Will judge finals of Young Artists of Voice Competition
On Friday, Jan. 18, Brigham Young University will present a concert by the mezzo-soprano hailed by The New York Times as “one of America’s finest artists and singers,” Frederica von Stade.
The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center. Ticket prices range from $20 to $100, with a $5 discount with a BYU or student ID. Tickets can be purchased at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, by calling (801) 422-4322 or by visiting performances.byu.edu.
In addition to her concert, von Stade will teach a master class on Saturday, Jan. 19, at 1 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets for this event are $10, or free with a BYU student ID. She will also adjudicate the final round of BYU's Young Artists of Voice Competition for the 2008 Singers of the Year awards that evening at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission to this event will be free.
The concert and educational outreach is funded, in part, by the BYU Performing Arts Series and the Nancy Peery Marriott Visiting Vocal Artist Series. This new endowment in the School of Music supports academic excellence and artistic expression — the hallmarks of BYU’s College of Fine Arts and Communications.
Known to family, friends and fans by her nickname "Flicka," von Stade has enriched the world of classical music for more than three decades. Since her 1970 debut, her career has taken her to the stages of the world's great opera houses and concert halls.
She has appeared with every leading American opera company and performed with many of the world’s finest opera companies, conductors and symphony orchestras. Her numerous guest appearances include a performance with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in the Opening Ceremonies of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games.
Von Stade’s repertoire encompasses a rich variety, from the classical style of Mozart and Haydn to the popular songs of Broadway's greatest musicals. Her performance at BYU will include pieces by Ned Rorem, Franz Schubert, Fraçois Poulenc, Aaron Copland, Claude Debussy, Georges Bizet, Maurice Ravel, Stephen Sondheim, Oscar Hammerstein, Leonard Bernstein and her accompanist, noted composer Jake Heggie.
She holds honorary doctoral degrees from Yale University, Boston University, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Georgetown University School of Medicine and her alma mater, the Mannes School of Music. Her awards include a 1983 recognition of her significant contribution to the arts from President Ronald Reagan, six Grammy nominations and France's highest artistic honor, officer of L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Fine Arts Ticket Office by calling (801) 422-4322 or by visiting performances.byu.edu.
Writer: Marissa Ballantyne
