|
        
|
|
March 3, 6, 9, 11 - 2012
Grandma Josephine/Mrs. Teavee
The Golden Ticket
Atlanta Opera
|
|
|
A winner of the 2007 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton has been described by Opera News as “a rising star” with a “sumptuous voice." Ms. Barton is also a recent graduate of the Houston Grand Opera Studio.
In the 2010-11 season, Ms. Barton performs Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte with the Metropolitan Opera and Dryad in Ariadne Auf Naxos with Houston Grand Opera. Concert appearances include: Domenico Scarlatti’s rarely performed comic intermezzo La Dirindina with Ars Lyrica (Music of the Baroque), Mozart’s Requiem with Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra under Edo de Waart, and Schubert’s Mass No. 6 with San Diego Symphony. She presents recitals in Jacksonville and Sarasota, Florida, and appears as a guest soloist in the Marilyn Horne Foundation Gala at Carnegie Hall.
In the 2009-10 season, Ms. Barton made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte, and performed Emilia in Otello with the Canadian Opera Company. In concert, she performed Bernstein’s Opening Prayer and Jeremiah Symphony with the Colorado Symphony under Marin Alsop. She also appeared in recital with the Vocal Arts Society at the Kennedy Center, under the auspices of the Marilyn Horne Foundation, as well as Carnegie Hall as part of their "Great Singers III: Evenings of Song" series. This summer, Ms. Barton returned to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as Marcellina in The Marriage of Figaro.
In recent seasons, Ms. Barton appeared with the Houston Grand Opera as Ursula in Béatrice et Bénédict, Giovanna in Rigoletto, and Mrs. Rolandson in the world premiere of André Previn’s Brief Encounter. Ms. Barton made her Weill Hall debut in a duo recital with tenor Russell Thomas, presented by the Marilyn Horne Foundation. In the summer of 2009, she joined the Wolf Trap Opera Company in the role of Penelope in Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria, as well as in recital with pianist Steve Blier, also at Wolf Trap. With the Aspen Music Festival, Ms. Barton appeared in recital with bass-baritone Ryan McKinny, as well as a concert of Bernstein/Bruce Coughlin: Arias and Barcarolles with the Aspen Chamber Symphony, also with Ryan McKinny.
Jamie Barton made her professional debut as Annina in La Traviata with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and also covered such roles as Olga Olsen in Street Scene, Katisha in The Mikado, Mrs. Rochester in the American premiere of Michael Berkeley's Jane Eyre, and Betsy in the world premiere of David Carlson’s Anna Karenina. Recently, she returned to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as Suzuki in their production of Madame Butterfly, followed by performances of the Witch in Hansel and Gretel with Aspen Music Festival. As a graduate student of Indiana University, Ms. Barton performed roles such as Tisbe in La Cenerentola, Buttercup in HMS Pinafore, and Mrs. Soames in the 2006 world premiere of Ned Rorem's Our Town.
An avid recitalist, Ms. Barton has appeared with the Marilyn Horne Foundation On Wings of Song recital series, and made her Spivey Hall debut singing Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody, which was also broadcast on NPR. Ms. Barton has received extensive training as a recitalist at the Tanglewood Music Center, where she was a Fellow in Vocal Studies for the summers of 2006 and 2007. At the Tanglewood Music Center, she worked with such artists and coaches as James Levine, Dawn Upshaw, Phyllis Curtin, Kayo Iwama, Ira Siff, Lucy Shelton, Alan Smith, and Olly Wilson. As a member of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, she participated in several recital series including the popular “Recital at Rienzi.” Additional concert performances include the world premiere of Chris Theofanidis’s The Refuge with the Houston Grand Opera, Duruflé’s Requiem, Bach’s Cantata 197 with the ensemble Kammerbach, Handel’s Alexander’s Feast, Honegger’s King David, and Mozart’s Requiem.
|
|
|
The Stars of Lyric Opera of Chicago at Millennium Park
"During such a concert with manifold talents in evidence it would seem difficult to single out individual vocalists for their memorable efforts. Yet the performance given by mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton of Léonor’s aria “Ô mon Fernand” from Donizetti’s La favorite deserves particular recognition. Here was a voice that showed remarkable color and depth from the first notes of her aria. One admired the security of range as Ms. Barton’s voice lamented the fate of her love, the vocal line descending to heartfelt emotional depths at “Hélas! est condamné!” (“Alas! My love is condemned!). Her ascent to top notes on “tout” (“everything”) and “justice” and the cry of despair, which she took forte without a trace of harshness, prepared a transition to the middle section of the piece. At this point Léonor appeals to God for death. Her line, “fais-moi mourir” (“make me die”), performed by Ms. Barton with a fully rounded expressiveness, made the character’s entreaty all the more credible. In the last segment of the aria, taken at a brisker tempo, Ms. Barton’s melodic agility and dramatic high notes concluding on “sera morte avant ce soir” (“will be dead before tonight”) gave an exciting finish to this accomplished performance. As a whole, Ms. Barton’s aria was yet another example of the passion in which both singers and audience participate and about which Mr. [Anthony] Freud spoke as being an integral part of great operatic performances."
- Opera Today
"American mezzo Jamie Barton was the discovery of the evening. A grand finalist in the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions in 2007, she was riveting as the mournful young Leonor in "O mon Fernand…Mon arret descend du ciel" from Donizetti’s La favorite. Her voice was rich with myriad colors, full of velvety smoke in its lowest register and ringing with clarion strength at its upper reaches. Standing quietly, she conveyed a depth of regret and loss that was profoundly moving."
- Chicago Classical Review
"On the up-and-coming side, mezzo Jamie Barton, debuting here this season, was a rich-voiced showstopper, both in “O mon Fernand” from Donizetti’s 'La favorite' and in the added duet from Delibes’ 'Lakme' with dependable returning soprano Anna Christy."
- Chicago Sun Times
"Jamie Barton, a highly gifted young American mezzo whom Lyric has tapped to take on three supporting roles this year, showed why she's on opera's fast track with stunning readings of an aria from Donizetti's 'La Favorite' and her part of the 'Lakme' duet."
- Chicago Tribune
"The audience was treated to a tour-de-force with Jamie Barton’s performance of “Mon arrêt descend du ciel” from Donizetti’s La favorite, a piece that showed the range of the singer’s intensity and expression. Barton’s performance in the famous duet from Lakmé “Dôme épais” was similarly nuanced, as she shared the stage with soprano Anna Christy."
- www.seenandheard-international.com |
|
|
|
Official site of
mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton. Copyright ©
VoxPage1.com. All Rights Reserved |
|
|
|