Tichina Vaughn (born 19 September 1965) is an American operatic dramatic mezzo-soprano active internationally in opera, concert halls and recitals.[1] Starting at the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program[2] at the Metropolitan Opera,[3] her American career expanded into Europe, as member of the permanent ensembles of the Semperoper in Dresden and the Stuttgart Opera, where she was awarded the title of Kammersängerin in 2006.[4] She has been a regular at the Arena di Verona[5] and other major theaters worldwide, singing a wide repertoire span, with a "voluminous and dark mezzo"[6] voice the dramatic Verdi roles such as Amneris in Aida, Eboli in Don Carlo, Azucena in Il trovatore and Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera, Wagner's Ortrud Lohengrin, Venus Tannhäuser, Fricka Die Walküre, Waltraute in Götterdämmerung and Strauss, Herodias in Salome and Klytemnestra in Elektra.[7] According to Opernglas, Vaughn has a natural "great intensity" on stage, with an ample "voice, which flows richly, even in the low registers."[8] The Neue Zürcher Zeitung describes her voice as an "enchanting satisfyingly rich mezzosoprano".[9]Bernard Holland of The New York Times called hers "A voice of quality", which had "the presence and personality that might well fit the Met... a mezzo-soprano whose strong upper register gave hints of a dramatic soprano to come".[10]
Born in Baltimore, Maryland to Lucinda Vaughn, a single mother, Tichina Vaughn was raised in Winston-Salem, NC where she began singing at 6 years old in the Tots Choir at Shiloh Baptist Church. She studied the clarinet and played in concert and marching bands. At Northside High School for the Performing Arts (currently North Atlanta High School) she began performing as featured singer with the Touring Company graduating in May 1983.[11] In September 1983 Vaughn began formal vocal study with the mezzo-soprano Florence Kopleff[2] at Georgia State University. In January 1985, Vaughn studied at the University of North Carolina school of the Arts (now UNCSA) under Prof. Fredric Moses. Vaughn also attended the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, where she was a finalist in the Meistersinger Competition in 1987. She earned her bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance from UNCSA in 1989 and was engaged at Wolf Trap Opera as a Filene Artist in the summers of 1989 and 1990.
American career
She began her professional career as a member of The Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera after winning The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in April 1989.[12] She made her stage debut at the Met in 1990 as a member of the Young Artist Program[13] singing under Nello Santi, John Fiore and James Levine. Vaughn's first leading role was Amneris in Verdi's Aida at the Seattle Opera in 1992.[14] This success prompted invitations for Aida from Detroit Opera (1993), Opera Pacific (1995),[15]Tulsa Opera (1997),[16] and Hong Kong Opera Society (1997), and established her as a young Verdi mezzo-soprano. Additional Verdian leading roles in the early years included Princess Eboli in Don Carlos in Seattle (1993), and the Requiem in Santiago, Chile (1992), Buenos Aires (1992), and San Antonio Symphony (1993).
International career
Since the late 1990s Vaughn has worked internationally. Singing mostly mainstream Italian repertoire, Vaughn added numerous roles in German. Boris Gruhl wrote of her Klytemnestra in Elektra, "The manner in which she expresses (Klytemnestra's) nightmares is deeply harrowing. She has the right timbre for the tragedy of the guilty queen, and her scenes of desperate loneliness make her a tragic partner for Elektra."[17] Vaughn's Venus in Tannhäuser at the Hamburg State Opera "bewitched her minstrel with her charmingly sensual, powerful mezzo and her personal charisma. Even in her short appearance in the third act, one could feel the presence of her strong personality."[18] Her "superbly dramatic Herodias"[19] in Salome became a signature role in Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Dresden.
Major concerts include appearances in Santiago de Chile (Verdi Requiem), Atlanta Symphony orchestra,[1] American Symphony,[36] NDR,[37]Teatro Petruzzelli Bari (Aleksander Nevsky) under Julian Kovachev, Berliner Festspiele,[38] Elbphilharmonie Hamburg,[39] the Taipei Symphony under Roberto Abbado,[40] and the Kennedy Center (Missa Solemnis), She frequently performs Lieder and other recitals with partners such as Maris Skuja, Wolfgang Heinz, Lars Jönsson, Nicola Luisotti,[41] and Eytan Pessen at the piano. Vaughn is also a versatile Jazz and gospel performer.[42]
Personal life
In December 1992 Vaughn married singer Derrick Lawrence.[43] Their union produced two children and ended in divorce in December 2007. In 2015 Vaughn was chosen as 'Role Model Beyond Beauty' by OTC beauty magazine,[44] highlighting "women of color who have made significant advances in their careers and who have given back to their communities." Her portrait by Leo Rucker, commissioned by OTC, was part of an exhibition in Winston-Salem, NC and other places.[45] Vaughn has received awards from the Metropolitan Opera National Council, the Richard Tucker Foundation[46] the Opera Index Vocal Competition,[47]Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation,[48] Robert M. Jacobson grants,[46] Heritage Foundation Award, the Foundation Award of the Birgit Nilsson Foundation, and the Consul General's Award for Cultural Diplomacy from the Consulate General Milan.
Vaughn is active as a singing teacher and regularly gives masterclasses in Europe and the United States, including Dresden, Stuttgart, the Metropolitan Opera[49] New York City and North Carolina.[50][51]
Recordings (audio)
2005 Christmas at My House, Lars Jönsson Piano. Bauer Studios, Animato (LC 05187) ACD 6085[52]
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