Personal Profile About Amanda Holden
Amanda Holden (1948-2021) trained as a musician. She wrote many texts for stage performance; the majority of these are translations of opera librettos ranging throughout the repertoire, but also of concert works, Lieder, Music Theatre and plays. Her work has been performed by all Britain’s opera companies and abroad in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and coast to coast in the US. Her 2011 ‘sensitive and poetic’ translation of Rameau’s Castor & Pollux received an Olivier Award nomination. As well as translations, Amanda wrote librettos. They include Bliss, after Peter Carey’s novel, for Brett Dean (Opera Australia); Family Matters, for six composers, after Beaumarchais’ La mère coupable (Tête-à-Tête), The Piano Tuner for Nigel Osborne, after Daniel Mason’s novel (Music Theatre Wales/ROH) and The Silver Tassie after Sean O’Casey’s play (for Mark-Anthony Turnage, ENO), for which she and the composer received the 2001 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera.