When am I singing next?

WHAT'S UP FOR 2009?

April 17, 18 and 19 – Tippett: A Child of Our Time, Manchester Choral Society. I will be singing the alto solo part in this unique and stirring oratorio by English composer Michael Tippett. Dan Perkins will conduct the Manchester Choral Society in three performances (two in Manchester and one in Plymouth). Please see www.mcsnh.org for details.

June 5, 6 and 7 – Menotti: The Medium, Longwood Opera, Needham, MA. I will sing the title role of Baba in this gripping tale of deceit and horror. My colleague and friend Jeffrey Brody is music director, and Scott Brumit is artistic director. Please see www.LongwoodOpera.org for details.

RECENT PERFORMANCES

February 22, 2009 – An Afternoon of Song. It is not common to have the opportunity to perform a program more than once, but recently I had the privilege to perform the same program (billed as "An Afternoon of Song") on February 15 and 22 and March 1. The Feb. 15 performance was more or less an open dress rehearsal at Philharmonic Hall (83 Hanover Street, Manchester). Many of my students and friends attended. The following Sunday, we appeared at the Park Avenue Congregational Church in Arlington, MA, and on March 1, at the Bedford Library in Bedford, NH. I was honored to have my colleague (and student) Meegan Gagnon appear as a guest artist, performing the beautiful "Song to the Moon" from Dvořák’s opera Rusalka, and joining me in two of Dvořák’s Moravian Duets. Other composers represented were Handel, Barber, Vaughn-Williams, Mahler and Brody (yes, Jeffrey!) Please see Engagements page for photos.

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2008

Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” Opera Workshop. On March 8, the Janice Edwards Workshops presented highlights of Mozart’s delightful “Die Zauberflöte” or “The Magic Flute,” with all roles cast from the studio, with the exception of Sarastro. This key role was performed by local bass-baritone Mark Andrew Cleveland. Our wonderful accompanist was Kathryn Southworth, and sound effects were creatively supplied by our lovely Third Lady, Anna Maria Dwyer (pan flute, glockenspiel and thunder from a synthesizer, and a real, honest-to-goodness flute, also played by Anna). My students were in top form and performed like the best professionals I have seen in these roles. Please go to the Workshops page for photos.

“Our American Cousin”, Northampton Academy of Music, June 20 & 22.This new opera by composer Eric Sawyer had its premiere in March of 2007 in concert form. On Christmas Eve, Eric e-mailed the cast with the good news that funding has been raised to present two fully staged performances in June of 2008. This is truly a gripping and beautifully written account of the Lincoln assassination as told from the perspective of the actors. I will once again sing the role of Lady Mountchessington, who, along with her daughter Gussie, are the only named characters from the actual play. Once again, this project will be produced under the auspices of the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Gil Rose, conductor. Opera Boston’s artistic director Carol Charnow will be the stage director.

UPDATE: Our American Cousin had two successful performances on June 20 and 22 at the Academy of Music in Northampton, MA. “…the mother and daugher Mountchessingtons’ (Janice Edwards and Hillarie O’Toole) cap-setting duet ‘A Really Monied Man’ provided welcome comic relief to the almost surreal, temporally manipulated textures that prevailed through much of the opera. The duet garnered one of the few moments of mid-opera applause that the score admitted.” (The Republican).

SOMETHING NEW!

The Janice Edwards Studio will continue to offer Career Development Workshops in the fall of 2009. A series of intensive diction master classes is in the works for early September. We are hoping to begin with a French diction session presented by distinguished French diction expert Robert Gartside, author of "Interpreting the Songs of Gabriel Faure" and "Interpreting the Songs of Maurice Ravel." Subsequent classes will be offered for German, Italian and English. Please see the Workshops page for complete details.

STUDIO NEWS

Anne Orio and Janet Wittenberg - Mezzo "Sing Off" - On Sunday, April 26, Mezzo-Sopranos Anne Orio and Janet Wittenberg will present a program of songs and arias at the Bedford Presbyterian Church (4 Church Road, Bedford, NH, www.bedfordpresbyterian.org) starting at 1:00 pm. This free event is sponsored by the Janice Edwards Studio. Anna Maria Dwyer will accompany Anne and Janet in a selection of songs and arias ranging from French melodíe to German Lieder to songs of Samuel Barber and William Bolcom. And Anne will throw in a little Gilbert & Sullivan and a couple of Neapolitan songs for good measure. We would be pleased to see you all there!

Congratulations to Tania Mandzy, who won first place in Division 5 of the Boston NATS Song & Aria competition this weekend. This prestigious event draws singers from all over New England, and Tania won in a field of 24 Division 5 singers (6 of whom went on to the finals). I am also proud of my other two singers who competed in Division 5, Meegan Gagnon and Rebecca Pulito. And last but not least, our own Anna Maria Dwyer stepped up to the plate to accompany Tania at the last minute when the original accompanist, Elizabeth Blood, was not available to play the finals on Sunday evening. I am proud of you all!

March 8, 2009 – An Afternoon of Songs and Arias. Meegan Gagnon, soprano, Tania Mandzy, mezzo-soprano, Matt Van Wagner, tenor and Anna Maria Dwyer, pianist, presented a beautiful program of songs and arias at Philharmonic Hall on Sunday afternoon, March 8. Highlights were duets from Lakme and Le Nozze di Figaro; the sublime trio from Cosí fan tutte, and a hilarious rendition of "Warnung" (Warning) sung by Matt. Meegan reprised her beautiful Rusalka aria, as well as "Je veux vivre" from Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, and Tania’s “Que fais tu, blanche tourterelle?” (Stefano’s aria) from the same opera was an engaging and lively interpretation of this sweet piece. The ladies ended with two of Dvořák’s Moravian Duets. Please see the Studio page for photographs.

Links to Longwood Opera, Manchester Choral Society and BMOP can be found on my LINKS page.