Pinchgut Patter with Ariana Ricci

August 2026

Welcome back to Pinchgut Patter, our monthly feature where we introduce the exceptional artists and creatives bringing our productions to life.

This month, we're delighted to introduce soprano Ariana Ricci.

Read on to get to know one of the wonderful artists bringing Coffee and a Dead Canary to life.

Tell us what you are up to at the moment?

As I write this I’m currently in Neumarkt, Germany, at the International Meistersinger Akademie. It’s a month long programme where we get to sing with the Nuremberg Symphony, perform in various concerts and masterclasses, and audition for over forty casting directors and agents around Europe. It’s scary but also really exciting! Right before I came to Germany though, I graduated with my Masters from the Royal College of Music in London.

What has you most excited about this upcoming production of Coffee and a Dead Canary.

I’m most excited to see how we’re going to stage this. As it’s a concert work, the Coffee Cantata is not often staged, so I’m really looking forward working with Eugene Lynch on bringing this piece to life!

Who inspired you to pursue music?

Absolutely my parents. They are both incredible piano teachers and I was surrounded by music at all times. I grew up playing music memorising games with my teddy bears and falling asleep to the sound of my mum teaching Bach. It brought me so much joy and was such an integral part of my day to day, that I just couldn’t imagine life without it.

What piece of music do you never get tired of?

For me, that would be the Bach Goldberg Variations. It’s a really special piece to a lot of my family, and it reminds me of home.

Finally, and most importantly, how do you take your coffee?

I’m picky with my coffee! If I know the place then I take it black, but if I don’t trust them I like an iced latte with oat milk.