such as Elgar's Sea Pictures, but it is in romantic oratorios such as Verdi's Requiem and Elgar's Dream of Gerontius that she now enjoys the most acclaim.
She is also committed to helping young singers and enjoys a considerable success as a teacher, where her wealth of experiences offer her pupils an unusually cosmopolitan education. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.