Operatic soprano Jennifer Aylmer to perform recital
American operatic soprano Jennifer Aylmer, accompanied by faculty member Tracy Cowden on piano, will perform a recital Monday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Squires Recital Salon as part of the School of Performing Arts Visiting Artist Series.
The program will feature two songs by Eduard Toldra, sung in Catalan; "Drei Leider der Ophelia" by Richard Strauss; four Brazilian songs; Shostakovich's "Satires" Op. 109; and three songs by contemporary American composers Ricky Ian Gordon, Michael Torke, and Kevin Puts.
Aylmer has developed a sterling reputation for her beautiful voice, compelling stage portrayals, and impeccable musicianship. She made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 2005 in the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s "An American Tragedy," and was Papagena in the first worldwide opera broadcast of Julie Taymor's "The Magic Flute." In all, Aylmer has sung over 40 roles with such companies as Austin Lyric Opera, New York City Opera, Nashville Opera, Minnesota Opera, Opera Boston, Orlando Opera, Utah Opera, the Aspen Festival, Kentucky Opera, and Berkshire Opera.
Aylmer made her New York recital debut as the 2001 recipient of the Alice Tully Hall Vocal Arts Debut Recital, and has been a featured soloist with the Marilyn Horne Foundation, Lyric Fest!, the Sarasota Performing Arts series, Southeastern Festival of Song, and the New York Festival of Song. She is a graduate of Eastman School of Music, the Juilliard Opera Center, and received her Masters of Vocal Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College. She is an assistant professor of Voice at Carnegie Mellon University.
Cowden, a faculty member in the School of Performing Arts, has appeared as soloist with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Southwest Virginia, the Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra, and the Virginia Tech Symphonic Wind Ensemble. As a collaborative pianist, she frequently performs with a diverse array of soloists and chamber ensembles.
See Aylmer performing in Mozart's "The Magic Flute."
The recital is the sixth in a series of nine visiting artist recitals which include Emmanuelle Bertrand, cello, and Pascal Amoyel, piano, on Dec. 10; Nicholas Ross, piano, on Jan. 27; and Dennis Mackrel with the Jazz Ensembles on April 29.
Tickets for the recital are $15 general, $10 senior, and $5 student. Tickets may be purchased at the Student Centers and Activities Ticket Office on the first floor of Squires Student Center or by calling 540-231-5615. Tickets are also available at the box office beginning one hour prior to the performance. Discounted seats are available with the purchase of 5 or more tickets to any combination of performances in the School of Performing Arts 2013-14 season. The season includes the Visiting Artist Series, Ensemble Performance Series, and Mainstage Theatre productions.
Free parking is available in the Squires Lot, located at the corner of College Avenue and Otey Streets, in the Architecture Annex Lot on Otey Street, and the Perry Street/Prices Fork lots. Find more parking information online or call 540-231-3200. Alternative parking is available in the Kent Squire parking garage and the Farmers Market metered parking lot, both located on Draper Road. Additional downtown Blacksburg parking information can be found online.
