Shakespeare in Song

Susan Bickley, mezzo, Stephan Loges, baritone
& Roger Vignoles, piano

Thursday, February 8, 7:30 pm

Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center (Box Office 202-467-4600)

Vocal Arts' Artistic Director Gerry Perman asked eminent accompanist Roger Vignoles if he would like to prepare a recital for the Society that would be included in this season's Shakepeare in Washington Festival. Mr. Vignoles agreed to do so and found collaborators in Susan Bickley and Stephan Loges. Vignoles recently sent us a note to say "how grateful I am that you invited me to create the programme in the first place.  It encouraged me to go through the strange rag-bag of material I have collected over the years from a huge variety of sources, and come up with - well, what I hope you will find enjoyable and intriguing."

First of the Art Song Discovery Recitals

More than one hundred listener's packed the conservatory of the Glenview Mansion in Rockville's Civic Center Park on Sunday to hear Lisa Eden and Danielle Talamantes, sopranos, in a program of song ranging from Purcell to Laitman. Eden and Talamantes were chosen in last spring's audition by the Society's panel of judges to perform in these commununity concerts. Tim McReynolds is once again the pianist for these recitals.

The program will be repeated in April on the 1st at the Westchester Apartments on Cathedral Ave NW, on the 15th in the Odeon Concert Series at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church in Falls Church, and on the 16th at the Kennedy Center's Millenium Stage.

These programs are a great and free opportunity to introduce friends to the art of song and to get to know some excellent local singers.

Joyce DiDonato Upcoming

We also look forward to the return of Joyce DiDonato to the Vocal Arts series. After her 2003 recital for us, Tim Page wrote in the Washington Post, "...then there was DiDonato’s voice. The tone is plush throughout a formidable range, with a plummy lower register and a middle and upper voice made luminous by a softly flickering vibrato. She’s got a baroque singer’s talent for launching ravishingly pure high notes, but she can unbutton the voice to fill the room with a thrilling jolt of sound."

She offers a French and Spanish song program this year, with pianist Julius Drake.

You may also find this program of interest.