Elizabeth Watts, born February 16, 1979, in Norwich, United Kingdom, is a soprano singer. She studied archaeology at the University of Sheffield before pursuing music at the Royal College of Music, graduating in 2005 with distinction and receiving the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Rose Bowl. Her breakthrough came in 2006 when Watts won the Kathleen Ferrier Prize and represented England at the Cardiff Singer of the World competition, winning the Rosenblatt Song Prize. From 2007 to 2009, she was a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist. Elizabeth Watts made her U.S. debut with the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston in 2006. Notable recordings include Schubert Lieder (2008), J.S. Bach Cantatas & Arias (2011), R. Strauss: Complete Songs, Vol. 6 (2012), and A. Scarlatti: con eco d'amore (2015). She has collaborated with various orchestras, including the Boston Handel & Haydn Society and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Elizabeth Watts was an artist in residence at the Southbank Centre from 2011 to 2012. Subsequent recordings include F. Couperin: Leçons de Ténèbres (2016), Bach: Johannes-Passion with Hans-Christoph Rademann (2019), Telemann: Ino Cantata and Double Concertos with Rachel Podger (2026), and Mel Bonis: Orchestral Works with Rumon Gamba (2026).
