Fiona Wilson is an exceptional soprano singer, cabaret entertainer and vocal coach with a distinguished career. Hitting number one on iTunes Vocal Charts in 2017, her majestic operatic piece, In Paradisum, was hugely popular following its feature in BBC drama Broken, starring Sean Bean and Anna Friel. Fiona has performed all over the world in her Bon Voyage one-woman show and her eclectic repertoire of opera, ‘popera’ and Broadway has been experienced by audiences globally. Yet back in the county where she is based, in June 2019 Fiona put on an extraordinary show highlighting the women who inspired Mozart’s music and she chose the intimate setting of the Guildhall as the final leg of its tour.

Mozart’s Muses, an operetta written and performed by Fiona at the Guildhall, told the story of the powerful 18^th-century women who inspired Mozart. Apart from the voices of Mozart and his father Leopold, where a male actor was used, Fiona spoke and sang in solo. The much-admired one-act drama featured Mozart’s letters, his melodies and most of all his muses. Fiona’s performance celebrated the female voice and shone light on the forgotten women that were instrumental in shaping one of the greatest composers in history. A story of love and lust was told by Fiona, transporting the audience of the Guildhall’s Court Room to Vienna.

Attracting a wide-ranging audience, from experts on classical music to people who knew nothing about it, Fiona’s performance received great reviews across the board. Through this unconventional approach to classical music and its success in engaging all kinds of people, Fiona achieved her aim of demystifying this tradition of music and debunking a view of it as elitist. By presenting classical music innovatively, Fiona brought it down to earth.

“I can’t fault it as a place, the Guildhall is stunning.”

Fiona discovered the Guildhall when she sang there at a wedding in August 2018. She was instantly struck by its beauty.