Linda Richardson was born in Cheshire and studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, where she was a Peter Moores Foundation Scholar and winner of the Frederic Cox Award, and then at the National Opera Studio.

An English National Opera Company Principal between 1997 and 2005, her roles there included Virtue The Coronation of Poppea, Fiordiligi Così fan tutte, Lauretta Gianni Schicchi, Micaela Carmen, Gretel Hansel and Gretel, Gilda Rigoletto, Zerlina Don Giovanni, Sophie Der Rosenkavalier, Mimi La Bohème, title roles The Fairy Queen and Alcina, Violetta La Traviata, Woglinde Rhinegold, Helena A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Donna Anna Don Giovanni. Elsewhere she has sung Karolka Jenufa, Mimi, Nanetta Falstaff, Pamina Die Zauberflöte Countess Marriage of Figaro, Violetta La Travata Gilda Rigoletto with Opera North, Lisetta La Vera Constanza at Garsington, Norina Don Pasquale for Clonter Opera, Fairy Queen in Barcelona, First Niece Peter Grimes at Netherlands Opera, Amina La Sonnambula Mimi La Boheme and Alice Falstaff for Opera Holland Park. , Katya Kabanova with ETO, Alice Falstaff and Cio-Cio San Madama Butterfly Longborough Festival Opera, Mrs Coyle Owen Wingrave Nuremburg International Music chamber Festival,

Linda performs extensively on the oratorio and concert platform, and is a frequent recitalist, recently singing at the V&A museum for their opera exhibition. She appeared as Annie in Jonathan Dove’s TV opera When She Died on Channel 4. Recordings include Hearts and Flowers, a collection of Victorian Parlour Songs, and Oscar Un Ballo in Maschera for Chandos.

Most recent and current plans include Violetta Scottish Opera and for WNO Anna Anna Bolena, Violetta Traviata, Almaltea Moses in Egitto, Elvira I Puritani and more recently Cio-Cio San Madama Butterfly.
She will return to WNO to revive the role of Violetta Traviata this autumn followed by her debut title role in Suor Angelica and a return to Longborough Festival Opera to sing Anna Bolena