Jennifer Wilson (born 1966, Fairfax, Virginia, USA) is an American soprano known especially for her Wagnerian opera roles. She is the daughter of Newton Wilson (son of the late Frontier Airlines co-founder Raymond Wilson) and Katherine Still. The daughter, granddaughter and niece of professional singers, instrumentalists and music educators, Wilson grew up steeped in music from opera and oratorio to rock 'n' roll and bluegrass. She began tap dance lessons at age 3, ballet at 8, piano at 10, and solo classical singing at 12. Wilson attended Cornell University for several years, eventually departing on a leave of absence which she filled with advanced training in acting, languages, and vocal studies with former Metropolitan Opera coloratura soprano Marilyn Cotlow. During this time, Wilson supported herself as a news bureau assistant and wire editor for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The consolidation of US international broadcast services in 1995 caused Wilson to lose her position with RFE/RL, forcing her to find other employment. At this point she took up singing full-time, though her breakthrough to the elusive ranks of international soloist was still several years away.
Wilson made her professional debut relatively late at the age of 36 in the title role of Puccini's Turandot with the Connecticut Opera in 2002. [1] Prior to this she had spent much of her career in the chorus of opera houses such as Washington Opera or as an understudy. [2] Following this debut, she went on to take a number of major roles in the US although initially often appearing at short notice when the scheduled artist was unable to appear. Such roles included:
It was not until the 2004/2005 season, when, as an understudy, she took over from Jane Eaglen, due to illness, as Brünnhilde in Wagner's Götterdämmerung at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, that domestic and international success was to begin. [3] Anne Midgette notes that Wilson's acclaimed performance in this role was made more remarkable by the fact that she had sung Brünnhilde in Die Walküre (in rehearsal) the previous day. [2] Midgette noted' "Few people today have the vocal heft and stamina to get through even one of these roles, let alone take on both back to back." [2] In the same season, she was to make her European operatic debut in Robert Wilson's production of Die Walküre at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. [1]
For the 2006/2007 season she began a multi-season performance in a major, and internationally acclaimed, staging of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen conducted by Zubin Mehta in Spain, in what has become known as the "Valencia Ring". [1] Here, she reprised her role of Brünnhilde appearing in Die Walkuere , Siegfried and Götterdämmerung and thus completing her first Ring Cycle. [1]
The 2008/2009 season saw Wilson make her debut in yet another Wagnerian leading role as Senta in The Flying Dutchman for Washington National Opera (she had previously sung with the company in the chorus). [1] During this season she also made her Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, debut as Turandot [1] The 2009/2010 season saw Wilson debut as Aida for Opera Australia (Australia's national opera company). [1] [3] She is to repeat this role, returning to Valencia's Palau de les Arts (where she performed in the La Fura dels Baus Ring Cycle) under Zubin Mehta. [1] [3] She performed as Gutrune in Götterdammerung in Los Angeles Opera's controversial new Ring Cycle. [1] [4] She will also be giving major concert performances in New Orleans, Montreal and Tel Aviv . [1] 2009 also saw Wilson take on yet another Wagnerian role when she stepped in to replace Deborah Voigt as Isolde in Lyric Opera of Chicago's revival of the David Hockney production of Tristan und Isolde [5] Wilson later repeated her Isolde in the Hockney production in Barcelona, under the baton of Sebastian Weigle. Isolde was also the role of her debuts at Oper Leipzig and the Hong Kong International Arts Festival in 2011.
Like many successful operatic performers, Wilson also maintains a successful concert career wherein she has performed:
Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs , Beethoven: 9th Symphony, Verdi: Requiem, Mahler: 8th Symphony together with works by Duruflé, Haydn, Saint-Saëns and Vaughan Williams. Wilson's European orchestral solo debut took place in 2005, singing the four leading soprano roles in Erwin Schulhoff's opera Flammen , in a live broadcast from Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra under Edo de Waart. In 2009 she made her debut in another Wagnerian role as Elisabeth in the Montreal Symphony Orchestra's concert performance of Tannhäuser conducted by Kent Nagano [1] Wilson returned to the Montreal Symphony Orchestra in 2009 for Mahler's 8th Symphony and in 2010 for Beethoven's 9th Symphony. She has performed the soprano solo role in the Verdi Requiem with Master Chorale of Washington and with the New Orleans Opera. 2011 saw her debut as Tove in Gurre-Lieder by Arnold Schoenberg, with Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, a performance recorded for eventual commercial CD release.
Kirsten Malfrid Flagstad was a Norwegian opera singer, who was the outstanding Wagnerian soprano of her era. Her triumphant debut in New York on 2 February 1935 is one of the legends of opera. Giulio Gatti-Casazza, the longstanding General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera said, “I have given America two great gifts — Caruso and Flagstad.”
Jane Eaglen is an English soprano particularly known for her interpretations of the works of Richard Wagner and the title roles in Bellini's Norma and Puccini's Turandot.
Dame Gwyneth Jones is a Welsh dramatic soprano, widely regarded as one of the greatest Wagnerian sopranos in the second half of the 20th century.
Lisa Kinkead Gasteen AO, is an Australian operatic soprano, known for her performances of the works of Wagner. She won the Cardiff Singer of the World competition in 1991. She did not perform between 2008 and 2011, due to neuro-muscular spasms in her neck.
Helga Dernesch is an Austrian soprano and mezzo-soprano. Her career has taken her through four successive phases: from mezzo-soprano to lyric soprano to dramatic soprano, and after about 1980 back to mezzo again. "Her voice had great richness and power, and her strikingly handsome stage appearance and intense acting made her a compelling performer."
Martha Mödl was a German soprano, and later a mezzo-soprano. She specialized in large dramatic roles such as Isolde, Brünnhilde, and particularly Kundry, and is considered, along with Astrid Varnay and Birgit Nilsson, one of the three major postwar Wagner sopranos. She was among the preeminent Wagner sopranos—and most compelling singing actresses—of the twentieth century. She was celebrated for her highly individualized interpretations, exceptional acting ability, intense stage presence, and "rich, sexy voice."
Ingrid Kristine Bjoner Pierpoint was a Norwegian soprano who had an international opera career between 1956 and 1990. She was particularly celebrated for her portrayal of Wagnerian heroines and for her performances in operas by Richard Strauss. In addition to performing in operas, Bjoner was an active concert soloist and recital performer throughout her career.
Alessandra Marc, born Judith Borden is an American dramatic soprano who has appeared at many of the world's opera houses and orchestras. Marc is particularly known for her interpretations of the works of Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Giuseppe Verdi, music of the Second Viennese School, and the title role in Puccini's Turandot.
Waltraud Meier is a German dramatic soprano and mezzo-soprano singer. She is particularly known for her Wagnerian roles as Kundry, Isolde, Ortrud, Venus, Fricka, and Sieglinde, but has also had success in the French and Italian repertoire appearing as Eboli, Amneris, Carmen, and Santuzza. She resides in Munich.
Othalie Graham is a Canadian-American dramatic soprano, known for operatic roles such as Turandot in Turandot, Tosca in Tosca, Minnie in La fanciulla del West, Aida in Aida, Elektra in Elektra and Ariadne in Ariadne Auf Naxos.
Deborah Polaski is an American opera and concert singer (soprano). She has specialized in dramatic soprano roles and also sings mezzo-soprano roles occasionally.
A dramatic soprano is a type of operatic soprano with a powerful, rich, emotive voice that can sing over, or cut through, a full orchestra. Thicker vocal folds in dramatic voices usually (but not always) mean less agility than lighter voices but a sustained, fuller sound. Usually this voice has a lower tessitura than other sopranos, and a darker timbre. They are often used for heroic, often long-suffering, tragic women of opera. Dramatic sopranos have a range from approximately low A (A3) to "high C" (C6). Some dramatic sopranos, known as Wagnerian sopranos, have an exceptionally big voice that can assert itself over a large orchestra (of more than 80 or even 100 pieces). These voices are substantial, often denser in tone, extremely powerful and, ideally, evenly balanced throughout the vocal registers. Wagnerian sopranos usually play mythic heroines. Successful Wagnerian sopranos are rare and often Wagnerian roles are performed by Italianate dramatic sopranos.
Susan Owen is an American operatic soprano. Born in Salisbury, North Carolina, she earned a Bachelor of Music degree from East Carolina University in 1980 and a Master of Music degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1983. In 1990 she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. From 1995 to 1999 she was a member of the Staatstheater Kassel, Intendant Michael Leinert. From 1999 to 2002 she was a member of the Staatstheater Darmstadt with Mark Albrecht.
Margaret Harshaw was an American opera singer and voice teacher who sang for 22 consecutive seasons at the Metropolitan Opera from November 1942 to March 1964. She began her career as a mezzo-soprano in the early 1930s but then began performing roles from the soprano repertoire in 1950. She sang a total of 39 roles in 25 works at the Met and was heard in 40 of the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts. She was also active as a guest artist with major opera houses in Europe and North and South America.
Therese (Thoma) Vogl was a German operatic soprano, the first Wellgunde in Wagner's Das Rheingold, and the first Sieglinde in his Die Walküre.
Catherine Foster is an English operatic soprano, who has appeared internationally, mostly in European opera houses. Her repertoire has focused on dramatic soprano roles in stage works by Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner, such as the title role of Elektra, and Brünnhilde in Der Ring des Nibelungen, a role which she performed at the Bayreuth Festival in 2013 for Wagner's bicentenary.
Ute Vinzing is a German operatic soprano who received the title Kammersängerin. She is known for dramatic roles by Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss, including Brünnhilde, Isolde, Ortrud, Kundry, Elektra and the Dyer's Wife, which she performed internationally.
Johanne Marie Emilie Brun née Prieme (1874–1954) was a Danish operatic soprano. She made her début at the Royal Danish Theatre in 1896 as the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute. In 1916, after being honoured with the title of Royal Chamber Singer, she sang at opera houses in Germany, becoming a favourite of the Nuremberg opera and later performing in Aachen and Danzig. In 1924 she returned to Denmark where she had to cope with financial difficulties.
Linda Watson is an American dramatic soprano and academic voice teacher. She made her career based in Germany where she studied and began as a mezzo-soprano at the Theater Aachen. She has performed worldwide, including at the Vienna State Opera, La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera and the Bayreuth Festival. She focused on dramatic roles by Wagner, including Brünnhilde and Isolde, and Strauss, including Ariadne and the Dyer's Wife. She was awarded the title Kammersängerin in Germany in 2004 and in Austria in 2020.
Louise Amalie Janssen was a Danish-born operatic soprano who spent most of her life in France. She is remembered for the many Wagnerian roles she sang principally at the Grand Théâtre de Lyon from 1890 to 1912, becoming known as Lyon's Wagnerian diva. The theatre was granted permission to hold the French premieres of some of Wagner's stage works, and she appeared there as the first Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in 1896, and Brünnhilde in Götterdämmerung in 1903. In 1893, she took part in the premiere of the French version of Wagner's Die Walküre at the Paris Opera, as Siegrune. From 1906, she toured the United States and also sang in Monte-Carlo, but Lyon remained her centre where she taught voice and opera after her retirement in 1912.
