British-Spanish soprano Ana Beard Fernández was brought up in Manchester, beginning her musical training in Manchester Cathedral Choir and Chethams School of Music, and later the University of York and the Royal College of Music where she graduated from her Masters with Distinction.

Early 2025 will feature two CDs releases, Paul Bowles’ incidental music to Lorca’s Yerma (Yerma) with the English Chamber Orchestra, and 'Habanera’ (working title) a collaboration with baritone Roderick Williams of songs arranged for voice and cello ensemble, including including Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 and Montsalvatge’s Cinco Canciones Negras, for SOMM Recordings. Other upcoming releases include Ravel: Daphnis & Chloé (November) with John Wilson and Sinfonia of London, with whom she will record Debussy: Nocturnes this Autumn.

Ana’s recent operatic appearances include ‘Margery’ in New Sussex Opera's critically-acclaimed tour of The Dragon of Wantley (Lampe), ‘Venus’ in Blow’s Venus and Adonis with L’Istante Collective, ‘Dido’ and ‘Belinda/First Witch’ in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas with groups including Ensemble O/Modernt in Stockholm, Sweden, ‘Fiordiligi’ in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, ‘First Niece’ in Peter Grimes at St. Endellion Festival, covering and performing the role of ‘Micaëla’ in Bizet’s Carmen at Longborough Festival Opera, and Handel’s Semele (chorus) at Opéra de Lille with Emmanuele Haïm and Le Concert d’Astrée.

This season’s appearances on the concert platform include a Rameau and Charpentier double-bill with Laurence Cummings and Academy of Ancient Music, Elijah with the Crouch End Festival Chorus at Alexandra Palace, and concerts with SWR Symphony orchestra in Berlin, Stuttgart and Freiburg.

Additional highlights in include concert arias at The English Haydn Festival under the baton of Steven Devine and the English Haydn Orchestra, performances with I Fagiolini at venues including St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Stour Festival, and online at Voces 8 centre, Messiah at St. John Smith’s Square with the Parliament choir and Southbank Sinfonia, Monteverdi with La Nuova Musica at the Wigmore Hall, Monteverdi Vespers at Huddersfield Town Hall and Cadogan Hall, alongside oratorio appearances with distinguished baroque ensembles Florilegium in Salisbury Catherdral, Barokksolistene in Norway, and the Hanover Band. She launched her baroque ensemble Ana y La Locura this summer at Festival de La Gente, HandelHendrix and St Clement Danes.

Ana is also an experienced contemporary music specialist, with performances spanning Risset Inharmonique, Ondřej Adámek's Karakuri - Poupée mécanique, Adams' Grand Pianola Music, and Traffick by Emma-Ruth Richards, presented at a workshop in the Royal Opera House's Linbury Studio. Others include Unsuk Chin’s Akrostichon-Wortespiel, Judith Weir’s King Harald’s Saga, Tim Watt’s opera Kepler’s Trial at the V&A, Luca Francesconi’s Etymo, and Jonathan Dove’s Far Theatricals of the Day. She is proud to have commissioned and premiered works by Jonathan Brigg, Rose Miranda Hall, Stef Conner, Eoghan Desmond, Michael Nyman, Ben Rowarth, Joe Steele and Samantha Fernando, amongst others.

Ana's teenage debut as ‘cante-jondo’ soloist in De Falla’s El Sombrero de Tres Picos with the Hallé at the Bridgewater Hall marked the beginning of her career. She is bilingual, thanks to her Galician mother and Derbyshire-born father. She studied at the University of York, where she was recipient of the Ed Burrell Award for Excellence in Performance, and completed her postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Music, where she attained a Masters with Distinction.

She's part of the professional quartet at St Clement Danes church in central London and hosts a concert series there twice a month, celebrating up and coming talented musicians.

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