Juliette Louise B. Pochin (born 1971) is a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

classically trained mezzo-soprano singer, composer/arranger, and record producer. She is known not only for her performances in operas and as a classical recitalist as well as for her recordings of operatically styled

crossover music Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers who appeal to different types of audience. This can be seen, for example, (especially in the United States) when a song appears on two or more of the record charts which track differi ...

. Morgan Pochin, the partnership which she formed with her husband James Morgan is known for their record productions for artists such as Katherine Jenkins and Alfie Boe, as well as their arrangements for film and television scores.

Biography and career

Born in

Haverfordwest Haverfordwest (, ; cy, Hwlffordd ) is the county town of Pembrokeshire, Wales, and the most populous urban area in Pembrokeshire with a population of 14,596 in 2011. It is also a community, being the second most populous community in the county, ...

, Pochin attended the Royal Academy of Music (Junior Academy) and the

Wells Cathedral School Wells Cathedral School is a co-educational independent school located in Wells, Somerset, England. The school is one of the five specialist musical schools for school-age children in the United Kingdom, along with Chetham's School of Music, th ...

. She went on to read music at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...

as a choral scholar and also trained at the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...

. In 2005 she was signed by Sony BMG to record her debut album, ''Venezia,'' released in 2006 as Classic FM's "Record of the Week". Five months after the album's release, the British owned chocolatiers, Hotel Chocolat introduced a new chocolate range named for her, inspired by a description of her voice in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...

'' as "sounding like melted chocolate". Pochin is married to the conductor and composer, James Morgan. The couple met at Cambridge University and first worked together composing for the

Footlights Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge, England, founded in 1883 and run by the students of Cambridge University. History Footlights' inaugural ...

. They went on to form Morgan Pochin Music Productions.

Morgan Pochin Music Productions

Morgan Pochin Music Productions is a UK-based company. Its founders James Morgan and Juliette Pochin produce recordings as well as composing original works and arranging music. They have composed and arranged music for several television shows including '' The Kumars at No. 42'' as well as writing and producing Katherine Jenkins' debut album '' Premiere''.Monk, Judith
Judith Monk spends time with Juliette Pochin, the mezzo-soprano with a "smooth and chocolaty" voice
''

Musical Opinion ''Musical Opinion'', often abbreviated to ''MO'', is a European classical music journal edited and produced in the UK. It is currently among the oldest such journals to be still publishing in the UK, having been continuously in publication sinc ...

'', 1 January 2007. Accessed via subscription 15 May 2010 The company also produced

The King's Singers The King's Singers are a British a cappella vocal ensemble founded in 1968. They are named after King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the 19 ...

' album ''Swimming Over London'', Pochin's solo album ''Venezia'', Brian Knowles' ''Poetry Serenade'', and Classic FM's ''Songs Without Words''. Morgan and Pochin arranged the tracks "Lucrezia" (based on "Gia nel seno" from Handel's cantata ''La Lucrezia'') and "Pace non trovo" (a vocal adaptation of

Alessandro Marcello Alessandro Ignazio Marcello (; 1 February 1673 – 19 June 1747) was an Italian nobleman and composer. Biography Born in Venice, Marcello was the son of a senator, and as a nobleman, enjoyed a comfortable life that gave him the freedom to ...

's ''Oboe Concerto'') on

Danielle De Niese Danielle de Niese (born 11 April 1979) is an Australian-American lyric soprano. After success as a young child in singing competitions in Australia, she moved to the United States where she developed an operatic career. From 2005 she came to wi ...

's 2010 album, ''Diva''. Their choral composition ''Kubla Khan'' had its world premiere at the 2002

Brighton Festival Brighton Festival is a large, annual, curated multi-arts festival in England. It includes music, theatre, dance, circus, art, film, literature, debate, outdoor and family events, and takes place in venues in the city of Brighton and Hove in Engla ...

. In 2010, Morgan Pochin adapted Mozart's music into a modern film score for a new British film based on his opera '' Così fan tutte''. The film's working title is ''First Night'' and stars Richard E. Grant and Sarah Brightman. The film soundtrack album, arranged and produced by Morgan Pochin, was released on the Sony label in October 2011. In 2010 Morgan Pochin produced ''Bring him Home'', Alfie Boe's first album for Decca Records. In 2011, Morgan Pochin produced various tracks for

Joe McElderry Joseph McElderry (; born 16 June 1991) is an English singer and songwriter. He won the sixth series of the ITV show ''The X Factor'' in 2009. His first single " The Climb" reached number one on both the UK Singles Chart and the Irish Singl ...

's second studio album ''

Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a ''c ...

''. The album reached number two in the UK charts on 3 September 2011. In late 2011 Morgan Pochin produced ''Alfie'', their second album for Alfie Boe on Decca records. In 2012 Morgan Pochin produced the music for

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is ...

's first film as director ''Quartet'' – starring Maggie Smith,

Billy Connolly Sir William Connolly (born 24 November 1942) is a Scottish actor, retired comedian, artist, writer, musician, and presenter. He is sometimes known, especially in his homeland, by the Scots nickname the Big Yin ("the Big One"). Known for his ...

Tom Courtenay Sir Thomas Daniel Courtenay (; born 25 February 1937) is an English actor. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Courtenay achieved prominence in the 1960s with a series of acclaimed film roles, including ''The Loneliness of ...

and Michael Gambon. Work was completed in early 2013 on "The Great Enormo – a Kerfuffle in B flat for orchestra, soprano and wasps"; music by James Morgan and Juliette Pochin, words by

Michael Rosen Michael Wayne Rosen (born 7 May 1946) is a British children's author, poet, presenter, political columnist, broadcaster and activist who has written 140 books. He served as Children's Laureate from 2007 to 2009. Early life Michael Wayne Ro ...

. Commissioned by the

, it premiered on 4 May 2013 in the Brighton Dome for the opening of the festival. It featured Michael Rosen as narrator, James Morgan as conductor, Juliette Pochin as soprano and the City of London Sinfonia as the orchestra. It has since been performed with the

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. It is the resident orchestra at Symphony Hall: a B:Music Venue in Birmingham, which has been its principal performance venue since 1991. Its a ...

at the

Birmingham Symphony Hall Symphony Hall is a 2,262 seat concert venue in Birmingham, England. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 12 June 1991, although it had been in use since 15 April 1991. It is home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and hos ...

, the Southbank Centre (Imagine Festival) and it has been translated into Portuguese for performances over there. In mid-2013 Morgan Pochin produced, arranged and composed tracks for the album ''Wonderful World'' by Jack Topping. The album was released by Decca Records on 2 December 2013 and reached number 1 in the Classical Artists Chart on 14 December. Topping is the youngest solo artist to be signed by Decca Records. In conjunction with

Parkinson's UK Parkinson's UK is a Parkinson's research and support charity in the United Kingdom. In April 2010, the Parkinson's Disease Society changed its name to become Parkinson's UK. Its aims are to improve the quality of life for people affected by Park ...

, Morgan Pochin arranged "Symfunny", a fundraising concert held in June 2014 at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Recordings

As performer

*''Venezia'' (selections from

Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widesprea ...

's sonnets sung to the music of his '' The Four Seasons''). Label: Sony/BMG.Smith, David
"Four Seasons find their voice as Vivaldi sonnets are set to music"
''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...

'', 7 May 2006. Accessed 15 May 2010 *''The Sky Shall Be Our Roof'' (rare songs from the operas of Ralph Vaughan Williams) –

Sarah Fox Sarah Fox (born 19 September 1973) is an English operatic soprano who has performed at several of the world's leading opera houses, notably the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. Fox was born in Giggleswick, Settle, West Riding of Yorkshire. She ...

(soprano), Juliette Pochin (mezzo-soprano),

Andrew Staples Andrew Staples (born 19 August 1979) is an English operatic tenor. Education and training Staples started as a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral and was accepted at Eton College under a musical scholarship. Career With The Royal Opera, Staples ...

(tenor), Roderick Williams (baritone),

Iain Burnside Iain Burnside is a Scottish classical pianist and accompanist, and a former presenter on BBC Radio 3. Following study at Merton College, Oxford, the Royal Academy of Music and the Chopin Academy, in Warsaw he became a freelance pianist, special ...

(piano). Label: Albion Records *''Poetry Serenade'' (English poems set by composer Brian Knowles) –

Jon Christos Jon Christos (born John Christodoulou 23 March 1976, Salford, England) is an English singer, local radio presenter. and a member of the Professorial Staff - Vocal Studies at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. A classically tra ...

(tenor), Nick Garrett (bass-baritone), Juliette Pochin (mezzo-soprano),

Elin Manahan Thomas Elin Manahan Thomas (born 1977) is a Welsh soprano. A specialist in Baroque music, she sang at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018. Biography Thomas was born in Gorseinon near Swansea, Wales, the daughter of M. Wynn Thom ...

(soprano);

City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (Czech: ''Filharmonici města Prahy'') is a classical orchestra, predominantly composed of Czech classical, jazz and guest musicians. The history of the orchestra goes back to the Film Symphony Orchestr ...

, James Morgan (conductor). Label: Signum records.Signum Records
Liner notes: ''Poetry Serenade''
2008. Accessed 19 May 2010

As producer/arranger

*''Vera 100''. Label: Decca *''Songs Without Words''. Label: Universal/Classic FM *''Premiere'' – Katherine Jenkins. Label: UCJ *''Bring Him Home'' – Alfie Boe. Label: Decca *''Alfie'' – Alfie Boe. Label: Decca. *''Classic'' – Joe McElderry. Label: Decca. *''Classic Christmas'' – Joe McElderry. Label: Decca *''Classic Rock''. Label: Decca. *''Songs Without Words'' – Label UCJ *''Swimming over London'' – The Kings Singers – Label: Signum. *''Venezia'' – Juliette Pochin.- Label: Sony.

References

External links

(official website)
Morgan Pochin
(official website)
Diary of a Domestic Diva blog
(blog)
Morgan Pochin
on

Faber Music Faber Music is a British sheet music publisher best known for contemporary classical music. It also publishes music tutor books, and in 2005 acquired popular music publisher International Music Publications. Faber Music has close relations to ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pochin, Juliette Living people Operatic mezzo-sopranos 21st-century British women opera singers British record producers British music arrangers Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama People from Haverfordwest 1971 births British women record producers