Jonita Lattimore

Last updated

Jonita Lattimore
20100723 Jonita Lattimore at the Grant Park Music Festival (1).JPG
Lattimore at the Grant Park Music Festival
July 23, 2010
Born
Chicago, Illinois, US
Education
OccupationOpera singer (soprano)
Years active1993–present

Jonita Lattimore is an American operatic soprano and a faculty member of Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts. She is a lyric soprano from Chicago's South Side who has performed a wide range of operatic roles, as well as oratorio performances with major orchestras both internationally and domestically.

Contents

Lattimore performed with the Chicago Children's Choir and trained both voice and instruments as a youth. She obtained a vocal scholarship to the Eastman School of Music and obtained subsequent graduate training at University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. She then trained in two developmental artist programs: Houston Grand Opera's Opera Studio and Lyric Opera of Chicago's Center for American Artists.

Domestic highlights include having performed as part of the Grant Park Music Festival's celebration of the grand opening night at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and with the Boston Landmarks Orchestra in their first performance at their current home, Hatch Memorial Shell. Her first decade as a touring professional saw her become one of, if not, the leading operatic soprano in Chicago: she not only opened the city's new outdoor performing venue in 2004, but also was the choice as the soprano to perform in the 2009 citywide celebration of the centennial of the 1909 Plan of Chicago and has been scheduled for yearly appearances at the Grant Park Music Festival.

Her international performances have included engagements at the Opéra Bastille and the Edinburgh Festival. She has performed with the Tonkünstler Orchestra, Northern Israel Symphony, Opole Philharmonic, Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa, Calgary Philharmonic and Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Mexico.

Personal

Born and raised in Chicago, Lattimore began taking piano lessons at age three. [1] She also played the trumpet. [2] She performed with the Chicago Children's Choir as a youth and was a frequent soloist. [3] She took piano lessons in Oak Park, Illinois from Angela Wright. [3] She was raised in the Pill Hill neighborhood of Chicago's South Side. [3] Lattimore attended Kenwood Academy in the Kenwood community area, which is also on the South Side. Upon graduation in 1987, [3] she attended The University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music on the William Warfield scholarship, a vocal scholarship named after her mentor, William Warfield. [1] [3] She pursued graduate studies at the University of Illinois. [1]

Lattimore is from a family of musicians: she has a Rhythm and blues and jazz musician younger brother named Alex, a father who performed in a vocal quartet, aunts who sang (one professionally), a music teacher for a grandmother and another grandmother who was a singer and violinist. [2] [3] Her paternal grandmother lived with her and had taught music and math at Piney Woods Country Life School where she took a music group on regular national tours. [3] Lattimore has a daughter Joyelle, who was age five in December 2008. [3] Lattimore was the soprano soloist in Robert Avalon's 1998 Sextet de Julia de Burgos. [4] [5]

Lattimore's father, Joseph, was a recurring contributor to the oral history musings of Studs Terkel. Lattimore was an insurance salesman whose thoughts were depicted in Terkels works such as Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do and Race: What Blacks and Whites Think and Feel About the American Obsession. [6] [7] His interviews with Terkel that were incorporated in these works continue to be available to the public. [8]

Lattimore has earned numerous awards, including honors from the Birgit Nilsson Competition, the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition, the Sullivan and George London Foundations, and Opera Index, Inc. [9] In 1999 at age 29, she was named by the Chicago Sun-Times in their Chicago's arts and entertainment scene 30 under 30 series. [2] The following year, they named her as one of the 25 most intriguing Chicagoans. [10] Lattimore teaches at Roosevelt University's The Music Conservatory of Chicago College of Performing Arts. [1] She has been profiled on Artbeat Chicago, an arts television program on WTTW, which is Chicago's Public Broadcast Service affiliate in an episode entitled "Home Grown Diva", and WTTW also featured her on Opera Philes, a program of favorite opera arias and ensembles. [11]

Career

Training

In 1993, Lattimore performed with the Chicago Opera Theater. She appeared in their production of composer Virgil Thomson and librettist Gertrude Stein's Four Saints in Three Acts . [12] [13] [14] She also performed as the leading soprano in the Goodman Theater's August 1993 adaptation of Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country . [15] [16] In 1994, Lattimore began performing with the Houston Grand Opera Studio, a young artist training program at the Houston Grand Opera (HGO). [17] [18] [19] She also appeared as a soloist with the Houston Symphony. [20] [21] During the 1995 Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition, Pavarotti personally selected her to advance to the finals. [22] In 1995, her HGO performance in Bright Sheng's The Song of Majnun became part of her early discography. [23] [24] One of her 1996 Houston Symphony performances was as part of a sextet that performed "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" from Verdi's La traviata . [25] In 1997, when the HGO commissioned Jackie O from Michael Daugherty, Lattimore played the Liz Taylor role. [26] That same year, she performed in the HGO's performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's The Magic Flute as one of the Three Ladies. [27] Also in 1997, she performed a music from Charles Gounod's Faust on multiple occasions. [28] [29] Later that year in an opera about Carlota of Mexico, she sang an aria. [30] [31] She continued as a featured performer with the Houston Symphony in 1998. [32] Among her other performances with the Houston Grand Opera, were the world premieres of Harvey Milk by Stewart Wallace and The Tibetan Book of the Dead by Ricky Ian Gordon. [3] She made her Paris debut in a performance at the Opéra Bastille performing as Serena in Porgy and Bess . [11]

In 1998, she worked with the Lyric Opera of Chicago's Center for American Artists, which focuses on developing young singers. She debuted for the Lyric Opera of Chicago in Kurt Weill's The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny . [11] That year, she performed Michaela's prayer from Georges Bizet's Carmen on the July 4 fireworks celebration at Navy Pier with accompaniment from Grant Park Symphony Orchestra. [33] She continued training with the Center through 1999 when she performed Handel's Alcina and Verdi's La traviata: Dite alla giovine at the center's open house. [34] In March 1999, she was featured in the 20th Anniversary season final concert of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, where she performed Mozart's Exsultate, jubilate , Carlisle Floyd's "Trees on the Mountain" from "Susannah" and George Gershwin's "My Man's Gone Now" from Porgy and Bess. [22] In 1999, she was one of four center artists to return for a second year in the 12 member program. [35] She performed as Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni . [35] That year she served as a featured performer for the Grant Park Music Festival featuring music from Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt and Gustav Holst's First Choral Symphony under the baton of James Paul. [36] She earned the role of Michela in the Center's 1999–2000 season-ending production of Carmen. [37] In 2000, she returned as a featured performer in a quartet that sang Schoenberg's A Survivor From Warsaw op. 46 and Beethoven's, Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, op. 125, "Choral" at the Grant Park Music Festival. [38] [39] In 2000, her Dame Myra Hess Recital Series and Ravinia season box-office opening performances were broadcast live over WFMT. [40]

Touring career

After two years in the Lyric Opera's Center for American Artists, she graduated and began touring internationally. [10] In December 2000, she stood out in the Concertante di Chicago performance featuring the works of Samuel Barber such as Knoxville: Summer of 1915 . [41] That same month, she performed from Bach's St Matthew Passion , St John Passion , Cantata 151 and Jauchzet Gott as well as a world premiere of Five Songs of Laurence Hope by Henry Burleigh as part of American Concerto Orchestra, an ensemble of Chicago's leading musicians. [42] In 2001, she performed with the Tulsa Opera in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro as Countess Almaviva. [43] She was featured in the Chicago Sinfonietta's 2001 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day tribute. [44] In May 2001, she performed Leonard Bernstein's Songfest with the Chicago Sinfonietta. [45]

She made appearances in 2001 and 2002 with the Houston Symphony. [46] [47] [48] In February 2002, she teamed again with Gordon for a celebration of the centennial of Langston Hughes' birth in musical theater with his words set to music at the Dayton Art Institute in a performance entitled Only Heaven. [49] [50] In March 2002, she appeared again with the Tulsa Opera in Don Giovanni as Donna Anna. [51] During an April 2002 performance with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra at Kleinhans Music Hall, she was singled out from a quartet of soloists for the only solo curtain call. [52] Also in April 2002, she performed Antonín Dvořák's Requiem with the Tonkunstler Orchestra of Vienna. [53] Her 2002 appearance at the Grant Park Music Festival included performances of Ildebrando Pizzetti's De profundis and Brahms' A German Requiem in July. [54] [55] She also performed Brahms' Requiem in her debut with the Northern Israel Symphony. [11] She also took part in the June opening weekend of the 2002 festival by performing Bernstein's Symphony No. 3 ("Kaddish"). [56] During the 2002–03 season, she performed spirituals and operatic arias with Poland's Opole Philharmonic. [57] That season, she also appeared on the final weekend schedule in August. [58]

In 2003, she performed with the Chicago Sinfonietta [59] Her 2003 Grant Park Music Festival appearance was for an All-Mozart concert. [60] Later that summer, she performed with the Boston Landmarks Orchestra, in a presentation entitled "Three Landmarks Sopranos" featuring arias and show tunes from Mozart, Verdi, and Gershwin. [61] [62] She also presented world premiere ensemble work for three sopranos entitled May We Live that was composed by Boston's Patricia Van Ness. [11] Internationally, she performed at the Edinburgh Festival and made her Italian debut with the Orchestra della Toscana in both concerts and radio performances. [11]

In 2004, she performed at the Chicago Gospel Music Festival as a special guest in a tribute to Mahalia Jackson. [63] [64] She performed at the opening night of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion during the opening weekend of Millennium Park as well as a performance two nights earlier at the Park's Harris Theater. [65] [66] She was featured in a duet from Richard Strauss' Arabella . [67] When the Harris Theater decided to dedicated its spring 2005 season to the memory of Irving B. Harris, Lattimore opened the season as part of a tribute to Marian Anderson and Mahalia Jackson. [68] Also, in 2005, she performed at the 20th anniversary season-ending Concertante di Chicago show. [69]

During the 2006–07 season, she also performed a Christmas concert tour with the Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Calgary Philharmonic, Verdi's Requiem with Helena Symphony and a program entitled "Dvorak & American Soul," presented by New York Festival of Song. [11] Also that season, she returned to perform with the Houston Symphony on Heitor Villa-Lobos' Three Songs from Floresta do Amazonas . [11] Lattimore performed in the 2007 King Day celebration by Chicago Sinfonietta. [70] In February 2008, she returned to the New York Festival of Song for its 20th anniversary season at Carnegie Hall for the "Harry, Hoagy & Harold" performance. [5] On January 28, 2008 she performed with the Oakland East Bay Symphony in Verdi's Requiem. [71] She appearanced with the Louisiana Philharmonic under Carlos Miguel Prieto with Gershwin selections on May 9 and 10, 2008. [72] Her 2008 performance at the Grant Park Music Festival was of Tchaikovsky's 6th and Karol Szymanowski's Stabat Mater on July 9 and 11. [73] [74]

In 2008, Lattimore helped enable the Lyric Opera of Chicago overcome the strict all-black cast racial requirement of Gershwin's estate in a production of his 1935 opera Porgy and Bess in the role of Serena. [75] Her performances of "Oh Doctor Jesus" and "My Man's Gone Now" were praised. [3] [76] It was the first time the Lyric Opera had performed Porgy and Bess since Warfield and Leontyne Price starred in it at the Civic Opera House in 1952. [1] She has been featured by the Houston Symphony as recently as 2009. [77] In June, she helped Chicago celebrate the centennial of Daniel Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago by performing a commissioned work by Michael Torke entitled Plans at the Grant Park Music Festival on June 19 and 20, 2009. [78] [79] [80] Another one of her 2009 performances at the Grant Park Music Festival was with the Luna Negra Dance Theater. [81] Other 2008-09 highlights included Gabriel Fauré's Requiem with Eugene Symphony and Verdi's Requiem with both the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Colorado Symphony Orchestra. [11]

In September 2009, she performed with the Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Mexico. [82]

Discography

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Isaacs, Deanna (September 11, 2008). "Fall Arts Guide 2008, People: Jonita Lattimore". Chicago Reader . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 "30 show-stoppers under 30 - Catch some rising stars in entertainment--from ballet to baseball". Chicago Sun-Times . May 2, 1999. p. 1, Showcase section.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Delacoma, Wynne (December 7, 2008). "She pours it on in 'Porgy' - Audiences floored as South Side soprano sings 'her signature piece'". Chicago Sun-Times . p. D4.
  4. 1 2 "Sonota for Violin & Piano, OP.6 - Son. for Flute & Piano, OP.26 - Sextet to Julia De Burgos, OP.21". Amazon. 1999. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  5. 1 2 "NYFOS 2007 - 2008, 20th Anniversary Concert Season". New York Festival of Song . Retrieved May 11, 2010.
  6. ↑ Sheppard, R.Z. (March 30, 1992). "Talking About the Untalkable". Time . Archived from the original on March 7, 2008. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  7. ↑ Collins, Paul S. (February 1, 2001). Community writing: researching social issues through composition. Routledge. ISBN   0-8058-3834-1 . Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Recordings From Race". Chicago History Museum. Archived from the original on February 22, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Jonita Lattimore". Chicago Sinfonietta. Archived from the original on October 26, 2003. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  10. 1 2 Thomas, Mike (December 17, 2000). "Chicago's most intriguing people". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 22.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Jonita Lattimore, soprano". Thea Dispeker Inc. Artists Management. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  12. ↑ Delacoma, Wayne (February 22, 1993). "Opera: Benefit Shines Up Some Old Favorites". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 18, section 2.
  13. ↑ Delacoma, Wayne (April 6, 1993). "A Lighthearted Romp With 'Saints'". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 31, section 2.
  14. ↑ Delacoma, Wayne (April 12, 1993). "Opera: 'Four Saints' Is Like A Refreshing, Aimless Stroll". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 24, section 2.
  15. ↑ Lazare, Lewis (August 2, 1993). "Legit Resident Cry, the Beloved Country". Variety . Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  16. ↑ "Jonita Lattimore (J.Lattimore), Soprano". Classical Connect, LLC. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  17. ↑ "HGO Studio". Houston Grand Opera. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  18. ↑ Hodge, Shelby (October 29, 1994). "HGO toasts black opera stars". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  19. ↑ Ward, Charles (April 13, 1996). "'Norma': not definitive but worthwhile". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  20. ↑ Ward, Charles (April 29, 1996). "Pianist Stefan Vladar stays true to Mozart". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  21. ↑ "Hits Of The Weekend/Here's What's Worth Checking Out". Houston Chronicle . July 12, 1996. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  22. 1 2 Huff, Lynn (March 26, 1999). "Spotlight: Jonita Lattimore Soprano to solo with Charlotte Symphony". Sarasota Herald Tribune . p. 8.B. ProQuest   270612733.(subscription required)
  23. 1 2 "The Song of Majnun". Amazon. January 8, 1997. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  24. ↑ Ward, Charles (March 28, 1995). "Houston Opera Studio journeys to Orient". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  25. ↑ Ward, Charles (July 15, 1996). "Houston Symphony delivers Old World in style". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  26. ↑ Ward, Charles (March 17, 1997). "'Jackie sings'/Premiere's music strong, but plot insubstantial". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  27. ↑ Ward, Charles (April 20, 1997). "Flutes of fancy/Cartoonist Gerald Scarfe adapts his mordant style to the fantastical world of 'The Magic Flute'". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  28. ↑ Ward, Charles (June 3, 1997). "Symphony, Opera Studio combine for tuneful night". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  29. ↑ Hodge, Shelby (October 22, 1997). "HGO, Saks join forces for benefit/ Masterson is honored at luncheon". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  30. ↑ Ward, Charles (September 3, 1997). "Houstonian writes opera on Carlota". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  31. ↑ Ward, Charles (September 6, 1997). "Key elements of Avalon's style emerge again at Wortham concert". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  32. ↑ Ward, Charles (August 27, 1998). "Eight-Day Planner August 27- September 3/ sneak preview". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  33. ↑ Delacoma, Wayne (July 16, 1998). "'A Night at the Opera' at Grant Park". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 32, section 2.
  34. ↑ Delacoma, Wayne (March 15, 1999). "Rising Stars in Concert". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 36, section 2.
  35. 1 2 Patner, Andrew (July 19, 1999). "Lyric Opera Center at Grant Park". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 32, section 2.
  36. ↑ Delacoma, Wayne (April 15, 1999). "A gala of note - Grant Park music fest spotlights new talent". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 39, section 2.
  37. ↑ Zwecker, Bill (December 20, 1999). "Esposito gets to play TV anchor in movie". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 37, section 2.
  38. ↑ "Grant Park Music Festival". Chicago Sun-Times . December 20, 1999. p. 13, Weekend section.
  39. ↑ Patner, Andrew (August 14, 2000). "Grant Park Symphony Orchestra". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 38, section 2.
  40. ↑ "Music In The Loft: Jonita Lattimore". Music In The Loft. 2006. Archived from the original on April 23, 2010. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
  41. ↑ Cameron, Michael (December 12, 2000). "Concertante Program No Great Challenge". Chicago Tribune . p. 2, section ?. ProQuest   419185352.(subscription required)
  42. ↑ Tucker, Dan (December 21, 2000). "Orchestra A Winner In Many Ways". Chicago Tribune . p. 2, section ?. ProQuest   419297553 (subscription required).
  43. ↑ Watts, James D. Jr. (April 15, 2001). "Singer with "no voice' takes lead role in "Figaro'". Tulsa World . p. 1. ProQuest   399943161 (subscription required).
  44. ↑ Delacoma, Wayne (January 24, 2001). "Chicago Sinfonietta at Symphony Center". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 54, section 2.
  45. ↑ Spiselman, Anne (April 30, 2001). "Theater, dance and art exhibits flower in May". ChicagoBusiness . Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  46. ↑ Ward, Charles (December 3, 2001). "Graf's deft touch showcases violinist in concert with Spanish flair". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  47. ↑ Hodge, Shelby (December 5, 2001). "Fans of HGO patrons director celebrate 60th birthday in style". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  48. ↑ Ward, Charles (April 29, 2002). "Conductor sets tone for 'Gershwin'". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  49. ↑ "10 Things You Need To Know This Week For Next Week". Dayton Daily News . February 15, 2002. p. 22. ProQuest   254465611 (subscription required).
  50. ↑ Morris, Terry (February 23, 2002). "Theater Review; 'Only Heaven' A Magical Musical". Dayton Daily News . p. 2. C. ProQuest   254464836 (subscription required).
  51. ↑ Watts, James D. Jr. (March 10, 2002). "A non-Shakespearean 'Romeo & Juliet'; Tulsa Opera fills its season with two of the world's most popular operas". Tulsa World . p. 3. ProQuest   399880377 (subscription required).
  52. ↑ Trotter, Herman (April 14, 2002). "Ex-Music Director Takes BPO On Operatic Odyssey". Buffalo News . p. A. 12. ProQuest   381542365 (subscription required).
  53. ↑ "Konzerte in der Saison 2001-02" . Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  54. ↑ Delacoma, Wayne (April 5, 2002). "Upshaw to sing at Grant Park opener". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 54, section 2.
  55. ↑ von Rhein, John (July 21, 2002). "Paul brings out the best with Brahms' 'Requiem'". Chicago Tribune . p. 6, section ?. ProQuest   419695288 (subscription required).
  56. ↑ Delacoma, Wayne (June 14, 2002). "Grant Park Festival a classic series". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 58.
  57. ↑ "Jonita Lattimore". Chicago Sinfonietta. Archived from the original on October 26, 2003. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  58. ↑ Williams, Kevin M. (June 7, 2002). "Grant Park, Ravinia classical seasons shine". Chicago Tribune . p. 1, section ?. ProQuest   419546009 (subscription required).
  59. ↑ Shen, Ted (May 21, 2003). "Sinfonietta offers eclectic exploration". Chicago Tribune . p. 5, section ?. ProQuest   419836210 (subscription required).
  60. ↑ Delacoma, Wayne (July 28, 2003). "Concert Review". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 46, section 2.
  61. ↑ Ridge, Patricia (August 17, 2003). "Not Seen On HBO". Boston Globe . p. 2. ProQuest   405539055 (subscription required).
  62. ↑ Dyer, Richard (August 15, 2003). "Local Organizations Are Recording New CDs". Boston Globe . p. C. 18. ProQuest   405539734 (subscription required).
  63. ↑ Delacoma, Wayne (June 4, 2004). "2004 Gospel Music Festival". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 29.
  64. ↑ Reed, Bobby (June 8, 2004). "Concert Review". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 51, section 2.
  65. ↑ Delacoma, Wayne (March 18, 2004). "Grant Park trumpets new home with top-notch concert season". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 49, section 2.
  66. ↑ von Rhein (July 15, 2004). "Fest kicks off with showcase of favorites; Something for almost everyone, from classical music to Latin jazz". Chicago Tribune . p. 10, section ?. ProQuest   420067280 (subscription required).
  67. ↑ Delacoma, Wayne (July 18, 2004). "The New Millennium". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 6, news section.
  68. ↑ Houlihan, Mary (December 22, 2004). "Harris Theater posts spring 2005 agenda honoring benefactor's memory". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 59, features section.
  69. ↑ Delacoma, Wayne (May 13, 2005). "Big weekend for small ensembles in classical music". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 9, weekend section.
  70. ↑ Tonegutti, Marta (January 17, 2007). "A program fit for King memorial: 'Martin' skillfully links historical footnotes with musical themes". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 50, features section.
  71. ↑ Finck, Jon; Brenda Hughes (April 16, 2007). "Oakland East Bay Symphony Announces 2007/08 Season: Highlights Include Concert Version Of Sondheim's Follies With Frederica Von Stade, Musical Salutes To China and Persia, Verdi Requiem, New Works By Roberto Sierra and Peteris Vasks 19th Season Opens Nov 9 W/ Music Of Beethoven & Bernstein" (PDF). Encore Communications. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  72. ↑ "Gung-ho at the LPO". New Orleans Net LLC. September 16, 2007. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  73. ↑ "2008 Season". Grant Park Music Festival . Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  74. ↑ "Events". SouthtownStar . July 11, 2008. p. T14. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  75. ↑ Miller, Sarah Bryan (November 21, 2008). "Opera review: Lyric Opera of Chicago offers memorable "Porgy"". STLtoday.com. St. Louis Post-Dispatch . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  76. ↑ Weiss, Hedy (November 20, 2008). "Familiarity breeds love for 'Porgy' - Gershwins' vision is glorious, even if swing is diluted". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 31, features section.
  77. ↑ Evans, Everett (October 3, 2009). "Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 has rich history". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  78. ↑ "2009 Season". Grant Park Music Festival . Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  79. ↑ "From 1909: Burnham's Plan and Rachmaninoff's 3rd". Grant Park Music Festival . Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  80. ↑ Johnson, Lawrence A. (June 20, 2009). "With unplanned weather, Torke's "Plans" receives ardent if soggy premiere". Chicago Classical Review. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  81. ↑ Patner, Andrew (March 18, 2009). "Burnham piece part of Grant Park plans". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 32.
  82. ↑ "Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional: música para disfrutar en el Auditorio Blas Galindo del CENART". México, D.F. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  83. ↑ "Violin Sonata, Flute Sonata, Sextet with Soprano". Amazon. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  84. ↑ "Only Heaven: A Musical Work by Ricky Ian Gordon". Amazon. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  85. ↑ "Let Me Fly: Music of Struggle Solace & Survival in Black America". Amazon. Retrieved May 8, 2010.

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Jimmy López Bellido is a classical music composer from Lima, Peru. He has won several international awards and has been nominated to a Latin Grammy Awards. Pieces composed by him have been performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Peru, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. His works have been performed at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Gewandhaus Leipzig, and during the 2010 Youth Olympic games in Singapore. His music has been featured in numerous festivals, including Tanglewood Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Grant Park Music Festival, Darmstadt International Course for New Music, and Donaueschingen Music Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milagro Vargas</span> American mezzo-soprano (born 1955)

Milagro Vargas is an American mezzo-soprano known for her distinctive voice and stage presence. She has appeared as an international soloist in operatic, orchestral, chamber music and recital settings.

Stephanie Novacek is an American operatic mezzo-soprano who has appeared at many of the world's opera houses. A regular performer at the Houston Grand Opera and Opera Atelier, Novacek is especially known for her performances in contemporary operas and in obscure operas, particularly baroque works, outside of the standard repertory. Opera News has described her voice as a "rich, seamless flow of solid silk" and an actress "with always a strong presence on stage".

Margaret Lloyd is an American soprano who is particularly known for her performances in contemporary operas and concert works. She has sung in the world premieres of several operas, most notably portraying the role of Lightfoot McClendon in the premiere of Carlisle Floyd's Cold Sassy Tree at the Houston Grand Opera in 2000. She has also sung in the world premieres of several works by composer Michael Torke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Mazer</span> American conductor

Henry Simon Mazer, was an American and later Taiwanese conductor, recording artist and music educator who was the founding principal conductor and music director of Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra from 1985 until suffering a stroke in February 2001. Prior to his move to Taiwan, he was the conductor and associate conductor of major American symphonies including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He contributed greatly to the refinement of the performances of classical music in Taiwan, leading local musicians to gain recognition overseas. There is a cultural center dedicated to him in Taipei.

Charlotte Bray is a British composer. She was championed by the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, London Sinfonietta and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, BBC Symphony Orchestra. Her music has been performed by many notable conductors such as: Sir Mark Elder, Oliver Knussen, Daniel Harding, and Jac van Steen.

Patrick Summers is an American conductor best known for his work with Houston Grand Opera (HGO), where he has been the artistic and music director since 2011, and with San Francisco Opera, where he served as principal guest conductor, 1999–2016.

Zheng Cao was a Chinese-born, American operatic mezzo-soprano known for her signature role of Suzuki in Madama Butterfly. She performed this role with opera companies such as San Francisco Opera, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Pittsburgh Opera, Vancouver Opera, Washington National Opera and San Diego Opera, and under the baton of Seiji Ozawa with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Her portrayal of the role of Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro also earned her recognition at several American opera companies, including San Francisco Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and Houston Grand Opera. She died from lung cancer in San Francisco, California in 2013.

Carroll Freeman is an American operatic tenor, opera director, and music educator. He began his career as a prominent boy soprano in the 1960s. From the late 1970s through the mid 1990s he performed widely as a tenor with opera companies and orchestras in the United States. After that he worked as a director of opera productions with opera companies throughout North America. He is the former director of the opera program at the University of Tennessee and currently directs the opera program at Georgia State University. He is also the former Artistic Director of Mississippi Opera, Opera in the Ozarks at Inspiration Point, and opera studios at Knoxville Opera and Des Moines Metro Opera.

Andrea Carroll is an American soprano who has had an active international career in concerts and operas since 2012. A finalist in the 2015 Operalia, The World Opera Competition, she is particularly known for her performances with the Houston Grand Opera and the Vienna State Opera.

Tamara Wilson is an American operatic soprano who has had an active international opera career since 2007. She has performed leading roles at the Canadian Opera Company, the English National Opera, the Houston Grand Opera, the Liceu, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Sydney Opera House among others. She is particularly known for her performances of heroines in the operas of Giuseppe Verdi. In 2016 she was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera and was awarded the Richard Tucker Award, an award described by Opera News as "one of the most prestigious prizes in opera".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heidi Stober</span> American opera singer

Heidi Stober is an American operatic soprano who has performed leading roles in major opera houses internationally, including the Dutch National Opera, the Garsington Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Metropolitan Opera, the Municipal Theatre of Santiago, the Semperoper, and the Vienna State Opera. She has been particularly active with the Houston Grand Opera where she has performed in more than a dozen operas since 2004, including the world premieres of Daniel Catán's Salsipuedes: a Tale of Love, War and Anchovies (2004), Mark Adamo's Lysistrata (2005), and Ricky Ian Gordon's The House without a Christmas Tree (2017). She has also performed in more than ten operas with the San Francisco Opera since 2010. Since 2008 she has been a resident artist at the Deutsche Oper Berlin where she has primarily performed roles from the lyric soprano repertoire. Also active as a concert soprano on the international stage, she has performed with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Houston Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Oslo Philharmonic, and the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest among other orchestras. She is particularly admired for her interpretations of the works of George Frideric Handel and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

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