TLU School of Music Artist in Residence: Soprano Jennifer Black
7:00pm – 8:30pm- Ayers Recital Hall, Scheuch Fine Arts Center
The TLU School of Music presents Artist in Residence, a recital and masterclass with Soprano Jennifer Black on December 7 at 7 p.m. in Ayers Recital Hall. This performance is free and open to the public. Face masks are required for all attendees.
“Soprano Jennifer Black is “gleaming and glorious, with wonderful nuances of light and shade and complete dynamic control.” (Santa Fe New Mexican) She has been praised for her versatility, range, grace and beauty of tone and range throughout the United States, South America, Europe and Australia.
2019 brought her Opera Australia debut as Maddalena in the company's new production of Il Viaggio a Reims both in Sydney and Melbourne. Ms. Black also covered the role of Contessa di Folleville, a true role of vocal acrobatics, and was subsequently asked to cover the role of Anna Bolena with 2 weeks notice. Finding a home in this repertiore, the Opera Australia 2019/2020 season was filled with exciting new opportunities to cover the following leading ladies; Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Odabella in Verdi's Attila, Elisabetta in Roberto Devereux, Gutrune in Götterdämmerung and Freia in Das Rheingold. She will also sing High Priestess in the company's Brisbane production of Aida.
Recent seasons saw her role/company debut as Lida in Sarasota Opera's much anticipated production of La battaglia di Legnano, and debut Strauss’ Vier Lezte Lieder in Ridgefield, Connecticut. She held the stage as Isolde in Jean-Pierre Arnod’s adaptation of Tristan et Yseult with the Chamber Orchestra of San Antonio and created the role of Merilee the Giantess in Sherlock and the Case of the Fallen Giant, presented by American Lyric Theatre in New York. Ms. Black then participated as the soprano soloist for Mozart’s Coronation Mass at Carnegie Hall, soprano soloist in Beethoven 9 with both the Phoenix Symphony and Albany Symphony Orchestra, reprised Violetta in Sacramento Philharmonic’s concert presentation of la Traviata; and sang the Countess in On Site Opera’s production of la mère coupable in New York.
On the opera stage, she performed her signature role of Mimì in La bohème in her Seattle Opera debut; both Desdemona in Otello and Juliette in Roméo et Juliette with Arizona Opera; thrilled audiences as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and as Elle in the one woman production La voix humaine as part of Loren Maazel's Castleton Festival. Recent past performances include her role and company debut as Bea in Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers for Atlanta Opera, a recital tour of three US cities and as the soprano soloist in Carmina Burana with Southwest Florida Symphony.
Throughout her career, Ms. Black has sung numerous times at the Metropolitan Opera, including Lisa in a new production of La sonnambula, Micaëla in Carmen, Javotte in Manon, and made appearances in La bohème, The Makropulos Case, Suor Angelica, Jenufa and on tour to Japan in La bohème, to name a few.
Other noted engagements include her Los Angeles Opera début as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi and Suor Genovieffa in Suor Angelica in a new production of Il Trittico; her Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse début as 5th Maid in Elektra followed by a return as Musetta in La bohème and Norina in Don Pasquale; and Desdemona in Otello with the Festival Lyrique-en-Mer de Belle-Île. Ms. Black’s first performance as Violetta in La traviata with Opera Carolina “was an outstanding Violetta with the perfect blend of vocalism and acting,” (Classical Voice of North Carolina) and then went on to perform the role with Nashville Opera.
With the Santa Fe Opera, she made her début as Micaëla in Carmen, and has since returned for role débuts as Mimì in La bohème and Adina in L’elisir d’amore. With the former New York City Opera, she made her company début as Musetta in La bohème, and subsequently returned as Micaëla in Carmen, both at Lincoln Center.
In concert, Ms. Black made her début with the New York Philharmonic as Amanda in Ligeti’s Le grand macabre, her Munich Philharmonic debut performing Musetta in La bohème under the baton of Loren Maazel, her Santa Barbara Symphony debut performing Mahler’s Symphony No. 2; and a return to the Castleton Festival as the soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4.
Ms. Black is an alumnus of the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Program, San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program and a graduate of the University of Texas San Antonio and the Yale School of Music.