Simone is an opera singer and maker, passionate about work that brings joy, and reflects and affects the world we live in. She is honoured to be a BBC Radio 3 Next Generation Voice 2019, and a Women of the Future Awards-winner 2020.
Performances in 2022/23 include Amneris, Aida (Opera Festival Scotland); Melissa, La liberazione di Ruggiero (Longborough Festival Opera); Carmen, Carmen (University of East Anglia Symphony Orchestra); O King (London Sinfonietta); Earth Song Cycle (Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment); Four AfroCuban Songs (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra); belly/back (Sadler’s Wells); and recitals for the Bishopsgate Institute, Black British Classical Foundation, National Gallery, London Festival of American Music, and more. She features on Métier’s release of Alastair White’s critically-acclaimed fashion-opera RUNE. Other performance highlights include Grace, Opera Mums (BBC Four); Mami Wata (Pegasus Opera, Royal Opera House); Passepartout, Around the World in 80 Days (West Green House Opera); Jo, Dead Equal (Summerhall); and small roles in Porgy and Bess (English National Opera, Dutch National Opera, Theater an der Wien). Before training in classical voice, she was a backing vocalist performing at festivals and venues across Europe.
She is a published playwright, and has been engaged to direct and write for professional, emerging artist, and community companies across the UK. Engagements in 2022/23 include releasing her and Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong’s Shuck ‘n’ Jive on film (Soho Theatre On Demand); writing and directing The Anonymous Lover (Glyndebourne Touring Opera) and A Tale of Eurydice and Orpheus (Opera North); and directing Women of the Windrush (Buxton International Festival, UK tour), FEAST (Wilton’s Music Hall), The Aspern Papers (Pegasus Opera), and workshops of new shows with The Kooks’ Hugh Harris, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Previous engagements include making short film What Do You Hope For? (English National Opera); writing the libretto for augmented reality experience HAM the Illustrator’s Munkination (Royal Opera Audience Labs); and directing her all-singing, all-dancing Il barbiere di Siviglia (Devon Opera), Hansel and Gretel (East Anglia Opera), and Around the world in 80 days (West Green House Opera).
Simone trained at the University of York and Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she recently completed a fellowship, leading a course on artist-activism. Find out more at simoneibbettbrown.com.
- Amneris, Aida (Opera Festival Scotland)
- Grace, Opera Mums (BBC Four)
- Melissa, La liberazione di Ruggiero (Longborough Festival Opera)
- Soloist, Mami Wata (Royal Opera House, Pegasus Opera)
- Soloist, Earth Song Cycle (Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment)
- Soloist, Four AfroCuban Songs (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)
- Playwright, director, The Anonymous Lover (Glyndebourne Touring Opera)
- Playwright, composer, Shuck’n’Jive (Soho Theatre)
- Director, FEAST (Wilton’s Music Hall)
- Course curator, Artist-activism: using your voice for good (Guildhall School of Music & Drama)