Linda Hirst’s 40 year career began with the Monteverdi, Schutz and John Alldis Choirs, from which she became a soloist with John Eliot Gardiner and Roger Norrington in many concerts and recordings. From ’74-’78 she was a Swingle Singer, leaving to co-found Electric Phoenix in ’79. Both groups toured the world, leading to world premieres for Linda herself from composers Knussen, Holt, Muldowney, Weir, Henze, Osborne, Ficarra, Grange, with the Ensembles Modern, recherché, Intercontemporain, London Sinfonietta, Glyndebourne, ROH, and orchestras in Europe and America. She worked closely with Henze, Berio and Ligeti with London Sinfonietta and the Schoenberg Ensemble, with conductors Gielen, Howarth, Atherton, Rattle, Knott, Metzmacher, Nagano etc. Pierrot Lunaire has been a constant thread throughout, and in November this year she will perform it for Nuria Schoenberg’s 80th birthday at the Fenice.