Canadian-born Debbie Bridge was educated at the University of British Columbia, where she won scholarships for further singing study in Salzburg under Kirsten Meyer and in Germany under Sena Jurinac. Other study has included a two-year acting course with Impulse Theatre Company, London, England.
Currently splitting her time and living in London, U.K. and Canada, Debbie has sung many leading roles including Maria, (WestSide Story), Despina, (Cosi fan tutte), Fraskita (Carmen), Lady Billows, (Albert Herring), Susannah (The Marriage of Figaro), Virtue and Valletto (The Coronation of Poppea), Musetta (La Boheme), Casilda (The Gondoliers) and Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus). A highlight was to sing with the D’Oyly Carte’s production of HMS Pinafore, including both the recording (for TER Records at Abbey Road Studios) and its tour to the US.
Debbie has been privileged to sing at the Weiner Saal, in Salzburg during the world-famous Festival season and has sung in West End productions, including the Savoy Theatre and HMS Pinafore at the Royal Festival Hall.
She’s even sung for Prince Andrew and in Prince Charles’ front garden!
Festival work includes the Edinburgh Fringe, where she was part of the successful new Opera Galactica by Richard Lewis, loosely based on the Star Wars story line and using extracts from well known Operas. At the Brighton Fringe, Debbie has worked with the Festival Shakespeare Company in a 5-star reviewed show ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, which was nominated for a Fringe Best Award. She has produced and performed in her own new one-woman show, ‘Miss Givings’ which garnered several 4 Star reviews. Currently, her latest one-woman show – Shirley Knot the Siren is touring the U.K. and Canada.
Debbie’s concert work is extensive and varied, regularly performing solos at concerts, events, and recitals as well as being asked to sing at weddings and funerals. Singing a wide range of music styles has always been important and Debbie performs music from Monteverdi to Modern. Regular work with New Music Brighton has led to many requests for performances as well as being involved in the organising and running of workshops for the organisation.
Other recent work has been the recording of her third CD, a compilation of the works she has done with NMB over the years – called ‘…because it’s Spring’. Debbie’s second CD ‘the Unknown Celebrity’ includes songs which are favourites from her ‘Songs from the Heart’ event evenings. Her first CD, ‘Sounds of America’ is a live recording of works from the concert ‘Sounds of America’ and was the forerunner to her new production – ‘Miss Givings’.
Debbie has acted roles including Gertrude (Hamlet), Feste (Twelfth Night), Anfisa (Three Sisters), Felice Bauer (At Night in Praha) and Ursula, Georgia Seacole & Martini Pink (singer) (Much Ado About Nothing). Working on TV and film has also been a part of her experience.
Also, Debbie is performing for events with her ‘Songs from the Heart’ evenings for a wide variety of events which include songs from the shows and Opera – these have been seen in Australia, U.K. and South Africa.
Debbie has also produced a radio show called New Classics for Brighton based independent station, Radio Reverb, themed around contemporary classical works and often presents talks on American and Canadian composers either as stand-alone events or as a wrap-around to her show performances. Debbie has produced a new radio show American Round Up it features pieces by classical American composers, based around her talks for Recorded Music Societies in the U.K.
Debbie is a long-standing and active member of Equity, Royal Society of Musicians and American Actors UK (she was the Chief Executive from 2010-2012 – a not for profit organisation which helps support North American Actors based in the UK). As part of her Equity Branch, Debbie performed in a ‘Midsummer Madness’ at the Unitarian Church, as part of the 2012 Shakespeare celebrations.